1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics

Athletics at the II Olympic Games in 1900
information
venue	Paris
Competition venue	Croix Catelan
Nations	17th
Athletes	119 (119 )
date	July 1st to 16th, 1900
decisions	23
← Athens 1896 St. Louis 1904 →

In the French capital Paris as part of the ( Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Paris ) discharged international competitions for Physical Education and Sport (Concours Internationaux d'Exercices physiques et de Sports) included u. a. the athletics competitions which were part of the II. Olympic Games 1900 (Games of the II. Olympiad) . Only men were eligible to participate. Women were first admitted to the Olympic Games in athletics in 1928 .

Medal table

Olympic Games 1900 (athletics medal table)
space	team			3.	Total
1	United States	16	13	10	39
2	Great Britain	3	3	2	8th
3	France	1	4th	2	7th
4th	Canada	1	-	1	2
	Hungary	1	-	1	2
6th	Mixed team	1	-	-	1
7th	British India	-	2	-	2
8th	Bohemia	-	1	-	1
9	Australia	-	-	3	3
10	Denmark	-	-	1	1
	Norway	-	-	1	1
	Sweden	-	-	1	1

Competitions

In addition to the usual program, the athletics competitions consisted of a large number of competitions which, according to Pierre de Coubertin , the founder of the modern Olympic Games , and according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), are not considered Olympic . This included competitions for professionals , for whom u. a. a 6-hour run was organized, or competitions with handicaps to level different levels of performance.

The USA track and field team

The IOC assigned 23 athletics competitions to the Olympic program of the Games of the II Olympiad. According to the official version, 117 athletes from 15 nations took part. The competition program differed significantly from today's. Eleven of the 23 competitions were in the program of the Olympic Games for the first time. The shortest sprint route besides the 100 meters and 200 meters was a 60-meter run, which, however, was only once an Olympic discipline and disappeared after the 1904 Olympic Games . The same applies to the 200-meter hurdles . The 1896 according to some sources even over 100 meters conducted shortest hurdle race was finally on the up to now usual 110-meter distance held. The 400-meter hurdles were added in Paris . Two competitions over obstacles were also new, but they looked very different from today's standardized variant. A first long distance in addition to the marathon was offered over 5000 meters, but only with a team rating. The three standing jumping competitions that were very popular at the time were also new . The best performances achieved there could therefore all be rated as Olympic records . The hammer throw was a new throwing discipline in the Olympic program. The javelin, however, had to wait. This discipline did not officially become Olympic until 1908 , after it was first played at the 1906 Olympic Intermediate Games in Athens . Even if there were no official lists of world records at that time , it can be assumed that four new world records were unofficially set at these games.

Medals

The fact that the IOC still ignored the fact that the winner of the marathon , Michel Théato , was not a French citizen, but that of Luxembourg , is generally historically documented. Thus there were 16 nationalities among the participating athletes. However, since Théato is officially rated as French according to the IOC reading, this is also implemented in the following overviews and lists.

In the early days of the Olympic Games, nobody had thought of a nation ranking or a medal table. As a result, a number of teams with athletes of different nationalities are nowadays assessed separately as mixed teams . This also includes a team in the 5000 meter team run. The participation of the Australian runner Stan Rowley in the team of the Amateur Athletic Association, which otherwise consisted only of British runners, has led the IOC to assign the placement to the mixed teams and not exclusively to the British. There are certainly publications in which this is viewed differently. The statistics and the medal table have changed accordingly.

Venue

All competitions took place in the Croix Catelan , the club area of ​​the Racing Club de France in the Bois de Boulogne . It was a large lawn on which a running lap 500 meters long was marked out. The ground was very uneven and there were a lot of trees around, including the interior.

German athletics team
v. Left to right: Kurt Doerry, Julius Keyl, Rau, Werkmüller,
middle: Team leader Demmler,
below: Franz Duhne and Waldemar Steffen

Sunday on schedule

The competitions were held between July 14th, the French national day , and July 22nd. July 15th was a Sunday and caused particular complications. Many US athletes were unwilling to compete on a Sunday because their religious beliefs forbade them. At the request of the athletes, the organizers initially promised to postpone the competitions, but in the end the predetermined program was carried out unchanged. In the ten decisions on that day, the US athletes made seven winners.

Performance measurement

The jury measured the time for the winners in the running competitions. There was no time measurement for those who were placed; the gap between them and the winner or those placed in front was estimated with a length specification. Subsequently, an attempt was made to determine a time for the runners-up from this distance, which is added in brackets in the following lists. Among other things, this estimate also had in the various sources used here - s. u. - different performance data result.

successes

The US athletes won 16 of the 23 competitions and took a total of 39 of the 68 medal placements - according to today's reading, gold, silver and bronze. This made the United States the vastly superior nation of track and field competitions.
The most successful athlete was the American Alvin Kraenzlein . He was four times Olympic champion - 60 meter run , 110 meter hurdles , 200 meter hurdles and long jump .

