FBI man, Horace “Nip” Ashenfelter is the only American to ever win the Olympic 3,000-meter Steeplechase.* He did so while setting an Olympic record and running the fastest time ever run in that event. His brother, William “Bill” Ashenfelter, also competed in the 1952 Olympic 3000-meter Steeplechase.

*James Lightbody from the US won an Olympic steeplechase in the 1904 St. Louis Games, but Lightbody ran a 2,590-meter steeplechase. Olympedia, OlyMADMen, ed. s.v. “James Davies ‘Jim’ Lightbody,” accessed July 5, 2020, http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78697.)

Not only did Horace Ashenfelter win an Olympic gold medal, but he also raised $3,584.29 from his fellow Olympic athletes for a scholarship to assist a Finnish student to study in America. Asa S. Bushnell, ed., United States 1952 Olympic Book, Quadrennial Report United States Olympic Committee: Games of the XVth Olympiad Helsinki, Finland July 19 to August 3, 1952, VI Olympic Winter Games Oslo, Norway February 14 to 25, 1952, 1^st Pan American Games Buenos Aires, Argentina February 25 to March 8, 1951, (New York: United States Olympic Association, 1953), 274.

Horace Ashenfelter also qualified to compete in the 10,000 meters in the 1952 Olympics but chose not to in order to save himself for the 3,000 meters. Wikipedia, s.v. “1952 United States Olympic trials (track and field),” last modified January 18, 2024, 21:54, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_United_States_Olympic_trials_(track_and_field).

International Olympic Committee. “FBI Agent Ashenfelter Breaks Cover to Win the Steeplechase: Agents from America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, Normally Keep a Low Profile. But in Helsinki Agent Horace Ashenfelter Broke Cover and Grabbed the Attention of the World.” Athletics, News, July 25, 1952. https://olympics.com/en/news/fbi-agent-ashenfelter-breaks-cover-to-win-the-steeplechase.

Robert D. McFadden, “Horace Ashenfelter, Olympic Victor of a Cold War Showdown, Dies at 94,” New York Times, January 7, 2018,https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/obituaries/horace-ashenfelter-dead-olympic-steeplechase.html?_r=0.

Harrison Smith, “Horace Ashenfelter, G-man who outpaced soviet runner in ’52 Olympics, dies at 94, Washington Post, January 7, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/horace-ashenfelter-g-man-who-outpaced-soviet-runner-in-52-olympics-dies-at-94/2018/01/07/8ddc5b34-f3bf-11e7-a9e3-ab18ce41436a_story.html.

Videos of Ashenfelter’s race:

1. While the narrator of this version spoke in another language, Ashenfelter discussed his race in English. A camera captured the water jumps from the ground level and included crowd noises. “Horace Ashenfelter,” filmed July 25, 1952, in Helsinki, Finland, ESPN, YouTube video, 2:21, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fulj2D1eYx8.
2. This video honors Ashenfelter and shows the difficulty he encountered with the official blocking his way at the finish line. Ian Bowman, narr., “Horace Ashenfelter Dies at 94,” Voxipop, YouTube video, :48, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0helvn_uSwk.
3. A movie camera captured this race from an elevated position. Musical soundtrack added. This showed American decathletes greeting Ashenfelter after the race and his circling his fist in the air. “Helsinki 1952 [Horace Ashenfelter] 3000m Steeplechase AMATEUR FOOTAGE,” filmed July 25, 1952, in Helsinki Finland. filmed July 25, 1952, in Helsinki, Finland, TF Filmarchiv, YouTube video, 1:27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIqVrWzKK4.
4. The steeplechase began at 1:51. The photographer recorded this event from the ground under the hurdles with English narration. “1952 Olympic Games,” (see chap. 24, n. 4).

American Athletes in the Olympic Steeplechase

The men’s Olympic 3,000-meter steeplechase has occurred twenty-four times. Other than Horace Ashenfelter with his 1952 gold medal, only five other American men have won medals in the Olympic steeplechase; none of them were gold: 1920-Pat Flynn, silver; 1932-Joe McCluskey, bronze; 1968-George Young, bronze; 1984-Brian Diemer, bronze; 2016-Evan Jager, silver. Olympedia, OlyMADMen, ed. s.v. “Athletics–3,000 metres Steeplechase, Men: Medals by country,” https://www.olympedia.org/event_names/54. Of note, the Olympics have included the women’s steeplechase in the last four Olympics. In 2016, Emma Coburn won a bronze medal. Olympedia, OlyMADMen, ed. s.v. “Athletics-3,000 metres Steeplechase, Women, https://www.olympedia.org/event_names/700. Most recently, Courtney Frerichs earned a silver in 2020 Tokyo. “Team USA at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Medals, Results, and Top Moments: Silver Medalists,” Tokyo 2020, Olympic.com, accessed August 14, 2021, https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/team-usa-at-tokyo-2020-olympics-medals-results-and-top-moments.