Olympic Games - 1900 Paris

Olympic Games - 1900 Paris

A feature for the next 4 or 5 games was how long they were.  The Athens Olympics was over in a reasonable 8 days, but the Paris games went on and on for 5 months.

The number of nations represented had doubled to 28 and there were now 75 events contested and Women made their first appearance in the games.  Tennis was the new popular sport and Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain won the ladies singles.

I found it surprising that athletes entered as individuals, there was no concept of national trials for another 8 years.  It is rumoured that in some team sports competitors did not realise they were competing in the Olympic games.  This may explain why teams comprising members of different nationalities were acceptable.  What price a rowing team 2004 with an Englishman, Irishman, German and American!

Records, were haphazard and to this day the names and especially the nationality of some medallists are not known.  For instance, medals won by Canada were not discovered for some years as the athlete in question, George Orton, had been entered by his American university and had been registered as an American.  One side effect is that the all time records for how many medals countries have won can never be truly settled, and this can only be beneficial as it throws the focus back on individual champions.  Indeed while the winners were champions all, none received gold medals.

Thesis have been written on the mystery of the cox of the Dutch Coxed pairs.  Word was they dragged a boy in off the street, but his name has never been authenticated.

Those that did attend took their lives into their own hands as discus champion Rudolf Bauer of Hungary sent all three of his throws into the crowd.