| Games of the II Olympiad | |
 | |
| Host city | Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Nations participating | 24 |
| Athletes participating | 997 |
| Events | 95 in 19 sports |
| Opening ceremony | May 14 |
| Closing ceremony | October 28 |
| Stadium | Vélodrome de Vincennes |
The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece Stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. The Vélodrome de Vincennes (officially Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil - La Cipale) is a Stadium in Vincennes, near Paris, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. No opening or closing ceremonies were held but competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine The Games were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate Over a thousand competitors took part in 19 different sports. Women took part in the games for the first time and Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympic champion. Charlotte Reinagle Cooper ( September 22, 1870 &ndash October 10, 1966) was a Tennis player born in Ealing, Middlesex 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 the sabbath.
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. Albert Robert Ayat (1876 - 1935 was a French fencer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century
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.
Election of the host city
At the Sorbonne conference of 1894, Baron de Coubertin proposed that the Olympic Games should take place in 1900 in Paris. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the The delegates to the conference were unwilling to wait six years and lobbied to hold the first games in 1896. A decision was made to hold the first Olympic games in 1896 in Athens and that Paris would hold the second celebration instead. Despite Greek efforts to keep the Games in their country, the International Olympic Committee kept to their decision and instead offered that a separate Panhellenic Games be held in Athens in the two year intervals between the regular Olympics. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Financial considerations also weighed against the permanent hosting of the Games in Greece.
Organization
The 1900 Games were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate Pierre de Coubertin believed that this would help public awareness of the Olympics and submitted elaborate plans to rebuild the ancient site of Olympia, complete with statues, temples, stadia and gymnasia. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece The director of the 1900 World's Fair, Alfred Picard, who thought sport a "useless and absurd activity", thanked de Coubertin for his plans, filed them away and nothing more came of it. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate
A committee was formed for the organization of the Games , consisiting of some of the more able sports administrators of the day and a provisional program was drawn up. Sports to be included at the games were track and field athletics, swimming, wrestling, gymnastics and fencing, French and British boxing, river and ocean yacht racing, cycling, golf, life-saving and archery, weightlifting, rowing, diving and water polo.
British and Irish sports associations announced a desire to compete, as did a number of powerful American universities and sports clubs. Competitors from Russia and Australia also confirmed their intentions to travel to Paris.
On November 9, 1898 the Union des sociétés françaises de sports athlétiques (USFSA) put out an announcement that it would have sole right to any organised sport held during the World's Fair. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques. The USFSA is a former French sporting federation It was an empty threat but Viscount Charles de La Rochefoucauld, the nominated head of the organizing committee, stepped down rather than be embroiled in the political battle. Pierre de Coubertin , who was also secretary-general of the USFSA, was urged to withdraw from active involvement in the running of the Games and did so, only to comment later, "I surrendered - and was incorrect in doing so. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the "
The IOC ceded control of the Games to a new committee which was to oversee every sporting activity connected to the 1900 World's Fair. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate Alfred Picard appointed Daniel Merillon, the head of the French Shooting Association as president of this organization in February 1899. Merillon proceeded to publish an entirely different schedule of events ,with the result that many of those that had made plans to compete in concordance with the original program withdrew, and refused to deal with the new committee.
Between May and October 1900, the new organizing committee held an enormous number of sporting activities alongside the Paris Exposition. The sporting events rarely used the term of "Olympic" . Indeed the term "Olympic Games" was replaced by "Concours Internationaux d'exercises physiques et de sport" in the official report of the sporting events of the 1900 World's Fair. The press reported competitions variously as "International Championships", "International Games", "Paris Championships", "World Championships" and "Grand Prix of the Paris Exposition".
De Coubertain commented later to friends: "It's a miracle that the Olympic Movement survived that celebration".
Quadruple gold medallist
Highlights
- Alvin Kraenzlein won the 60 metres (he was one of two people to win this event), the 110 metres, the 220 metre hurdles, and the long jump events; as of 2005, these four individual gold medals are still a record for a track and field athlete. Alvin Christian Kraenzlein ( December 12, 1876 &ndash January 6, 1928) was an American athlete. Hurdling is a type of track and field race There are Sprint hurdle races and long hurdle Races. For his victory in the long jump, he was allegedly punched in the face by his rival Meyer Prinstein, who was prevented from competing in the final by officials of Syracuse University, because it was scheduled for a Sunday. Myer (or Meyer) Prinstein (born Mejer Prinsztejn, December 22, 1878 &ndash March 10, 1925) was an Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York.