His compatriot Ray Ewry was a specialist in all jumps from the standing position. He won all competitions in these disciplines and thus achieved three Olympic victories - standing high , standing long and standing triple jump .

Another five athletes became two Olympic champions each:

• Irving Baxter , USA - high jump and pole vault . In addition, Baxter took three second places in all three standing jumping competitions .
• Walter Tewksbury , USA - 200 meter and 200 meter hurdles . Tewksbury was also twice second - 60 meters and 100 meters - and third in the 400 meter hurdles .
• Charles Bennett , Great Britain - 1500 meter and 5000 meter team run. In addition, Bennett was second over 4000 meters obstacle .
• Alfred Tysoe , Great Britain - 800m and 5000m team races
• John Rimmer , Great Britain - 4000 meter obstacle and 5000 meter team race.

The athletes set three world records :

• Alvin Kraenzlein , 60-meter run, 7.0 s
• Charles Bennett , 1,500 meter run 4: 06.2 min
• Ray Ewry , standing vault 1.655 m

There were also 13 Olympic records , one of which was set.

As with the Olympic Games in 1896, the presentation of the exact results for these competitions is not always clear. Depending on the source - see literature or web links, link 1 below - there are v. a. in the rear placements differing representations.

Results

60 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 60 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	7.0	WRe
2	Walter Tewksbury	United States	7.0
3	Stan Rowley	OUT	7.1
4th	Edmund Minahan	United States	7.2
eliminated in the preliminary stages	Norman Pritchard	IND	1st VL 3rd place
	William Holland	United States	2nd VL 3rd place
	Adolphe Klingelhoefer	FRA	1. VL
	Isaac Westergren	SWE	1. VL
	Pál Koppán	HUN	2. VL
	Ernö Schubert	HUN	2. VL

Alvin Kraenzlein (left) and Walter Tewksbury in the finish over 60 meters

Date: July 15th

This short distance was twice part of the program at the Olympic Games . It was held for the first time in 1900 and quickly disappeared from the program again after 1904 . As in the 100-meter run and as in 1896, the running tracks were separated by ropes at the level of the calves.

There were two preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for the final.

Alvin Kraenzlein had already set a world record in his run-up with 7.0 seconds , which he equalized in the final. The times for second to fourth place are estimated using the specified intervals.

Depending on the source, there are different versions of the outcome of this race. More details can be found in the main article on the 60-meter run

100 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 100 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Frank Jarvis	United States	11.0
2	Walter Tewksbury	United States	11.1
3	Stan Rowley	OUT	11.2
-	Arthur Duffey	United States	DNF
in the preliminary, semi-final runs or hopelessness running excluded excreted	Norman Pritchard	IND	HL place 2
	Clark Leiblee	United States	HL place 3
	Thaddeus McClain	United States	HL
	Charles Burroughs	United States	HL
	Frederick Moloney	United States	HL
	Dixon Boardman	United States	1. ZL place 4
	Kurt Doerry	GER	2. ZL task
	Edmund Minahan	United States	3rd ZL 4th place
	Václav Nový	BOH	1st VL 3rd place
	Pál Koppán	HUN	2nd VL 3rd place
	Umberto Colombo	ITA	3rd VL 3rd place
	Johannes Gandil	THE	4th VL 3rd place
	Ernö Schubert	HUN	5th VL 3rd place
	Henry Slack	United States	6. VL 3rd place
	Julius Keyl	GER	3rd VL place 4
	Isaac Westergren	SWE	5th VL place 4

Date: July 14th

As in the 60-meter run and as in 1896, the running tracks were separated from each other by ropes at the level of the calves.

There were six preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for three intermediate runs. Of these, the winners made it to the finals, the second and third contested a hope run. Through this the winner qualified for the final.

Jarvis set a world record with 10.8 seconds in his run , which Tewksbury equalized in his intermediate run. In the final, Jarvis won two feet behind Tewksbury, who was more than half a yard ahead of Rowley - times were estimated based on this information.

The actual favorite for this race was Arthur Duffey, who had beaten his main rivals beforehand. In the final, he, known as a quick starter, was clearly leading halfway through. But here a tendon strained him and he was eliminated.

For this competition, the sources largely agree in their representations.

