Harry George Goelitz (January 9, 1894 – May 14, 1971) was an American

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-dev ...

. He competed in the men's decathlon at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

. Goelitz was trained at

Oak Park and River Forest High School , motto_translation = Those things that are best , address = 201 N. Scoville Avenue , location = , region = , town = Oak Park , county = , state ...

Bob Zuppke Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81� ...

, and at

Mercersburg Academy Mercersburg Academy (formerly Marshall College and Mercersburg College) is an independent selective college-preparatory boarding & day high school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. Founded in 1893, the school enrolls approxim ...

Jimmy Curran James Michael Curran (January 7, 1880 – February 7, 1963) was an athletics coach, best known for training five Olympic gold medallists. From 1900-1902 he fought with the Highland Light Infantry in the Second Boer War, serving much of that time ...

. In late 1913 he was thrown out of Mercersburg due to leaving the grounds without permission. He transferred to Keewatin Academy in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. In 1921 Goelitz's leg was crushed between a cement mixer and a road roller. He was rushed to hospital and recovered, but it is likely this accident ended his athletics career.Olympic Games Track Star Hurt by Road Roller, ''Chicago Tribune'', November 11, 1921

References

1894 births 1971 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics American male decathletes Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Sportspeople from Oak Park, Illinois Track and field athletes from Illinois Olympic decathletes {{US-decathlon-athletics-bio-stub