- Charlotte Cooper was the first woman to become Olympic champion after winning the women's singles tennis competition. Charlotte Reinagle Cooper ( September 22, 1870 &ndash October 10, 1966) was a Tennis player born in Ealing, Middlesex Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) She later went on to win the mixed doubles tournament.
- Three marathon runners from the United States contested the result saying the French runners who got first and second places took a short cut, and the proof was they were the only contestants not spattered with mud. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
- In the coxed pairs and eights events in rowing, crews replaced adult coxswain with children. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 The identities and ages of these boys were not recorded but they are believed to have been amongst the youngest of all Olympic competitors.
Sports
20 disciplines, comprising 19 sports, were part of the Olympic program in Paris. Weightlifting and wrestling had been dropped since the 1896 Summer Olympics, but 13 new ones were added. The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were an International Swimming and water polo are considered to be two disciplines within the single sport called aquatics in the Olympic context.
Sport by sport overview
The standard of competition at the Games was variable. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, six of the Archery events that took place in Paris, France were considered Olympic with 153 archers At the 1900 Summer Olympics, twenty-three Track and field athletics events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Basque pelota tournament was contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Cricket tournament was contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, three Croquet events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, two Cycling events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, five equestrian events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, seven fencing events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time At the 1900 Summer Olympics, two Golf events were contested Medal summary Participating nations A total of 17 golfers At the 1900 Summer Olympics, one Gymnastics event was contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Polo tournament was contested Matches were held on 28 May, 31 May, and 2 June. At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, four events in rowing were contested marking the introduction of the sport to the Olympic program Rugby union was played at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Matches were held on 14 October and 28 October. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a number of Sailing events were contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, 9 shooting events were included Many other shooting events were featured in Paris at about the same time but only 9 events are considered At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, seven Swimming events were contested Four Tennis events were contested at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Tug of war tournament was contested At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Water polo tournament was contested Despite a poor quality track, a strong contingent of top-class American collegiate athletes ensured the track and field competitions were of the highest quality. The tennis gold medallists were all former Wimbledon champions, swimming and fencing events were of a good standard and even polo, a minority sport for the social elite, was well represented by some of the best players in the game. The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious Other sports were noticeably weak in both quality and depth. Only athletics, swimming and fencing had competitors from more than ten nations.
Archery
The history of the archery competition at the 1900 Olympics is extremely confusing. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, six of the Archery events that took place in Paris, France were considered Olympic with 153 archers 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 The IOC currently list six events as having full Olympic status but a case could be made that as many as eight other events as equally as deserving to be considered as part of official Olympic history. About 150 archers competed in these six official events but as many as 5,000 were involved in archery competition in conjunction with 1900 World's Fair. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate Belgian Hubert van Innis took two gold medals and one silver and would add to his tally twenty years later in Antwerp. Hubert van Innis ( 24 February 1866 &ndash 25 November 1961) was a Belgian competitor in the sport of Archery.
The king of the standing jumps
Athletics
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. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, twenty-three Track and field athletics events were contested The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16ème arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. 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.
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. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 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. Alvin Christian Kraenzlein ( December 12, 1876 &ndash January 6, 1928) was an American athlete. John Walter Beardsley Tewksbury ( March 21, 1876 - April 25, 1968) was an American track and field athlete. 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.
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. George Washington Orton ( January 10, 1873 &ndash June 26, 1958) was a Canadian middle-distance runner Orton won his title less than an hour after placing third in the 400 m hurdles.
Winner of the Marathon
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. Arthur Lewis Newton ( January 31, 1883 &ndash July 19, 1950) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the distance Another American, Richard Grant, claimed he was run down by a cyclist as he made ground on the leaders. Richard Grant may refer to Richard E Grant, (born 1957 British actor Richard Grant (author, (born 1952 science fiction and fantasy 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. Michel Johann Théato ( March 22, 1878 &ndash 1919 was a Luxembourgian athlete, and the winner of the marathon at the " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Luxembourgish (lb Lëtzebuergesch Luxembourgeois Luxemburgisch Luxemburgs Lussimbordjwès also called Luxembourgian, also spelled Luxemburgish, is one of
Field events
The Hungarian discus thrower Rudolf Bauer was only non-American crowned as Olympic Champion. Rezső "Rudolf" Bauer ( January 2, 1879 in Budapest - November 9, 1932 in Sósér) was a Hungarian athlete and American domination was even greater in the field events than the track events with outstanding performances coming from Ray Ewry and Irving Baxter. Raymond "Ray" Clarence Ewry ( October 14, 1873 &ndash September 29, 1937) was an American track and field athlete Irving Knot Baxter ( March 25, 1876 &ndash June 13, 1957) was an American athlete, who won the gold medal in Ewry started his Olympic career with a sweep of the three standing jumps whilst Baxter finished second to Ewry three times and won both the regular high jump and pole vault
Basque pelota
The chistera form of the game was played at this, the sport's only appearance at full Olympic level. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Basque pelota tournament was contested Two pairs entered and the Spanish partnerships of Amezola and Villota became their nations' first Olympic champions. The mano form of the game and a chistera tournament for professional players were contested unofficially.