200 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 200 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Walter Tewksbury	United States	22.2	OR
2	Norman Pritchard	IND	22.5
3	Stan Rowley	OUT	22.6
4th	William Holland	United States	22.6
eliminated in the preliminary stages	Adolphe Klingelhoefer	FRA	1st VL 3rd place
	Yngvar Bryn	NOR	2nd VL 3rd place
	Emo Schubert	HUN	1. VL
	Albert Werkmüller	GER	2. VL

Date: July 22nd

The 200-meter run was part of the Olympic program for the first time. There were two preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for the final. Tewksbury won two and a half yards ahead of Pritchard, who was half a yard ahead of Rowley. Holland followed just behind Rowley - times were estimated based on these distances.

The first three are named consistently in the sources. At Ekkehard zur Megede , the information about fourth place is completely missing.

400 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 400 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Maxwell Long	United States	49.4	OR
2	William Holland	United States	49.6
3	Ernst Schultz	THE	52.4
-	Dixon Boardman	United States	DNS
	Harry Lee	United States
	William Moloney	United States
eliminated in the preliminary stages	Harvey Lord	United States	1st VL 3rd place
	Charles-Robert Faidide	FRA	2nd VL 3rd place
	Henry Slack	United States	3rd VL 3rd place
	Georges Clément	FRA	1st VL place 4
	Pál Koppán	HUN	2nd VL place 4
	Umberto Colombo	ITA	3. VL
	Zoltán Speidl	HUN	3. VL
	Walter Drumheller	United States	1st VL place 5
	Yngvar Bryn	NOR	2nd VL place 5

Maxey Long (left) beats William Holland over 400 meters

Date: July 14th and July 15th

There were three preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for the final.

The three qualified US athletes Dixon Boardman, Harry Lee and William Moloney did not make it to the final because their religious beliefs forbade them to compete on a Sunday - the day of the final. Not every US athlete had this attitude. In the final, after "zur Megede", Holland led the way. In the "SportsReference" source, however, Long is at the front from the start. In any case, Maxwell Long won by five yards over William Holland. The Dane Ernst Schultz crossed the finish line 25 yards behind - the times were estimated based on these distances.

The sources are also consistent for this discipline.

800 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 800 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Alfred Tysoe	GBR	2: 01.2
2	John Cregan	United States	2: 01.8
3	David Hall	United States	2: 05.0
4th	Henri Deloge	FRA	k. A.
5	Zoltán Speidl	HUN
6th	John Bray	United States
eliminated in the preliminary stages	Howard Hayes	United States	1st VL 3rd place
	Justus Scrafford	United States	2nd VL 3rd place
	Harvey Lord	United States	3rd VL 3rd place
	Maurice Salomez	FRA	1st VL place 4
	Christian Christensen	THE	1st VL place 5
	Alex Grant	United States	1. VL
	Walter Drumheller	United States	1. VL
	Edward Bushnell	United States	2. VL
	Emilio Banfi	ITA	2. VL
	Harrison Smith	United States	2. VL
	Ondřej Pukl	BOH	3. VL
	Edward Mechling	United States	3. VL

Alfred Tysoe ahead of John Cregan in the 800 meter final

Date: July 16

There were three preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for the final.

Alex Grant was a Canadian citizen, like his brother Dick, who took part in the marathon. Since they were studying in the United States and Alex was running for the New York Athletic Club and the University of Pennsylvania, Dick for Harvard University, they were incorrectly listed as Americans.

David Hall had already set an Olympic record with 1: 59.0 minutes in his preliminary run . In the final, Cregan, Tysoe and Deloge fought for victory with close intervals. Shortly before the finish line, Deloge fell after a fit of weakness and was only able to save fourth place. Tysoe won by three yards over Cregan - times were estimated from the distances between runners. Deloge and Hall were still clearly suffering from the aftermath of the exertions of the 1,500 meter final that had taken place the day before.

The listed placements are correct in the sources used here - s. u. - match. However, there are different names for the times achieved. Ekkehard zur Megede lists the following results:
1. Alfred Tysoe 2: 01.4 min / 2. John Cregan 2: 03.0 min / 3. David Hall k. A.

1500 m

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 1500 m (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Charles Bennett	GBR	4: 06.2	WR
2	Henri Deloge	FRA	4: 06.6
3	John Bray	United States	4: 07.2
4th	David Hall	United States	k. A.
5	Christian Christensen	THE
6th	Hermann Surprising	AUT
More final- participants	Louis Segondi	FRA
	John Rimmer	GBR
	Ondřej Pukl	BOH

Date: July 15th

John Cregan from the USA and the Canadian Alex Grant did not participate. The reason they named was their religious beliefs, which forbade them to compete on a Sunday. George Orton preferred to take part in the 3500 meter Hiondernislauf, which took place on the same day and which Orton won. The organizers then decided on a direct final run without qualification. Bennett and Deloge fought a bitter duel, in which Bennet finally got the upper hand with a five- yard lead. The times of the next runners were estimated based on the distances between them.

