1912 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 100 m (men)

sport	athletics
discipline	100 meter run
gender	Men
Attendees	70 athletes from 22 countries
Competition location	Stockholm Olympic Stadium
Competition phase	July 6, 1912 (preliminary round / semi-finals) July 7, 1912 (final)
Medalist Ralph Craig ( USA )   Alvah Meyer ( USA )   Donald Lippincott ( USA )

The men's 100-meter run at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm was held on July 6th and 7th, 1912 in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. 70th athletes took part.

Olympic champion was the American Ralph Craig , who won ahead of his compatriots Alvah Meyer and Donald Lippincott .

Of the German starters, Erwin Kern and Richard Rau reached the semi-finals, both of which were eliminated there. For Max Herrmann and Emil Ketterer , the end was reached in the preliminary stages. Herrmann's time was not enough to advance, while Ketterer did not reach the goal in his lead.

All three Austrians - Richard Rauch , Fritz Weinzinger and Fritz Fleischer - were eliminated in their preliminary stages.

Swiss athletes were not at the start.

Existing records

World record	Emil Ketterer ( German Empire )	10.5 s	Karlsruhe	July 9, 1911
	Richard Rau ( German Empire )		Braunschweig	August 19, 1911
Olympic record	Frank Jarvis ( USA )	10.8 s	Paris	July 14, 1900

Conducting the competition

A total of 17th preliminary runs were carried out on July 6th. The athletes who finished in the first two places qualified for the semi-finals, which were held on the same day. In each of the six races, only the winners qualified for the final on July 7th.

Note: The runners qualified for the next round are highlighted in light blue.

Prelims

Date: July 6, 1912

The first two runners qualified for the next round.

Only the times of the winners are recorded. In the official report of the games, the distances between the other runners are only given in centimeters or meters, but not the times.

As in other competitions, the divisions in the preliminary stages were poorly organized. Some races were carried out with only two participants, who of course both had to get ahead beforehand, while other runs were carried out with up to six participants. A preliminary run was even carried out with only one athlete.

Forward 1

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Charles Luther	Sweden	12.8 s

single-handedly

Forward 2

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Ivan Möller	Sweden	11.5 s
2	Pál Szalay	Hungary	k. A.
3	Rudolf Rauch	Austria	k. A.

Ivan Möller and Pál Szalay were tied up to the 70-meter mark, then the Hungarian fell away. Möller won by half a meter.

Ira Courtney (USA)

Forward 3

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Ira Courtney	United States	11.2 s
2	István Jankovich	Hungary	k. A.
3	Pierre Failliot	France	k. A.
4th	Henry Blakeney	Great Britain	k. A.
5	Ladislav Jiránek-Strana	Bohemia	k. A.
6th	Pablo Eitel	Chile	k. A.

Forward 4

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Richard Rice	Great Britain	11.4 s
2	Rolf Smedmark	Sweden	k. A.

Forward 5

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Victor d'Arcy	Great Britain	11.2 s
2	Reuben Povey	South African Union	k. A.
3	Antonio Stromp	Portugal	k. A.

There was a tough duel between Victor d'Arcy and Reuben Povey, which the Briton won in the final sprint with a one-meter lead.

Pierre Failliot (FRA)

Forward 6

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Richard Rau	German Empire	11.2 s
2	Vilmos Rácz	Hungary	k. A.
3	Ture person	Sweden	k. A.
4th	Robert Schurrer	France	k. A.
5	Dimitrios Triantafyllakos	Greece	k. A.
6th	Leopold's Lēvenšteins	Russia	k. A.

Forward 7

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	William Stewart	Australasia	11.0 s
2	Léon Aelter	Belgium	k. A.
3	Charles Lelong	France	k. A.
4th	Jan Grijseels	Netherlands	k. A.
5	Richard Black	Russia	k. A.

Forward 8

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Knut Lindberg	Sweden	11.6 s
2	Bedrich Vygoda	Bohemia	k. A.
3	Dušan Milošević	Serbia	k. A.
4th	Jón Halldórsson	Iceland	k. A.

