Quicksand Fans

An athlete named Billy Fiske won gold in 4-man bobsled in 1928 at the age of 16, and again in 1932. During the 1930s he was heavily involved in developing ski resorts in the western USA. After that, and very unfortunately, he became famous, or at least noteworthy, for something else of a more tragic nature. What was that?

No cheating.

Hint: The event in question had nothing to do with sports.

Here is another clue that ought to give it away: In winning the Olympic medals and in the event in question, Fiske was representing different countries.

OK, here is the answer:

Depending on exactly how you calculate things, Mr. Fiske was the very first, or second, American citizen to be killed in combat in World War II. He had joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot, pretending to be a UK citizen.

Heh-heh. That was WAY over my head.

Maybe you need to avoid the $100,000 final category questions and offer more of the $1,000 ones...

I thought it was an easy one. But then I used to teach part of a course on the history of sport.