Gymnastics
b. Sept. 6, 1912, W. New York, NJ
Cumiskey won 22 national gymnastics titles and was a member of three U. S. Olympic teams over a sixteen-year period. He undoubtedly would have been on five Olympic teams if World War II hadn't forced cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics.
He began competition as a student at New York University and was a member of the Olympic team that won a silver medal for combined exercises in 1932, when he finished sixth in the pommel horse (now known as the side horse).
He won national championships in the all-around in 1934, 1936, 1945, 1946, and 1947; in the pommel horse in 1932, 1936, 1937, 1944, 1945, and 1947; in the horizontal bars in 1934, 1936, 1944, 1945, 1946, and 1948; in the parallel bars in 1944 and 1945; in the floor exercise in 1935; and in vaulting in 1945.
Cumiskey was not only a competitor in the 1948 Olympics, he served as team manager and was given the honor of accompanying the color guard as part of the opening ceremonies.
The long-time coach of the Swiss Turnverein of Hudson County, New Jersey, Cumiskey was also active in the administration of the sport as a judge and served as technical director of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation and technical director and president of the National Gymnastics Judges Association.
In addition to a manual for judges, Cumiskey wrote a History of Gymnastics and Who's Who in Gymnastics.
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