Forward 9

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Alvah Meyer	United States	11.3 s
2	Franco Giongo	Italy	k. A.
3	Robert C. Duncan	Great Britain	k. A.
4th	Georges Rolot	France	k. A.

Forward 10

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	David Jacobs	Great Britain	10.8 s
2	Clement Wilson	United States	k. A.
3	Marius Delaby	France	k. A.
4th	Václav Labík-Gregan	Bohemia	k. A.
5	Herman Sotaaen	Norway	k. A.

After a head-to-head race between David Jacobs and Clement Wilson, the Briton won by a hand's breadth.

Forward 11

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Frank Belote	United States	11.0 s
2	René Mourlon	France	k. A.
3	Henry Macintosh	Great Britain	k. A.
4th	Harry Beasley	Canada	k. A.

Forward 12

Peter Clarence Gerhardt (USA)

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Peter Clarence Gerhardt	United States	11.2 s
2	Frank Lukeman	Canada	k. A.
3	Fritz Weinzinger	Austria	k. A.
4th	Alexander Pedersen	Norway	k. A.
5	Duncan Macmillan	Great Britain	k. A.

Forward 13

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	John Howard	Canada	11.2 s
2	George Patching	South African Union	k. A.
3	Harold Savior	United States	k. A.
4th	Pavel of Goldfinch	Russia	k. A.
DNF	Emil Ketterer	German Empire

After a false start by George Patching, there was a three-way battle between Patching, John Howard and Harold Heiland after the restart. Patching led up to the 85-meter mark before the Canadian could just win.

Forward 14

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Arthur Anderson	Great Britain	11.0 s
2	Rupert Thomas	United States	k. A.
3	Frank McConnell	Canada	k. A.
4th	Skotte Jacobsson	Sweden	k. A.

Frank McConnell got off to the best start and led until shortly before the end, but then had to let Rupert Thomas and Arthur Anderson pass them.

Forward 15

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Howard Drew	United States	11.0 s
2	Erwin Kern	German Empire	k. A.
3	Julien Boullery	France	k. A.
4th	James Barker	Great Britain	k. A.

After a false start, Howard Drew was able to safely win the race.

Yahiko Mishima (JPN)

Forward 16

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Donald Lippincott	United States	10.6 s	OR
2	Willie Applegarth	Great Britain	k. A.
3	Max Herrmann	German Empire	k. A.
4th	Ervin Szerelemhegyi	Hungary	k. A.
5	Yahiko Mishima	Japan	k. A.

After two false starts, this run was the fastest of all heats. Donald Lippincott ran a new Olympic record with 10.6 seconds .

Forward 17

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Ralph Craig	United States	11.2 s
2	Ferenc Szobota	Hungary	k. A.
3	Ragnar Ekberg	Sweden	k. A.
4th	Fritz Fleischer	Austria	k. A.

The Swede Ragnar Ekberg had the best start, but after 60 meters he had to hand over the lead to Ralph Craig and Ferenc Szobota.

Semifinals

Date: July 6, 1912

Only the respective winners qualified for the final. As in the preliminary runs, only the victory times were transmitted here.

Run 1

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Howard Drew	United States	10.7 s
2	Ira Courtney	United States	10.9 s
3	Peter Clarence Gerhardt	United States	10.9 s
4th	Charles Luther	Sweden	k. A.
5	Erwin Kern	German Empire	k. A.
6th	Vilmos Rácz	Hungary	k. A.

After a poor start by Sweden's Charles Luther, Howard Drew safely won the race.

Run 2

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	George Patching	South African Union	10.9 s
2	Knut Lindberg	Sweden	k. A.
3	Richard Rice	Great Britain	k. A.
	Franco Giongo	Italy	k. A.
	Léon Aelter	Belgium	k. A.

As in the run-up, George Patching caused a false start. On the second attempt, the South African won safely and was able to fend off the final sprint of Swede Knut Lindberg.

