The 1920 United States Olympic trials for track and field were held from 9 to 17 July 1920 and decided the United States team for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. As women's athletics was not added to the Olympic programme until 1928, only a men's trials was held. Most of the finals took place 16–17 July in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard Stadium, except for the steeplechase and decathlon in Travers Island, New York and the decathlon in New York City.

The meeting also served as the 1920 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, unlike future editions which were held separately. It was the first U.S. track and field trials that consisted of only one final per event to make the team, except for the marathon trials which took place over four races.

A maximum of four athletes could be named to the team per event, unlike the three-athlete-limit of future Olympics. Also unlike future Olympic trials, the 1920 trials results were not completely determinative of the team; in several cases athletes who finished outside of the top 4 were selected based on consistency of previous results.

The marathon team was said to have been chosen based on results from marathons in Brooklyn, Detroit, Boston, and New York, although in practice only athletes that ran the Detroit, Boston, or New York marathons were selected. The top Americans at each of these races (Charles Mellor, 2:30:04 for 1st in Detroit; Arthur Roth, 2:30:21 for 2nd in Boston; Joseph Organ, 2:51:06.2 for 2nd in New York) were named to the team, along with Carl Linder who was the 2nd American finisher in Boston (2:23:32 for 3rd overall).

Results

Event First Second Third Fourth 100 yards Loren Murchison 10.0 Jackson Scholz 10.1 Charles Paddock 10.2 Morris Kirksey 10.2 220 yards straight Charles Paddock 21.4 Morris Kirksey 21.6 Loren Murchison 21.6 George Massengale 22.0 440 yards Frank Shea 49.0 Ted Meredith 49.4 Robert Emery 49.7 George Bretnall 50.0 880 yards Earl Eby 1:54.2 Donald Scott 1:55.0 Thomas Campbell 1:55.3 Bryan Sprott 1:55.4 1 mile Joseph Ray 4:16.2 Edward Curtis 4:19.0 Lawrence Shields 4:19.2 James Connolly 4:20 5000 m Hal Brown 15:26.0 Clifford Furnas 15:29.0 John Simmons 15:30.0 Ivan Dresser 10,000 m Frederick Faller 32:15.0 Earl Johnson 32:18.0 George Cornetta Max Bohland 120 yards hurdles Harold Barron 15.2 William Yount Walker Smith Frederick Murray 440 yards hurdles Frank Loomis 55.0 John Norton 55.2 August Desch Charles Daggs 3000 m steeplechase Patrick Flynn 9:58.2 Michael Devaney 10:06 Albert Hulsebosch 10:08 Ray Watson High jump John Murphy 1.93 m Richmond Landon 1.92 m Harold Muller 1.92 m Christopher Krogness 1.89 m Egon Erickson Oliver Corey Walter Whalen Pole vault Frank Foss 3.99 m Edwin Myers 3.99 m Edward Knourek 3.91 m Eldon Jenne 3.91 m Long jump Solomon Butler 7.52 m Sherman Landers 7.14 m Dink Templeton 6.91 m Jack Merchant 6.82 m Triple jump Sherman Landers 14.83 m Daniel Ahearn 14.55 m Kaufman Geist 14.03 m Clarence Jaquith 13.95 m Shot put Patrick McDonald 14.33 m Harry Liversedge 14.05 m George Bihlman 13.78 m Howard Cann 13.56 m Discus throw Augustus Pope 44.63 m William Bartlett 43.22 m Roy Evans 41.13 m Merle Husted 41.03 m Hammer throw Patrick James Ryan 51.62 m Matthew McGrath 50.68 m James McEachern 47.76 m Basil Bennett 46.74 m Javelin throw Milton Angier 58.79 m James Lincoln 57.07 m Kenneth Wilson 52.56 m Flint Hanner 52.55 m Decathlon Brutus Hamilton 7022.9815 pts Everett Bradley 6965.1180 pts Robert LeGendre 6578.7885 pts Harry Goelitz 6461.5310 pts 3000 m walk Willie Plant 13:08.0 Pentathlon Brutus Hamilton 17 pts Weight throw for distance Patrick McDonald 11.56 m

See also List of USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners (men) List of USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners (women)

Notes

References

Results