First boxer to win gold medals in different weight divisions at the same Olympic Games

Oliver Kirk (USA, b. 20 April 1884, d. 14 March 1960) is the only boxer in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold medals in two different weight divisions at the same Olympics. Remarkably, at the 1904 Games held in St Louis, Missouri, USA, Kirk won the featherweight (then 52.6-57.2 kg; 115.9-126.1 lb) and bantamweight (then -52.6 kg; -115.9 lb) titles on the same day, 22 September, at St Louis' Physical Culture Gymnasium in Washington University. Kirk had to win just two bouts for his gold medals, defeating fellow Americans in both finals. With just two boxers originally registered to fight in the featherweight division at St Louis 1904, Kirk was added to the line-up at short notice to fight the winner of the 21 September semi-final between fellow Americans Frank Haller and Frederick Gilmore. Kirk defeated Haller in the final the following day. In the bantamweight division there were just two boxers entered and Kirk duly defeated another American, George Finnegan, by technical knock out in round three of their contest to win his second gold medal of the day. Boxing made its Olympic debut in 1904, with the USA winning all seven gold medals and 19 of the 21 total medals up for grabs.