Run 3

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Alvah Meyer	United States	10.7 s
2	David Jacobs	Great Britain	k. A.
3	Frank Lukeman	Canada	k. A.
4th	Pál Szalay	Hungary	k. A.
DNF	Rolf Smedmark	Sweden

The Swede Rolf Smedmark believed he had made a false start and stopped. The other starters passed him. Alvah Meyer was able to prevail against David Jacobs after a head-to-head race.

Run 4

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Ralph Craig	United States	10.7 s
2	Richard Rau	German Empire	10.9 s
3	William Stewart	Australasia	k. A.
	István Jankovich	Hungary	k. A.
	René Mourlon	France	k. A.
	Ferenc Szobota	Hungary	k. A.

In total there were nine false starts that were repeatedly deliberately provoked, a pure nerve game. Richard Rau was able to maintain the lead up to 70 meters, but was overtaken by Ralph Craig, who won by one meter.

Run 5

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Donald Lippincott	United States	10.7 s
2	Willie Applegarth	Great Britain	10.9 s
3	Bedrich Vygoda	Bohemia	k. A.
	Clement Wilson	United States	k. A.
	Victor d'Arcy	Great Britain	k. A.
	John Howard	Canada	k. A.

A three-way battle between Donald Lippincott, Clement Wilson and Willie Applegarth developed over the entire route. Lippincott was ultimately able to defeat his British rival.

Run 6

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Frank Belote	United States	11.1 s
2	Reuben Povey	South African Union	k. A.
3	Rupert Thomas	United States	k. A.
4th	Ivan Möller	Sweden	k. A.
5	Arthur Anderson	Great Britain	k. A.

final

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Ralph Craig	United States	10.8 s
2	Alvah Meyer	United States	10.9 s
3	Donald Lippincott	United States	10.9 s
4th	George Patching	South African Union	11.0 s
5	Frank Belote	United States	11.0 s
DNS	Howard Drew	United States

Date: July 7, 1912
The final was played by six runners. Five of them were from the United States. Howard Drew sustained an injury in the semi-finals and therefore did not play. The only non-American was George Patching from South Africa.

The race was marked by a number of false starts. At one of these starts, Ralph Craig and Donald Lippincott incorrectly ran the entire distance, even though it was also a false start. Craig later testified that even though the race was shot back, he simply ran because he couldn't believe it. He described the foreign arbitrators as incompetent.

George Patching got off to the best start and after 40 meters had a lead of half a meter. But after 60 meters, Craig caught up with the South African. After 75 meters, Craig and Alvah Meyer led Patching by a hand's breadth, followed by Lippincott and Frank Belote half a meter behind. In the finish, Craig was able to maintain the lead. He won by half a meter over Meyer. 15 cm behind Meyer was Lippincott, who pushed the South African out of the medal ranks.

In the fifth Olympic final, Ralph Craig achieved the fourth victory of a US athlete. Craig himself had never won a US title. The silver medal from Alvah Meyer and the bronze medal from Donald Lippincott marked the second triple triumph over 100 meters after 1904 . So far, Americans have won 11 medals in this discipline.

Picture gallery

• 

  Olympic Champion Ralph Craig (USA)

• 

  Alvah Meyer (USA), silver medal winner

• 

  Donald Lippincott (USA), bronze medal winner

• 

  Start of the finals

• 

  Finish

literature

• Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 1: 1896-1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970, p. 97ff

Video

• Olympics 1912 100m on YouTube , accessed February 18, 2019.

Web links

• SportsReference 100 m , accessed August 25, 2017
• Official report, pp. 350–354 , English (PDF), accessed on August 25, 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. 99
2. ↑ Description of the preliminary steps in the official report, pp. 350–352 ( Memento of the original dated February 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , English (PDF) 
3. ↑ Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 1: 1896-1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970, pp. 97f
4. ↑ Description of the semifinals in the official report, pp. 352–353 ( Memento of the original dated February 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , English (PDF) 
5. ↑ Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 1: 1896-1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970, pp. 97f
6. ↑ Quote Craig (English)
7. ↑ Description of the finale in the official report, pp. 353–354 ( Memento of the original dated February 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , English (PDF)