Sophus Jensen
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sophus Christian Jensen |
| Born | July 27, 1889 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | July 25, 1945 (aged 55) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Water polo |
| Club | Illinois Athletic Club (IAC) |
| Coached by | Bill Bachrach IAC Otto Wahle (Olympics) |
Sophus Christian Jensen (July 27, 1889 – July 25, 1945) was an American water polo player.[1] He competed in the men's tournament at the 1920 Summer Olympics.[2]
By 1907, Jensen played water polo and swam representing the Illinois Athletic Club where he was coached by Bill Bachrach, and was known to play right forward in a few early water polo matches.[3][4] From 1914-1917, the Illinois Athletic Club's water polo team won the American national championships in four straight years under Bill Bachrach's coaching.[5] Jensen also swam distance events, finishing fifth in the ten mile Mississippi River Marathon in St. Louis, Missouri held on September 2, 1907 and occasionally competed in breaststroke.[6][7]
1920 Antwerp Olympics
Jensen was part of the American water polo team in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics which finished fourth in the Olympic Men's water polo tournament. Jensen's role was recorded as a goalkeeper in the 1920 Olympics. The US water polo team was coached by Austrian-born American swimmer Otto Wahle, a 1900 and 1904 Olympic medalist and Water Polo Hall of Fame inductee. Great Britain, and the hometown team from Belgium were early favorites to medal in the tournament. The American team defeated Greece in the first Water Polo Match of the Quarterfinals 7-0, on August 24, but lost to Great Britain in the Semi-finals 7-2, eliminating them from the final round. The U.S. team later defeated Belgium 7-2 in a consolation round to determine the 2nd to 5th place finishers. Great Britain took the gold medal, Belgium took the silver, and Sweden took the bronze.[4][8]
Careers
In 1940, Jensen worked for the Works Project Administration. He worked directing athletics at a club operated by the city of Chicago in 1917.[4]
He died July 25, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Sophus Jensen". Olympedia. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sophus Jensen Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- ↑ ""Jensen Stops Wild Irishman", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, February 25, 1909, pg. 6". Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Olympedia Biography, Sophus Jensen". Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ "American Swimming Coaches Association, Bill Bachrach". Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ ""Swimmers to Run in Marathon", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, September 15, 1907, pg. 25". Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ ""Hebner and Frizelle Are Chosen to Give Daniels Hard Race", The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, March 26, 1909, pg. 4". Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ "USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Otto Wahle". Retrieved June 12, 2026.
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