Olympic Games of summer of 1900

The Olympic Games of summer 1900 , Plays of IIe Olympiad of the modern era, were celebrated with Paris, in France. They were disputed within the framework of the international Concours of physical exercises and sports of the World Fair of 1900. No closing or opening ceremony to the program, but on June 3rd, 1900, a procession of the gymnastes takes place in the cycle-racing track of Vincennes at the time of the federal festival of the Union of the companies of gymnastics of France.

Organization

Cities candidates: No the candidates cities. The organization of these Plays in Paris is registered as in point 13 of the declaration of re-establishment of the Olympic Games of the June 23rd 1894 at the time of the first congress Olympic.
the organizers of the World Fair of 1900 distribute the competitions over five months within the framework of the international Contests of physical exercises and sports. Deep divisions exist between Pierre de Coubertin and the Steering Committee of the exposure. This last judge the Olympic program “petty and makes indignant at the nation”. Moreover the idea of Olympic Games is, at the time, foreign with the public as in the sporting world. But the eagerness of Pierre de Coubertin to impose the idea of the Olympic Games leads to the recognition of the international Contests like Olympic Games in spring 1899. But neither the posters, neither the program, nor the medals of the exposure present the international Contests like Olympic. The international Contests if were concerned little with their Olympic dubbing that many athletes died without same knowledge that they had taken part in Olympic Games.
“If there were a place in the world where one was indifferent to the Olympic Games, it was above all Paris. ” Pierre de Coubertin, Olympic Memories , International Olympic committee, Lausanne 1931.
the success of the international Contests, recognized by Coubertin like second Olympiad, was considerable. “The sport in 1900 revolved around this single hearth, Paris” ( the Bicycle ), “Never the sport was not more in honor that this year, never he did not worry crowd as much” ( the Car-Bicycle ). The international Contests are with the disproportion of the exposure: all the sporting countries are represented as well as the near total of the practiced sporting disciplines. With 58 731 participants, this edition of the Plays constitutes a record.
With the will to develop Is Parisian, the sporting contests of the exposure were to be initially held with the Bois of Vincennes, served by the first underground line Parisian and of the electric tram lines installed for the occasion. But, to avoid excessive expenditure and to face the big number of the tests, a third of the tests will be finally disputed on other sites.
Construction with Vincennes of a cycle-racing track of a capacity of 40 000 places (today Cycle-racing track Jacques Anquetil).

Striking facts

the women made their first appearance with the modern Plays. They took part the proof tennis and of golf and a way limited or marginal the shooting proof, veils, horsemanship, croquet, fishing, balloons, rescue, oar like with the school tests.
the first woman to obtain a championship was the British tennis player Charlotte Cooper.
French Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera, member of the team of Rugby and the team of Shooting to the cord, is the first athlete of color to be taken part in the Olympic Games. He is gold medal in Rugby.

Participants

The Olympic Games of Paris in 1900 belong to the festivities suggested by the World Fair. Very many sporting events implying 71.230 (whose 1.960 foreign athletes) athletes are held under the authority of the organizers of Expo. Some of them are school, purely Franco-French where at the program rather unexpected disciplines like certain races with various obstacles put. To carry out a coherent sorting among this heterogeneous unit concerns the challenge. Many authors are leaning on the question, but the fork of their estimates which goes from 1000 to 60.000 participating athletes shows the difficulty of the task well. The International Olympic committee very officially also considered this question in order to establish a coherent prize list for this Olympiad. According to work of the CIO, 997 athletes of 24 nations clashed in 90 tests in 19 sports.

24 participating nations:

Argentinian Germany
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bohemia
Canada
Cuba
Denmark
Spain
France

the United Kingdom
Greece
Hungary
India
Italy
Mexico
Norway
Netherlands
Romania
Swiss Russia
Sweden

Hero of the plays

Alvin Kraenzlein gains four tests of athletics in three days.
American Raymond Clarence Ewry (" Ray Ewry " ) gains three gold medals: long jump without dash, high jump without dash, triple jump without dash.