The three first place winners are named in the same way in the sources used here, but with the exception of the winner with different times. In addition, fourth and fifth place at Ekkehard zur Megede - s. u. - listed the other way around. Times can no longer be found in his book from number four. Hermann Wrthil is named as sixth place everywhere. Other participants are not listed in the Megedes literature.

marathon

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - marathon (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (h)
1	Michel Théato	FRA	2:59:45
2	Émile Champion	FRA	3:04:17
3	Ernst Fast	SWE	3:37:14
4th	Eugène Besse	FRA	4:00:43
5	Arthur Newton	United States	4:04:12
6th	Dick Grant	United States	k. A.
7th	Ronald MacDonald	CAN

Michel Théato at the finish line

Date: July 19th

Six of the 13 starters did not reach the finish line on the 40.26-kilometer course. The winner, Michel Théato, lived in Paris and was a member of the Club amical et sportif de Saint-Mande . The club and all of France boasted after his victory, so that his origins were no longer traced. In the meantime it has been established that Théato did not have French citizenship when he participated, but that of Luxembourg. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has so far not taken this knowledge into account in its published lists of winners and in the medal table and continues to list Michel Théato as French.

In a contemporary report described by Ekkehard on Megede , it is said that the race was a "farce" given the fact that local runners took advantage of abbreviations that only they knew. Théato is described there as a baker's boy from Paris, who was able to benefit particularly from this home advantage. Whether this can be reconciled with the fact that he was a Luxembourg citizen remains unclear.

Two more short stories about the best foreign runners are curious:

• The Swede Ernst Fast was accidentally shown the wrong way by an auxiliary policeman, which resulted in Fast losing several minutes.
• The US-American Arthur Newton thought he was in the lead halfway through and, as nobody had overtaken him, felt that he was an Olympic champion when he reached the finish line. It remained a mystery to him why four other athletes ranked ahead of him.

Placements and times match in the sources used here. From fourth place on, zur Megede only has no time information.

110 m hurdles

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 110 m hurdles (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	15.4	WR
2	John McLean	United States	15.6	estimated
3	Frederick Moloney	United States	k. A.
4th	Jean Lécuyer	FRA
-	Norman Pritchard	IND	DNF
eliminated in the preliminary stages	William Lewis	United States	1st HL place 2
	William Remington	United States	2nd HL place 2
	Eugène Choisel	FRA	1st HL place 3
	Adolphe Klingelhoefer	FRA	2. VL

Date: July 14th

There were three preliminary runs, from which the first qualified for the final.

Jean Lécuyer had no opponents in his prelim and reached the final without a fight, which is why two hopes were included in the program to give the losers one more chance. Through this, the respective winners qualified for the final again. Adolphe Klingelhoefer did not take part in his hope race.

Alvin Kraenzlein set a world best time of 15.6 seconds over the metric distance, which he again undercut in the final. He was two and a half meters ahead of McLean - times were estimated from the distances between the runners.

There are again similarities and discrepancies in the available sources. The names of the first three and the winning time are listed in the same way as here. Ekkehard zur Megede names 15.6 seconds for second place and then no longer gives any time information. Lécuyer's first name is 'A.' in his book. and Pritchard is listed in fifth place.

200 m hurdles

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 200 m hurdles (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	25.4	OR
2	Norman Pritchard	IND	5 y back
3	Walter Tewksbury	United States	6 y back
4th	Eugène Choisel	FRA	k. A.
eliminated in the preliminary stages	Frederick Moloney	United States	1st VL 3rd place
	Thaddeus McClain	United States	2nd VL 3rd place
	William Remington	United States	1st VL place 4
	Henri Tauzin	FRA	2nd VL place 4
	Gustav Rau	GER	1st VL place 5
	William Lewis	United States	2nd VL place 5
	Zoltán Speidl	HUN	2nd VL place 6

Date: July 16

There were two preliminary runs, from which the first and second qualified for the final.

Alvin Kraenzlein won superiorly. Although a yard lead on runner-up was taken off as a punishment for a false start , he was still five yards behind Pritchard. After the 110 meter hurdles , the 60 meters and the long jump , Kraenzlein won his fourth gold medal at these games here.

In the literature source at Ekkehard zur Megede only the names of the times behind the winner and also the preliminary results are missing. Otherwise the sources agree.

400 m hurdles

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 400 m hurdles (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (s)
1	Walter Tewksbury	United States	57.6	OR
2	Henri Tauzin	FRA	k. A.
3	George Orton	CAN	k. A.
?	William Lewis	United States	DNS ?
VL	Karel Nedvěd	BOH	VL 3rd place

Date: July 15th

The hurdles consisted of eight-meter-long telephone poles that were placed at a height of about one meter.