Cricket
After the withdrawal of teams from the Netherlands and Belgium, only two teams played in the cricket tournament. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Cricket tournament was contested A team made up of players from the Albion Cricket Club and the Standard Athletic Club, two Paris clubs consisting almost exclusively of British expatriates, played a touring team from the south-west of England. The Devon and Somerset Wanderers were no more than a team of competent club cricketers and only Montagu Toller and Alfred Bowerman were deemed good enough to play at county level for Somerset. Montagu Henry Toller (born 1 January 1871 in Barnstaple, Devon - died 5 August 1948 in Titchfield, Hampshire Alfred James Bowerman ( 22 November 1873 in Broomfield, Somerset – 1959 in Melbourne, Australia) was an English Cricket The game was played before a small crowd at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The Vélodrome de Vincennes (officially Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil - La Cipale) is a Stadium in Vincennes, near Paris, France. An emphatic second innings bowling performance from Toller captured victory for the visitors as time appeared to being running out for them. If the French had held out for five more minutes the game would have declared a draw. Knowledge of the game would have been lost but for the forethought of John Symes, a member of the victorious team, who kept a scorecard in his own writing. John Symes, OBE ( 11 January 1879 - 21 September 1942) was an English Cricket player
Croquet
The croquet tournament was notable as it marked the first appearance of women at Olympic level. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, three Croquet events were contested Madame Despres, Madame Filleaul Brohy and Mademoiselle Ohnier were eliminated in the first round of competition along with Marcel Haentjens of Belgium, the only entrant from outside France. A single paying spectator attended the tournament, an elderly English gentleman who travelled from Nice for the early stages. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek An unofficial two-ball handicap competition was also held.
Cycling
The home nation won five out of the six medals available. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, two Cycling events were contested A number of unofficial events were held for both amateurs and professionals.
Equestrian
Equestrian sport made its' debut at the Olympic Games with three events being held. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, five equestrian events were contested The Italian rider Giovanni Giorgio Trissino won a gold and a silver. Giovanni Giorgio Trissino ( July 22, 1877 &ndash December 22, 1963) was a Italian horse rider who competed in the He narrowly missed making Olympic history by winning two medals in the same event. Competing with two different horses in the high jump, he jointly won the gold medal and finished in 4th place on his second horse.
Fencing
Nineteen nations were represented in the fencing competition, which was held in a field near the cutlery exhibit at the 1900 World's Fair. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, seven fencing events were contested The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate French fencers dominated the proceedings but both Cuba and Italy also took titles. The early rounds of the foil competitions were judged on style rather than the actual result of the contest. This meant that some fencers were eliminated without losing a contest whilst others were defeated and still progressed to the next rounds.
Football
The first football champions at the Olympics were the London amateurs of Upton Park F.C. A crowd of around 500 spectators saw them defeat their French rivals. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century now defunct
Golf
Margaret Ives Abbott , a student of art from Chicago, played in and won a nine hole golf tournament on an October Tuesday in Paris. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, two Golf events were contested Medal summary Participating nations A total of 17 golfers She died in 1955 without being aware that the tournament was part of the Olympic Games and she had become America's first ever female Olympic champion.
Gymnastics
135 gymnasts took part in a competition that involved elements from track and field and weightlifting as well as gymnastic disciplines
Polo
Eight separate tournaments were held in 1900 as part of the 1900 World's Fair. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, one Gymnastics event was contested Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Polo tournament was contested Matches were held on 28 May, 31 May, and 2 June. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate Only the Grand Prix Internationale de l'Exposition is counted as an official medal event. Entries were from clubs rather than countries and the winning Foxhunters club comprised English, Irish and American players.
