1900 Summer Olympics
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| 1900 Summer Olympics | |
| Olympiad | II |
|---|---|
| Host City | Paris, France |
| # Nations | 21 |
| Events | 85 |
| Sports | 17 |
| Males | 1,319 |
| Females | 11 |
| Total Athletes | 1,330 |
| Stadium | Vélodrome de Vincennes |
The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held but competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair. Over a thousand competitors took part in either 17 or 19 different sports. Women took part in the games for the first time and Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympic champion. The decision to hold competitions on a Sunday brought protests from many American athletes, who travelled as representatives of their colleges and were expected to withdraw rather than compete on their religious day of rest. Most of the winners in 1900 did not receive medals, but were given cups or trophies. Professionals competed in fencing, and Albert Robert Ayat, who won the épée for amateurs and masters, was awarded a prize of 3000 francs. Some unusual events were contested for the first and only time in the history of the Games. The equestrian high and long jumps, swimming obstacle race, two-day cricket and live pigeon shooting being foremost among them.
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Olympic status of sports and events
The 1900 games were not governed by a specific Olympic organizing committee, but instead held as an appendage to the 1900 World's Fair. An enormous amount of events were held, though many fall short of the standards later associated withr Olympic championships. In later years, the decision as to which Olympic events are termed "official" and which are have "unofficial" or "demonstration" status are usually left to the Olympic organizing committees and/or the International Olympic Committee. In the absence of any overall group capable of making an official distinction of this kind, no decision as to the official status of any event was made at the time of the Games. A document from 1912 exists, listing results from the 1900 Games, but Olympic historians question its reliability. The document forms the basis of the results of the Paris games in the IOC database.[1]
Events
The track and field events were held at the home of the Racing Club de France at the Croix-Catalan on the Bois de Boulogne. No track was laid but races took place on an uneven field of grass littered with trees. Additional events were held for professionals and a series of handicap races also took place. These are not considered official Olympic events. [edit]The sprints In the seven events contested over 400 metres or less, the United States took 13 out of a possible 21 medals. Athletes from Columbia University, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania all won gold medals. Indeed, two would-be dentists from the University of Pennsylvania were amongst the stars of the Games. Alvin Kraenzlein won 4 individual gold medals, a feat that has never repeated, while John Tewksbury took five medals including two golds. The "hurdles" in the 400 m hurdle race were 30-foot (9.1 m)-long telegraph poles arranged on the track and the race, uniquely in Olympic competition, had a water jump on the final straight. [edit]Middle and long distance races United States dominance in sprinting was matched in the longer track races by Great Britain. Only George Orton, who won Canada's first Olympic title in the shorter of the two steeplechases, ruined a perfect record for the British. Orton won his title less than an hour after placing third in the 400 m hurdles.
The Marathon
The most contentious of all the events in these Games began and ended on the Bois de Bolougne. Intended to follow the track of the old city wall, the course was poorly marked out and runners often got lost and had to double back on themselves before continuing. On some parts of the course, runners had to contend with distractions from cars, bicycles, pedestrians and animals. Arthur Newton of the United States finished fifth but stated he had not been passed by any other runner during the race. Another American, Richard Grant, claimed he was run down by a cyclist as he made ground on the leaders. French honour seemed to be have satisfied when Michel Theato crossed the finish line and a military band struck up La Marseillaise but modern research has discovered that Theato was born in Luxembourg and maintained Luxembourgian citizenship throughout his life.
Field events
The Hungarian discus thrower Rudolf Bauer was only non-American crowned as Olympic Champion. American domination was even greater in the field events than the track events with outstanding performances coming from Ray Ewry and Irving Baxter. Ewry started his Olympic career with a sweep of the three standing jumps while Baxter finished second to Ewry three times and won both the regular high jump and pole vault
Medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France | 26*[2] | 41* | 34* | 101 |
| 2 |  United States | 19* | 14* | 14* | 47 |
| 3 |  Great Britain | 15* | 6* | 9* | 30 |
| 4 |  Mixed Team | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 5 |  Switzerland | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 6 |  Belgium | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 7 |  Germany | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 |  Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 |  Australia | 2* | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 10 |  Denmark | 1* | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 11 |  Hungary | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 12 |  Cuba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 |  Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 |  Spain | 1 | 0* | 0 | 1 |
| 15 |  Austria | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 16 |  Norway | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 17 |  India | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 |  Netherlands | 0* | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 19 |  Bohemia | 0 | 1 | 1* | 2 |
| 20 |  Mexico | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 |  Sweden | 0* | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 90 | 90 | 88 | 268 | |
* Teammates won medals as a part of a mixed team.
References
- ↑ "Olympic or not?" - article by Herman de Wael - Journal of Olympic History - January 2003
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Michel Théato was originally assumed to be French, before it was discovered that his nationality was Luxembourgish. The International Olympic Committee still credits this medal for France, however.
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