There were two preliminary runs from which the first and second qualified for the final, although only five athletes were at the start. Henri Tauzin and George Orton had no opponents in their advance. And then, according to SportsReference , the qualified US athlete William Lewis did not take part in the final because his religious beliefs forbade him to compete on a Sunday. This organizational faux pas joins other decisions made here and the like. a. to classify preliminary runs. On the IOC side and also at the Megede, however , the American is listed in fourth place.

The names of the first four match in the sources used, as does the time of the winner. For second place, Ekkehard zur Megede names the time as 58.2 s, otherwise there are no other times in his book. Lewis is listed there in fourth place and not as a runner who did not finish.

2500 m obstacle

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 2500 m obstacle (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	George Orton	CAN	7: 34.4
2	Sidney Robinson	GBR	7: 38.0
3	Jean Chastanié	FRA	k. A.
4th	Arthur Newton	United States
5	Hermann Surprising	AUT
6th	Franz Duhne	GER

George Orton - clear winner of the 2500 meter obstacle

Date: July 15th

A hurdle, a wall and a moat had to be overcome on each of the five 500 meter laps.

The runners all entered the final together without qualifying. George Orton, seven-time AAU champion on obstacle courses, was the clear favorite in this race. Sidney Robinson did the pace work, but had to let Orton go in the finish, who won the gold medal by a clear margin.

All placements are named consistently in the available sources. There are only deviations in the times. Ekkehard zur Megede lists the winner with 7: 34.2 min and the second with 7: 38.0 min. For the other places, no times are listed at zur Megede.

4000 m obstacle

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 4000 m obstacle (men)

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	John Rimmer	GBR	12: 58.4
2	Charles Bennett	GBR	12: 58.8
3	Sidney Robinson	GBR	12: 58.8
4th	Jean Chastanié	FRA	k. A.
5	George Orton	CAN
6th	Franz Duhne	GER
-	Alex Grant	United States	DNF
	Thaddeus McClain	United States

Date: July 16

A hurdle, a wall and a moat had to be overcome on each of the eight 500-meter laps.

Again there was no qualification, all registered participants started in the final. George Orton, who was clearly favored on this route as well, who had already won the obstacle course over the shorter distance the day before , was also the clear favorite here. He fell ill overnight, but still wanted to take his chance for a second gold medal. He was even able to keep up into the final phase, but had to be content with fifth place in the end and watch the British fight for the medals among themselves.

Alex Grant was a Canadian citizen, like his brother Dick, who took part in the marathon. Since they were studying in the United States and Alex was running for the New York Athletic Club and the University of Pennsylvania, Dick for Harvard University, they were incorrectly listed as Americans.

All information on the placements also corresponds here in the sources used. The times for places two and three can be found at Ekkehard zur Megede . In his book, the two runners who have given up the race after the variant shown here from all three other sources used, are not listed in his book.

5000 m team

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 5000 m team (men)

space	country	athlete	Points
1	Mixed team	Charles Bennett ( GBR )   John Rimmer ( GBR )   Sidney Robinson ( GBR )   Alfred Tysoe ( GBR )   Stan Rowley ( AUS )	26th
2	France	Henri Deloge Gaston Ragueneau Jean Chastanié André Castanet Albert Champoudry	29

Date: July 22nd

The team run was not intended as a national competition, but rather for club or association teams. The British amateur athletic association (AAA) competed against a selection of the French athletics clubs Racing Club de France (Deloge, Chastanié) and SA Montrouge (Ragueneau, Castanet, Champoudry). They were the only teams registered.

A team consisted of five athletes. The AAA included four British runners and the Australian Stan Rowley. As a member of the British Empire (British Empire) he was for the AAA to start. Rowley was a sprinter and actually unsuitable for the 5000 meters , but there was no other runner eligible for the AAA in Paris available. His start only had the purpose to complete the team, because from the beginning it was expected that he would come in last. So Rowley took it slow, and by the time the penultimate, Michel Champoudry, crossed the finish line, Rowley had only covered 3,500 m. The jury then decided that Rowley did not have to end his race.

The ranking was based on the number of places (1st place = 1 point; 2nd place = 2 points etc.). The team with the lowest ranking was the winner.