Mexico won its first medal in this sport. Bronze by Guillermo Hayden Wright, Eustaquio de Escandón y Barrón, Pablo de Escandón y Barrón and Manuel de Villavieja Escandón y Barrón
Rowing
Competitions were held on the River Seine. At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, four events in rowing were contested marking the introduction of the sport to the Olympic program The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie The coxed fours descended into farce when officials changed the qualifying criteria for the final several times. The first final was held without any of the original qualifiers, who had withdrawn as a protest against the decision to run six boats on a course laid out for only four. The officials then decided to run another "final" for the boycotting crews. Both events are considered official Olympic competitions. In a number of events crews saw the advantage of having ultra-lightweight coxswain and recruited local boys for the period of the Games. Most of these remain a mystery but some could have been under ten years old
Rugby union
Three teams competed in the Rugby tournament. Rugby union was played at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Matches were held on 14 October and 28 October. A French representative team defeated a team from the German city of Frankfurt and Moseley Wanderers from England. Moseley Wanderers, or Mooseley Wanderers, represented the Great Britain and Ireland at Rugby Union in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris The Moseley team had played a full game of rugby in England the day before they made the journey to Paris. They arrived in the morning, played the match in the afternoon and were back in their home country by the next morning. The proposed game between the British and German sides was cancelled and both are credited as silver medallists. The Franco-Haitian centre Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera become the first black gold medallist. Three months earlier he had competed in the tug of war.
Sailing
The 1900 sailing regatta differs from every other Olympic regatta in a number of ways. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a number of Sailing events were contested In most classes there were two distinct "finals", boats were assigned time handicaps according to their weight within each class and cash prizes were handed out to the winner of each race. The IOC currently recognizes the winner of the first race in each class as Olympic champion except in the case of the 10-20 ton class, which was decided on aggregate time over three races. Races were held at both Meulan and Le Havre and medals shared amongst five nations. Meulan is a commune of the Yvelines département. in France, located near Paris. Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine France and Great Britain were the most successful of the countries involved. A number of people named as members of medal-winning crews by the IOC have been proved not to have competed; others have their participation seriously questioned by historical research.
Shooting
Switzerland's Konrad Stäheli was the outstanding marksman of the Games, taking a trio of titles and leading his country to the top of the shooting medal table. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, 9 shooting events were included Many other shooting events were featured in Paris at about the same time but only 9 events are considered Konrad Stäheli ( December 17, 1866 - November 5, 1931) was a Swiss sports shooter who competed in the late 19th century The medals were shared between six different nations. There is a debate as to whether the live pigeon shooting event was a full Olympic event, Belgian Leon Lunden shot twenty-one birds on his way to the championship. Up to thirty unofficial shooting events were also held.
Swimming
The muddied waters of the Seine hosted the swimming events in 1900. At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, seven Swimming events were contested The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie Run with the current, the races produced very fast times by the standards of the day. John Arthur Jarvis of Great Britain, Frederick Lane of Australia and the German Ernst Hoppenberg each won two titles. John Arthur Jarvis ( 24 February 1872 - 9 May 1933) was a British Swimmer who competed in the late 19th century and early Frederick Claude Vivian Lane (2 February 1880 &ndash 14 May 1969 was an Australian swimmer Ernst Hoppenberg (July 26 1878 in Bremen – September 29 1937 was a German Swimmer and Water polo player who competed in the late 19th Lane received a 50-pound bronze statue of a horse as a prize. A couple of unusual events were held. The obstacle race required both swimming underneath and climbing over rows of boats whilst Charles de Venville stayed submerged for over a minute to win the underwater swimming event.
Tennis
A high quality men's tournament saw three past or future Wimbledon champions reach the semi-finals. Four Tennis events were contested at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious Lawrence Doherty reached the final when older brother Reggie stepped aside and let his sibling advance to the final. Hugh Lawrence "Laurie" Doherty (born October 8, 1875 in Wimbledon London &ndash died August 21, 1919 in Broadstairs Reginald "Reggie" Frank Doherty ( October 14, 1872 in Wimbledon Surrey &ndash December 29, 1910 in Kensington The two refused to play other in what they considered a minor tournament. On the 11th of July a landmark was reached in the history of the Olympic Games. Charlotte Cooper, already three times Wimbledon champion, took both singles and mixed doubles championships to become the first female Olympic champion. Charlotte Reinagle Cooper ( September 22, 1870 &ndash October 10, 1966) was a Tennis player born in Ealing, Middlesex
Tug of war
A combined Sweden/Denmark team, made up of three competitors from each country, defeated the French team to win the title. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Tug of war tournament was contested They were left as the only participating teams after the United States were unable to take part as three of their team were involved in the final of the hammer. Edgar Aaybe was a journalist covering the Games for the Danish newspaper Politiken and was asked to join the team when another puller was taken ill. This article is about the Danish paper Politiken For the Swedish paper Politiken see Folkets Dagblad Politiken. Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera was the first black medallist in the history of the Olympics.
