Rob Solves an Olympic Mystery of his family name

The 1924 Charles who won the 500 meter speed skate

Because I've (Rob) authored 5 books, I have a running "Google Alert" on my last name to see if any places mention any of them. So, I was surprised when a story about the 1924 Olympics came up on a Google Alert that said "Charles Gutro" (my last name) won a 1924 skating medal. Naturally, I was intrigued, so I researched it and sadly, learned it wasn't true. Here's what happened: 

The BobrTimes.com out of Springfield, Mass. originally reported "The Han on Saturday won the award the highest dignity in Pyeongchang, repeating the result of the Games in Sochi. “Silver” in Japanese Seven UNO, “bronze” went to Spaniard Javier Fernandez. According to the report, the first medal of the winter Games was the American speed skater Charles Gutro who won the 500 meters at the Olympics in Chamonix on 26 January 1924."

I immediately googled "Charles Gutro and Olympics" and that Bobrtimes article was the only source that kept showing it. So, I went to the Olympics Website (www.olympic.org/) and Googled "Charles Gutro" and found nothing. When I searched that website for "1924 Olympics" I learned that the Charles was actually Charles Jewtraw, not Charles Gutro. Well, that was disappointing!

photo from 1924 Winter Olympics in France

Here's the true account from Olympic.org: "On 26 January 1924 history was made when Charles Jewtraw flashed across the finish line in the 500m speed skating event at Chamonix. His time of 44.0 seconds was enough to claim both first place and the first gold medal to be won at Chamonix’s Winter Sports Week." 
Source:  https://www.olympic.org/news/relive-the-glories-of-past-olympic-winter-games-chamonix-1924 

BIG DEAL FOR CHARLES JEWTRAW'S WIN - Olympic.org went on to say:  For Charles Jewtraw, his medal became all the more memorable with that decision. It was a decision that elevated him beyond the top step of the podium to a place that only one athlete could claim. His medal and commemorative diploma would remain unchanged with only references to winter sports and a link to the Games of the VIII Olympiad, but in the history books Jewtraw’s win would now be deemed ‘Olympic’. Thus, in 1926, Jewtraw became the first athlete to be given the title of Olympic champion at the Winter Games.