The old black-and-white photograph shows a young man poised on the ice, clad in racing blades, woolen tights and a long turtle-neck adorned with over seventy medals. His dark hair, parted in the middle, is topped with a knit skullcap. 

 A hundred years ago, Morris (Mott) Wood gave speed skating fans at Pittsburgh's Duquesne Gardens something to cheer about. February 13, 1904, marked the best day in the life of the 22-year-old. In defense of his amateur title he won the half-mile, mile and five-mile races. In addition to establishing the world's amateur records in the first and last races, he shattered the one-mile record with a time of 2:41.2, a record that was listed in the World Almanac and stood for many years. 

 Born on January 28, 1882, in Long Branch, New Jersey, Mott began skating at age six. Lack of ice never hindered him. He'd strap on a battered pair of skates given to him by his parents and skate on frozen dirt. 

 "I practiced on the living room floor when my parents weren't looking," the now-deceased champ once said. 

 When his mother didn't think the ice was thick enough to skate on, Mott thought otherwise and used to sneak out the back window to skate on the river. His brothers Ollie and Jack, were also good speed skaters, but it was Mott who trained and excelled in the sport. He was so far ahead when he raced competitors that he used to turn around and skate backwards. His opponents often received 75-yard handicaps. 

 From 1902 to 1908, Mott held the indoor and outdoor national amateur speed skating championship. When he turned professional, he held the world outdoor championship from 1909-1911 and the indoor from 1909 to 1918. When he left the racing circuit in 1919, he had tallied world records for every distance from 75 yards to five miles and remained unmatched. Known for his 33-foot stroke, longest ever seen in competition, he was nationally known, skating before kings, queens and presidents.

 In an exhibition race, Mott led in a 220-yard race with only 40 feet to go when he snagged his skate on a bobby pin and fell, injuring his back and ending his career.