Pál Simon
Encyclopedia
Pál Simon was a Hungarian
athlete. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
in London
.
He was born and died in Budapest
.
Simon was a member of the bronze medal
Hungarian medley relay team. He was the first runner on the squad, running 200 metres. He was followed by Frigyes Wiesner
, József Nagy, and Ödön Bodor
.
Simon gave the team a ten yard lead over the Swedish
team after his leg of the first round race. The Swedes made up the distance, however, and nearly eliminated the Hungarians. Bodor made an excellent effort and regained the lead in the second half of the race. In the final, Simon made his transfer while six yards behind the American
team but a yard in front of the German
squad. The team held second place until the final leg, in which Hanns Braun
passed Bodor to relegate the Hungarians to bronze medals.
Simon also competed in the 100 and 200 metres races, finishing second and fourth in the first round heats of those races. He did not advance to the final in either race.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
athlete. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
He was born and died in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Simon was a member of the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
Hungarian medley relay team. He was the first runner on the squad, running 200 metres. He was followed by Frigyes Wiesner
Frigyes Wiesner
Frigyes Mezei was a Hungarian athlete. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm....
, József Nagy, and Ödön Bodor
Ödön Bodor
Ödön Bodor was a Hungarian athlete. He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He was Jewish.-Career:...
.
Simon gave the team a ten yard lead over the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
team after his leg of the first round race. The Swedes made up the distance, however, and nearly eliminated the Hungarians. Bodor made an excellent effort and regained the lead in the second half of the race. In the final, Simon made his transfer while six yards behind the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
team but a yard in front of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
squad. The team held second place until the final leg, in which Hanns Braun
Hanns Braun
Hanns Braun was a German athlete.-Biography:He was born in Wernfels and died near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, France as fighter-pilot in an airplane-crash in World War I....
passed Bodor to relegate the Hungarians to bronze medals.
Simon also competed in the 100 and 200 metres races, finishing second and fourth in the first round heats of those races. He did not advance to the final in either race.