As ski jumpers prepare to launch themselves from towering alpine ramps for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, a little piece of Chicago history offers a reminder that mountains, while helpful, have never been strictly required for ski jumping.
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The Olympic Athlete Who Became a Powerful Chicago Politician
Daniel HautzingerRalph Metcalfe was once known as the "world's fastest human" and raced alongside Jesse Owens at the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympics before becoming an influential Chicago politician who eventually bucked Richard J. Daley and the powerful Democratic machine.
When Chicago Hosted Olympics-Style Games — And Why They Have Been Forgotten
Daniel HautzingerChicago celebrates its World's Fairs on the city flag, and the failed bid for the 2016 Olympics is well-remembered. Why have the 1959 Pan-American Games hosted by the city been forgotten?