In the literature mentioned below at Ekkehard zur Megede the following outcome of the race is listed:
1. Bennett 15: 29.0 min / 2. Rimmer / 3. Deloge / 4. Ragueneau / 5. Chastanié / 6. Robinson / 7. Tysoe / 8th Castanet / 9th Champoudry / 10th Rowley.
The place numbers resulting from this list agree with the values ​​given in the final result. In another source, Charles Bennett's winning time is given as 15: 20.0 minutes, which would have meant a world record . What may be right here can no longer be determined.

high jump

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - high jump (men)

space	athlete	country	Height (m)
1	Irving Baxter	United States	1.90	OR
2	Patrick Leahy	GBR	1.78
3	Lajos Gönczy	HUN	1.75
4th	Carl Albert Andersen	NOR	1.70
	Eric Lemming	SWE
	Waldemar Steffen	GER
7th	Louis Monnier	FRA	1.60
8th	Tore Blom	SWE	1.50

Irving Baxter at the high jump

Date: July 15th

Patrick Leahy was actually Irish . However, Ireland was not an independent state at the time, but part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . He had shone several times in the run-up with outstanding performances. His best performance was 1,955 m. Here he was well below his capabilities. His main rival, Irving Baxter from the United States, last tried his hand at the world record height of 1.97 m, but failed in all three attempts after jumping 1.90 m. He won the pole vault competition on the same day.

Even Mike Sweeney , m with 1.97 world record holder was, at the time of the Olympic Games in Paris . However, he took part in professional competitions there and was not admitted to the Olympic Games here as a professional.

For this competition, the information regarding the first eight in the sources used is the same. However, at the Megede there is talk of a qualification that ten jumpers have survived. The US athletes William Remington and Walter Carroll then decided not to participate because their religious beliefs forbade them to compete on a Sunday.

Pole vault

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Pole vault (men)

space	athlete	country	Height (m)
1	Irving Baxter	United States	3.30	ORe
2	Meredith Colket	United States	3.25
3	Carl Albert Andersen	NOR	3.20
4th	Eric Lemming	SWE	3.10
	Jakab Kauser	HUN
	Émile Gontier	FRA
7th	Karl Gustaf Staaf	SWE	2.80
8th	August Nilsson	SWE	2.60

Date: July 15th

The US athletes Charles Dvorak , Daniel Horton and Bascom Johnson decided not to participate because their religious beliefs forbade them to compete on a Sunday. The organizers had actually assured the American team management that this competition would be postponed to a weekday, because the three were the world's best pole vaulters at the time. For some inexplicable reason, the competition took place after all - and without informing the American team management. On the following days, two unofficial competitions were arranged for revenge, in which the athletes who did not start were supposed to prove their skills. Bascom Johnson won the first competition with 3.38 m, in the second Daniel Horton was ahead with 3.45 m ahead of Charles Dvorak with 3.35 m.

Irving Baxter had already won the high jump competition on the same day and only heard from the loudspeaker that his name had been called for the pole vault - he had actually assumed that this discipline had been relocated. He quickly changed his clothes and won his second gold medal.

As with the high jump , all information in the sources used is identical for this competition.

Long jump

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - long jump (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
01	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	7.185	OR
02	Meyer Prinstein	United States	7.175
03	Patrick Leahy	GBR	6,950
04th	William Remington	United States	6.825
05	Albert Delannoy	FRA	6.755
06th	John McLean	United States	6.655
07th	Thaddeus McClain	United States	6.435
08th	Waldemar Steffen	GER	6,300
09	Ernő Schubert	HUN	6.050
10	Gyula Strausz	HUN	6.010
11	Tore Blom	SWE	5.770
12	Eric Lemming	SWE	5,500

The four-time Olympic champion Alvin Kraenzlein in the long jump

Date: Sat July 14th and Sun July 15th

The day before the final, which took place on a Sunday, there was a preliminary battle from which the top five could take part in the final. The performance of the preliminary competition was transferred for the final - a gesture of goodwill from the organizers to co-favorite Meyer Prinstein, who had not received permission from his college to start on the Sunday of the final. So Prinstein had to watch as his competitor Alvin Kraenzlein outperformed him by an inch. Allegedly, the two had agreed that neither of them should take part in the final - Kraenzlein had been in second place after the preliminary fight with 6.93 m. The angry Prinstein then had to be prevented from giving Kraenzlein a blow and the duel between these two top athletes of the time, which had actually been eagerly awaited, could unfortunately not take place.

Every half an inch was measured.

Patrick Leahy was Irish . Ireland was not an independent state at that time, but part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .

The sources are consistent up to fifth place. In the literature mentioned below, Ekkehard zur Megede names the width of the seventh place as the width for the sixth placed . The names of the two athletes in sixth and seventh are pretty similar, so that the confusion can probably be explained by this.

Triple jump

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Triple Jump (Men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
1	Meyer Prinstein	United States	14.47	OR
2	James Connolly	United States	13.97
3	Lewis Sheldon	United States	13.64
4th	Patrick Leahy	GBR	13.36
5	Albert Delannoy	FRA	k. A.
6th	Alexandre Tuffèri	FRA
More sub contractor	Frank Jarvis	United States	k. A.
	John McLean	United States
	Daniel Horton	United States
	Karl Gustaf Staaf	SWE
	Eric Lemming	SWE
	Waldemar Steffen	GER
	Pál Koppán	HUN

Date: July 16

For the triple jump there were still no binding rules about how to do it, which is why each athlete was free to choose his jumping style. This was true of v. a. also for the order of the take-off leg for the three ground contacts during the jump.