Sports and disciplines

Four contests are not organized fault of present: hockey, Canadian Stick, Ball with the sieve and close tennis.

Athletics

Results: detailed results

150 to 200 athletes come from the whole world encouraged by 2.000 to 3.000 spectators are found with the Cross-Catelan at the Bois de Boulogne to dispute there on the grounds of the Racing club of France the tests of athletics (the track of athletics, out of grass, is always visible). Like the British, who have been just made beat by the American athletes at the time of the championships of England, send only 8 athletes to Paris, the Americans dominate the tests easily. The American Alvin Kraenzlein gains four gold medals and astonishes by his facility to cross the hedges: he is the inventor of the modern technique of crossing. The British gain the basic races however while the French Michel Théato gains the marathon run along the fortifications.

Oar

Results: detailed results

Cricket

results: detailed results

The tournament of cricket is organized in Vincennes. Few spectators moved: if this sport is already professional sport and national in England, it is unknown in France. The tournament is disputed besides by two team, one British, the other Frenchwoman but composed by alive British in Paris.

Croquet

results: detailed results

It is the only time that tests of croquet will be organized at the time of Olympic Games.

Cycling

results: detailed results

The tests are organized on the track of the cycle-racing track of Vincennes built for the occasion and gather the whole of the tests disputed at the time. The best world cyclists are present. At the time thanks to many equipment and with the daily newspaper the Bicycle cycling is the popular sport par excellence and Paris its capital. The tests open to the professional cyclists most and are disputed. Organized in week, the finales do not attract hoped crowd. But the race of the Bol of gold (24 hours) impassions the French in spite of the defeat of Maurice Garin arrived third. With only two victories, the French, who however dominated the cycling of the time, missed their Plays.

Fencing

results: detailed results

The tests of fencing, are with the tests of athletics the tests which join together the greatest number of foreign athletes.

Foil : 122 participants including 36 foreigners come mainly from Italy and Belgium.

The tests of foil, eminently French sport, occupy a choice place. They open the program of the sporting contests the May 14th and are disputed in the village hall of the exposure, on the Field-of-March. Contests amateurs (pupils) and professionals (professors) are organized. France gains the large majority of the tests, and manages to dominate Italy, its rival.

Sword : 155 gunners including 18 foreigners.

The tests of sword are organized on the terrace of the Jardin of Tileries.

Saber : 88 registered voters including 59 foreigners.

Little practiced in France, the saber is dominated by the foreign nations and more particularly Italy. The tests are organized in the village hall of the exposure, on the Field-of-March.

Football

results: detailed results

The tournament of football association gathers three teams and proceeds on the cycle-racing track of Vincennes. The French Club, champion of Paris is selected to represent France. Still not very popular, 1.500 spectators attend the match between France and Belgium.

Golf

results: detailed results

The tests of Golf are organized with Compiegne. More still than tennis, the golf is the sport of the aristocracy and the billionaires, also the British Mackenzie Turpie, factor with Saint Andrews, created sensation. At the men and more still among women the contests are dominated by American.

Gymnastic

results: detailed results

In 1900, the gymnastics is with cycling the most popular sport. In the middle of the sporting education of the Third Republic, it is, according to Jules Ferry, “the peaceful avant-garde of the fatherland out of weapon”. Also has it the privilege to inaugurate the very new cycle-racing track of Vincennes.

4 demonstrations are organized:

*Les June 3rd and 4th disputes the federal festival of the Union of the companies of gymnastics of France with 8 050 gymnastes of all France;

*Le June 7th is held the school contests;

*les July 29th and 30th individual international tests of gymnastics;

*le September 2nd the contest of the Association of the companies of gymnastics of the Seine.

The victory of the French Gustave Sandras in the individual international contest (16 tests) constitutes the only French victory with the open competition of gymnastics of the history of the Plays. France largely dominates the contest since the first foreigner, Switzerland finishes in the 19th place.

