Côte-d’Or: the American medals of French Corey
Albert Corey could well be Côte-d’Or’s first Olympic medalist … Born April 16, 1878 in Meursault, the son of winegrowers, the runner finished second in the 1904 Olympic Games marathon in Saint Louis, and second in the 4-mile team. But 117 years later, if he is the only French present (France did not want to send its athletes so far), his performance is still debated: the athlete would run for the Chicago Athletic Association and his medals were awarded to United States.
His titles could however return to France thanks to the fight of Clément Genty, municipal councilor of Meursault and amateur historian. On January 25, a letter from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave him hope: “Mr. Corey is the only participant and medalist of French nationality at this edition of the Games”. And the stakes are not modest: France would then become one of the three medal-winning countries at each edition of the modern Olympic Games, along with Australia and the United Kingdom.
An extraordinary destiny
In 1878, the phylloxera destroyed the vines, and the family of winegrowers was forced to migrate to the Parisian suburbs. Albert studied accountancy in Charenton-le-Pont, became a sales employee, then joined the army at the age of 18, in 1896, with the 8th battalion of chasseurs à pied. Gifted for endurance, he ran, under the colors of the US Paris, the Paris marathon in 1901, finishing 10th, then 7th in 1902. Proud of his house prodigy, the army made it a showcase and financed his exploits. . But on January 2, 1903, he was missed. Here he is a deserter: he left France for the United States, settling in Dayton (Ohio) then in 1904 in Chicago, where he worked as a strike breaker in a slaughterhouse.
An epic race
At the time, the American press took a liking to this “Frenchman” who had become the “New Star for Marathon”. With his risky English and his “tramp” look, as the Washington Times will say of him, he finds himself lined up for the Olympic marathon after having duped the Chicago Athletic Association on his credentials. The race sets off in stifling heat, and the organizers are planning only one water supply to test the effects of dehydration (!). Of the thirty or so participants, more than half will drop out. Corey finished the 40 km in third place. And as the winner is finally disqualified for having done part of the journey by car, he is a silver medalist.
A career that is cut short …
Back in Chicago, Corey tried the Chicago marathon several times and ended up winning it in 1908. He then turned professional but his career was cut short: in 1909, he was hit by a car and never regained his level. He returned to France in the summer of 1910 and worked first as a journalist, before joining the army. He was taken prisoner during the First World War. After the armistice, he joined the Polish army, fighting in Upper Silesia, Iraq and Syria, eventually ending his military career in Germany with the rank of adjutant. He died in 1926 in Paris, probably of tuberculosis.
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