James Connolly won the triple jump at the first Olympic Games in Athens and with his second place he missed the chance to become the first athlete in history to become Olympic champion at two Olympic Games. Meyer Prinstein won his gold medal one day after the long jump final.

Patrick Leahy was Irish . Ireland was not an independent state at that time, but part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .

Alexandre Tuffèri was French, but lived in Athens , where he had already finished second in the triple jump at the first Olympic Games . He later took on Greek citizenship and competed in the 1906 Olympic Intermediate Games in the 110-meter hurdles .

In the sources there are hardly any differences regarding the information on the triple jump. In the literature by Ekkehard zur Megede mentioned below , only mentioning the distance of fourth place is missing.

Standing vault

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Standing vault (men)

space	athlete	country	Height (m)
1	Ray Ewry	United States	1.655	WR
2	Irving Baxter	United States	1.525
3	Lewis Sheldon	United States	1,500

Date: July 16

In the jumping disciplines from the state, which were very popular at that time and were on the program at various championships, each athlete was free to choose his jumping style. There was only a binding regulation about its execution to the effect that a foot was only allowed to leave the ground once, otherwise a failed attempt was counted. Every half a centimeter was measured, rounded up or down.

All three jumping disciplines were carried out on the same day, so that Raymond Ewry became three times Olympic champion in one day - an unmatched record.

As a child, Ewry suffered from polio and, in an effort to overcome these problems, had specially trained his leg muscles, which now benefited him greatly. Ewry also set records in backward jumping in his career.

The references are completely identical for this discipline.

Stand long jump

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Stand Long Jump (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
1	Ray Ewry	United States	3.210	OR
2	Irving Baxter	United States	3.135
3	Émile Torchebœuf	FRA	3.030
4th	Lewis Sheldon	United States	3.020

Standing jump specialist Ray Ewry at the standing long jump

Date: July 16

Standing jumps were often carried out without any binding rules, except that one foot was only allowed to leave the ground once. It was measured in half a centimeter. There are indications of Ewry's victory distance that it might even have been 3.30 m or even 3.35 m, which would have meant a new world record and is therefore rather unlikely.

All three jumping disciplines took place on the same day. So Ewry became three times Olympic champion in one day, an unmatched record.

Here, too, the sources used agree, but Ekkehard zur Megede does not mention the fourth placed.

Triple jump

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - standing triple jump (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
1	Ray Ewry	United States	10.58	WR
2	Irving Baxter	United States	09.95
3	Robert Garrett	United States	09.50
4th	Lewis Sheldon	United States	09.45
More sub contractor	Pál Koppán	HUN	0k. A.
	Waldemar Steffen	GER
	Karl Gustaf Staaf	SWE
	Daniel Horton	United States
	John McLean	United States
	Frank Jarvis	United States

Date: July 16

Jumps from a standing position were very popular at the time and were often carried out without any binding rules. In the triple jump, one foot was only allowed to leave the ground once after each jump.

All three jumping disciplines took place on the same day. So Ewry became three times Olympic champion in one day, an unmatched record.

For this standing jump competition, only the first three are named at Ekkehard zur Megede . They match the jumpers listed here. There is a small difference in the distance for the runner-up. Instead of 9.95 m, the Megede leads to 9.93 m.

Shot put

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Shot put (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
01	Richard Sheldon	United States	14.10	OR
02	Josiah McCracken	United States	12.85
03	Robert Garrett	United States	12.35
04th	Rezső Crettier	HUN	12.07
05	Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos	GRE	11.52
06th	Gustaf Söderström	SWE	11.18
07th	Arthur Coray	HUN	11.13
08th	Truxtun Hare	United States	10.92
09	August Nilsson	SWE	10.86
10	Charles Winckler	THE	10.76
Attendees	Sotirios Versis	GRE	k. A.

Richard Sheldon, winner in the shot put

Date: Sat July 14th and Sun July 15th

A 2.13 meter by 2.13 meter square marked out on the ground represented the kick area.

There was a preliminary battle from which the top five could take part in the final. The performances of the preliminary fight were transferred to the final as in the long jump . Sheldon had already led after the preliminary fight with 13.80 m and improved even further to 14.10 m in the final.