Swimming

results: detailed results

The tests of swimming are organized on the the Seine between Courbevoie and the bridge of Asnières-sur-Seine, they gather 183 swimmers including 66 foreigners and to 5.000 spectators. The French who discover sporting swimming are very largely dominated. According to the official report, the Hungarian Zoltán von Halmay would have used a technique then new near to the Crawl which had just been introduced in Hungary by the Australian ones. The crawl would then have been swum for the first time at the Plays.

Basque Ball

results: detailed results

This discipline is badly known in Paris. However, the Basque ball is a professional sport practiced of the Basque Country in Argentina. To attract the professional players, the Steering Committee seeks to equip the contest with prices likely to attract them. But the global budget does not exceed 3 000 francs, and the players do not precipitate. Three teams only take part in the competition (2 Spanish and a Frenchwoman).

The disputed tests with Neuilly-sur-Seine June 17th, 19th and 21st attract a public many of approximately 1 000 spectators, curious to discover this discipline.

This competition sees the revelation of the young player Chiquito de Cambo although bronze medal. The current center of Basque ball of Paris bears its name.

Sports shirt

results: detailed results

The tests of sports shirt are disputed with the Sports shirt Club of Trifle. The public is not with go and the Guerre of Boers deprives the competition of many British teams, the totality of the Australian teams and South America.

Rugby

results: detailed results

The tournament of Rugby which gathers three teams unrolls with the cycle-racing track of Vincennes. 6.000 spectators attend the match between France and Great Britain. France gains the first of its three Olympic titles in collective sport. Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera which is also member of the French team of shooting to the cord is the first athlete of color to be taken part in the Plays.

Horsemanship

results: detailed results

Dealt with by the French horse Company, the contests of horsemanship among best are financed and disputed place of Breteuil, where was built a transitory hippodrome.

8 Countries are represented: France (103 committed), Belgium (29), Italy (15), Russia (6), the United States (5). Spain, Germany and Austria have one volunteer. The Guerre of Boers deprives the contest of the British riders.

Tennis

results: detailed results

The best players of the world then find on the island of Puteaux Rotschild island which has ten beaten ground courts. On the 73 players one counts 15 women: with the golf, tennis is the only sporting test opened to the women. The British who dominate tennis at the time gain all the contests.

Shooting

results: detailed results

The tests of shooting dispute with the military camp of Satory and gather 6.000 competitors. The international contest is organized jointly with the 7th national competition: the objective is to consider level mean of the gunners of the country which uses the rifle Lebel which will be that of the Poilus. The French domination in the international tests is not convincing, the French gunners are dominated by the Swiss ones and the Scandinavians. Some women take part in national competition.

Shooting with the arc

results: detailed results

The tests of Shooting to the arc are disputed from May 28th to August 20th and gather 5 254 gunners including 200 foreigners on the lawn of the old cycle-racing track of Vincennes.

Veil

There was neither regatta nor demonstration in Athens, no file or newspaper cutting does not speak about it. For Paris, in 1900, to refer to the REPORTS, PUBLISHED UNDER the DIRECTION OF Mr. D. MÉRILLON, the INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS Of PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND SPORTS organized at the time of the INTERNATIONAL WORLD FAIR OF 1900 in PARIS, Volume 1 and Volume 2. This official document published by the HMSO in 1901 and written under the direction of a man integrated into the Olympic Movement (member of the French Olympic committee since its creation in 1894, president of the French companies of Shooting) mentions “Olympic” Game inside these Contests only in connection with some tests of Gymnastics (33 participants out of 3357,11 prices out of 877 according to the statistics). Let us leave the Olympic legend… to enter the history!

For the sail, it is thus necessary to await the Plays of London in 1908, prepared well by the " report/ratio; The Nautique" Sport; presented in 1905 to the Olympic congress of Brussels per Albert Glandaz, Vice-president of the Yacht Club of France (national authority), president of the French federation of the Companies of Oar, founder of the Canoe Club of France.

Results manufactured several tens of years after 1900 and which are not even faithful to the regattas given within the framework the World Fair of 1900: detailed results

regattas on the Seine.

The regattas of the sailing ships of less than 10 barrels are organized on the water level of Meulan. 66 Sailing ships take part in the regattas.

tests at sea with the Harbor.

