Bobsledding
b. June 4, 1911, New York, NY
d. Aug. 17, 1940
Born into a wealthy family, Fiske was at school in Europe in 1928 when he and a few other Americans formed a bobsled team to enter the Winter Olympics at St. Moritz, Switzerland. The fearless 16-year-old Fiske was chosen to drive the five-man sled, and he drove it to a gold medal. He's still the youngest American athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
Four years later, he won another gold medal as driver of the winning four-man sled in the Lake Placid Olympics. Fiske also won the Grand National championship on the famed Cresta Run in Switzerland in 1936 and 1938.
Fiske married the Countess of Warwick in 1938 and he joined the British Royal Air Force in 1939, shortly after World War II began. He was seriously wounded in June of 1940 during the Battle of Britain. He landed his plane successfully but died of his injuries two months later.
The Billy Fiske Memorial Trophy is awarded to the national champion four-man bobsled team.
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