McCracken and Garrett decided not to participate in the finals because their religious beliefs forbade them to compete on a Sunday - the day of the finals. Nevertheless, their performances from the preliminary fight were enough to take second or third place. Garrett had already won in Athens in 1896 and, by not taking part in the final, missed the chance to become the first athlete in history to become Olympic champion at two Olympic Games. Like four years before, the Irishman Denis Horgan was missing here in Paris . He had already beaten the new Olympic champion Richard Sheldon in the Olympic year and had a personal best of 14.68 m from 1897.

Once again, the information from the sources used differs from one another. However, this seems to be due to the fact that Ekkehard zur Megede only took into account the performances from the preliminary fight for places two and three and the results from the final day alone were used for the other placements.

Discus throw

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Discus throw (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
1	Rudolf Bauer	HUN	36.04	OR
2	František Janda-Suk	BOH	35.25
3	Richard Sheldon	United States	34.60
4th	Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos	GRE	34.04
5	Rezső Crettier	HUN	33.65
6th	Gustaf Söderström	SWE	33.30
7th	John Flanagan	United States	33.07
8th	Eric Lemming	SWE	32.50
	Charles Winckler	THE	32.50
10	Josiah McCracken	United States	32.00
11	Arthur Coray	HUN	31.00
	Launceston Elliot	GBR	31.00
13	Émile Gontier	FRA	30.00
14th	Gyula Strausz	HUN	29.80
Other participants	Robert Garrett	United States	k. A.
	Truxtun Hare	United States

Rudolf Bauer, gold for the Hungarian in the discus throw

Date: July 14th and July 15th

A 2.50 meter by 2.50 meter square marked out on the ground represented the drop area.

There was a preliminary fight from which the top five qualified for the final. As in the long jump and the shot put , the performance of the preliminary fight was transferred to the final. However, only Janda-Suk (preliminary 35.04 m) and Sheldon (preliminary 34.10 m) managed to improve.

There have been reports of litters that landed in the surrounding trees and could not be measured. This is often cited as the reason that Garrett, the victor of Athens in 1896, had not found any distance. However, an evaluation of the sparse available image material casts doubt on this theory, as the distances achieved were considerably smaller than the distance between the trees and the dropping point.

While the distances from the pre-match are sufficiently secured, the recordings of the distances from the final were incomplete. It is not known whether the winner Rudolf Bauer, who won with his distance from the pre-fight, only had invalid attempts in the final, or whether the distance was not recorded because it was below the pre-fight distance. The widths of the runners-up also differ in different publications.

The table below shows the results according to the information provided by SportsReference . In the other sources used here, there are significant deviations from this version from rank six onwards. The results are compared in detail in the detailed article on the discus throw .

Hammer throw

→ Main article: 1900 Summer Olympics / Athletics - hammer throw (men)

space	athlete	country	Width (m)
1	John Flanagan	United States	49.73	OR
2	Truxtun Hare	United States	46.25
3	Josiah McCracken	United States	44.50
4th	Eric Lemming	SWE	k. A.
5	Karl Gustaf Staaf	SWE

Date: July 16

A circle marked out on the ground with a diameter of 2.74 meters (9  ft ) represented the drop area.

There have been reports of litters that landed in the surrounding trees and could not be measured. An evaluation of the scarce image material, however, casts doubt on this theory, since the distances achieved were considerably smaller than the distance between the trees and the dropping point.

Depending on the source, there are different descriptions of the distances and the question of whether more than three participants took part in the competition. These are presented in detail in the detailed report on the hammer throw .

literature

• Volker Kluge : Summer Olympic Games. The Chronicle I. Athens 1896 - Berlin 1936. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-328-00715-6 .
• Ekkehard zur Megede , The history of Olympic athletics, Volume 1: 1896–1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970.
• Karl Lennartz , Walter Teutenberg: II. Olympic Games 1900 in Paris. Presentation and sources. AGON Sportverlag, Kassel 1995, ISBN 3-928562-20-7 .
• Bill Mallon : The 1900 Olympic Games . McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina 1998, CIP 97-36094.

Web links

• IOC's page on athletics at the 1900 Olympic Games at olympic.org, accessed July 24, 2017
• Official report (French, PDF, 3 parts in total; 8.10 MB), accessed on July 24, 2017
• All Olympic participants from Herman de Wael's page , accessed July 24, 2017
• Paris 1900: Games under the Eiffel Tower on sportschau.de, accessed on July 24, 2017

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 1: 1896–1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970, p. 31
2. ↑ SportsReference, Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 400 meters , English, accessed on July 19, 2018
3. ↑ ^{a b} Kevin B. Wamsley: American Boys in Paris: Canadian Participation in the Games of 1900. Fourth International Symposium for Olympic Research ( online version at the LA84 Foundation ; PDF; 34 kB)
4. ^ Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 1: 1896–1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970, p. 36