The regattas of the sailing ships of more than 10 barrels are organized with broad of Le Havre by the Company of the regattas of Le Havre. The sailing ships are divided into two categories: more than 20 barrels and from 10 to 20 barrels.

The tests are disputed in August on an agitated sea.

Toilets sports shirt

results: detailed results

Organized with Courbevoie, the tournament of toilets sports shirt was very easily gained by the British team which benefitted from her domination for to make the spectacle in front of the 5 OOO spectators.

Other sporting disciplines

The other disciplines incrites with the contests of physical exercises and sports of the World Fair of 1900 are not regarded by the CIO as Olympic contests: : the Angling, the Lyons Balls and the Game of bowls, the shooting of gun, the combat of fire, tests of Kite, Carrier pigeon, American football, Baseball, Football Gaelic, Hurling, rescue (operations of fire pumps, rescue on water, first aid with the civil and military casualties), of Motonautisme.

Automobile

The contests are divided into two categories:

The tests of endurance (five) make it possible to test the vehicles, the quality of the engines, consumption, the facility of control. These tests are disputed in Vincennes.

The race Paris-Toulouse-Paris . 1.448 km. On the 55 vehicles present at the beginning alone 18 cross the finishing line (8 cars, 3 carriers, 7 motor bicycles). Fernand Levegh, the large pilot of the moment and victorious of the first category (+ 400 kg) carried out an average of 65 km/h at the wheel of a Mors provided with tires Michelin. Renault dominates the category of the carriers (- 400 kg), and imposes the new concept of small car. Louis and Marcel Renault takes part in the race at the wheel of their cars.

races of balloon

Whereas the pioneers of the Aéronautique carry out their first exploits, the races of balloon S are then the sport with the mode and constitute the event of the Olympic Games and the exposure itself. The Steering Committee wishes to give a great importance to these tests in remembering the role played by the balloons at the time of the head office of Paris in 1871 and built an immense metal hangar. A many crowd presses itself with Vincennes near the new cycle-racing track, along the avenue of Charenton, to attend the 15 tests organized from June 17th to October 9th in which 46 balloon S for 156 flights take part on the whole.

Among the striking facts during the tests, a storm the June 17th at the evening, failed to cost the life several aeronauts. The September 23rd, in the contest of altitude without handicap, Balsan succeeds in the exploit to reach 8 558 meters of altitude. Party the September 30th in the race of distance without handicap, carried by the east winds Henry of Vaulx is posed in Poland, close to Warsaw. But at the end of a third race of distance, Henry of Vaulx manages to pose its balloon the October 10th meadows of Kiev. He traversed, in two days, in balloon, 1 925 km.

Shooting with the cord

The test of shooting to the cord is organized with the competitions of athletics to the Cross-Catalan. American whose three gunners take part the proof Throwing the hammer declares fixed price and is replaced with the foot raised by a Scandinavian team which easily gains the two handles against the French team. At the end of the day a meeting impromptue between Scandinavians and Americans is organized, but it will not go in its term: the Americans were helped by spectators whereas they were going to lose.

Shooting with the pigeons

The tests of shooting to the alive pigeons proceed with the wood Circle of the Bois de Boulogne. One can still see this one such as it was in 1900.

There are 198 registered voters at the beginning (a record for a test of shooting to the alive pigeons) and 7 nations are represented: Belgium, the United States, Spain, France, Great Britain and Italy, with undoubtedly best rifles of the moment.

Table of medals (official CIO)

Source: CIO

Table of medals (nonofficial CIO)

This table of the medals also takes into account certain international tests not retained by the CIO.

See too

World Fairs of Paris

External bond

the page of the Olympic Games of Paris 1900 on the official site of the CIO.

Sources and bibliography

Andre Drevon, forgotten Olympic Games, Paris 1900 , CNRS editions, Paris, 2000.
Official reports of the international Contests of physical exercises and sports, HMSO, Paris: one of the official reports (format pdf).

Simple: 1900 Summer Olympics

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