Water polo
Osborne Swimming Club, representing Great Britain were unchallenged in the tournament, scoring 29 goals and conceding only 3 in their 3 matches. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Water polo tournament was contested In the final, they limited the number of shots on goal to avoid humiliating their opponents. Thomas Burgess of the bronze medal-winning Libellule de Paris team, represented Great Britain in the swimming events. Thomas Burgess is also the name of the founder of Bala Ontario Canada Thomas Burgess (1756 &ndash February 19, 1837
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. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate An enormous amount of events were held, though many fall short of the standards later required for Olympic championship status. Decisions 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 IOC. In the absence of any overall authority 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 the reliability of this paper is questioned by Olympic historians. This document forms the basis of the results of the Paris games in the IOC database. [1]
Unofficial sports
Like all official Olympic events, these were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair, but the IOC does not regard them as fully part of the Olympic Games. The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a World's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games
- Angling
- Ballooning
- Boules
- Cannon shooting
- Fire fighting
- Kite flying
- Life saving
- Long paume
- Motor racing
- Motorcycle racing
- Pigeon racing
- Water motorsports
In addition to these 71 schools and 92 military events were also held across a range of sports. Angling was an unofficial sport at 1900 Olympics in Paris At a series of competitions in August some 600 fisherman of whom 40 were from 5 countries other from France participated in Cannon shooting was an unofficial sport in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. Fire fighting was an unofficial event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Motor Racing was an unofficial sport at the 1900 Olympics. Fourteen events were contested in conjunction with 1900 World's Fair. Pigeon racing was an unofficial sport in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris.
Participating nations
The following 24 nations sent competitors to the 1900 Olympic Games, according to the IOC.
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Some sources also list athletes from the following nations as having competed at these Games. One athlete from Argentina competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Australia competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Austria competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Belgium competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Bohemia competed in the Summer Olympic Games for the first time at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France as an The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris were the first Olympics at which a Canadian athlete participated Cuba competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Medalists Gold Ramón Denmark competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. The Danish contingent 13 men competed in 5 sports and had 30 entries in 14 events France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of many nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics Germany competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Greece competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Hungary competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. One athlete from India competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, thereby being the nation's first appearance at Italy competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Medalists Gold Mexico competed at the modern Olympic Games for the first time at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The Netherlands first competed at the Summer Olympic Games at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Norway competed at the Summer Olympic Games for the first time at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. One athlete from Romania, a trap shooter competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Russia competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was the first appearance of the European nation which had entered the names of Spain competed at the modern Olympic Games for the first time at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Sweden competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris under the IOC country code SWE Switzerland competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The United States competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
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.svg/22px-Flag_of_Peru_(1825_-_1950).svg.png){kind=small}
Medal count
Gold, silver, and bronze medals were retroactively awarded by the International Olympic Committee to reflect later practice of awarding such medals to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place competitors, respectively. One fencer of Haitian nationality competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, thereby making him the first Olympic competitor for Haiti One fencer of Persian nationality competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, thereby making him the first Olympic competitor for Iran One athlete from Luxembourg competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, marking the first Olympic appearance by the nation One person from Peru competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Early Olympic Games, such as the 1900 Summer Olympics, had no set schedule of awards.
These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1900 Games.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France (host nation) | 26 | 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 | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Belgium | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 7 |  Germany | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg.png){kind=small} Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 10 |  Denmark | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
See also
References
- ^ "Olympic or not?" - article by Herman de Wael - Journal of Olympic History - January 2003
- ^ The winner of the marathon, Michel Théato, was a Luxembourger. France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of many nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics The United States competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Early Olympic Games allowed for individuals in a Team to be from different Nations The International Olympic Committee (IOC now groups their results together Switzerland competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Belgium competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Germany competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Italy competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Medalists Gold Australia competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Denmark competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. The Danish contingent 13 men competed in 5 sports and had 30 entries in 14 events The International Olympic Committee ( IOC) uses Three letter acronym country codes to refer to each group of athletes that participate in the Olympic The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 Michel Johann Théato ( March 22, 1878 &ndash 1919 was a Luxembourgian athlete, and the winner of the marathon at the However, this was discovered only decades later, and, so, his participation and victory are usually attributed to France.
External links
- IOC Paris 1900 Page
- GB Athletics website - Olympic Games Medallists - Other Sports - Demonstration & Unofficial Sports
- (French) Official Report
| Preceded by Athens | Summer Olympic Games Host City II Olympiad (1900) | Succeeded by St. Louis |
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