1900 Paris Summer Games | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
1900 Paris Summer Games
Host City: Paris, France (May 14, 1900 to October 28, 1900)
Events: 90 in 20 sports
Participants: 1,224 (1,201 men and 23 women) from 31 countries
Youngest Participant:
  Katie Gillou (13 years, 137 days)
Oldest Participant:
  William Martin (71 years, 212 days)
Most Medals (Athlete):
France (102 medals)
Overview
If one had to nominate the "worst modern Olympics" ever, 1900 and [1904] would surely lead the voting.  In 1900, Paris hosted a great world's fair, the Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1900 à Paris.  [Coubertin] made plans to hold the Olympics as part of the fair and planned to organize the events.  But the organizers of the fair relegated Coubertin to a relatively minor administrative position and took over the organization of the sporting events connected with the fair.
» Click to show/hide rest of overview
Most of the events we today consider "Olympic" were not even labeled as such in 1900, often being called the "Championnats d'Exposition".  Years later, many athletes did not know they had competed in the Olympic Games, believing that their sport had been only a part of the World's Fair.  Only the athletics (track & field) events were really publicized in the media as being part of the Olympics.
The Games were stretched out over five months (May-October) and true opening and closing ceremonies were not held.  It is difficult to know, because of the confusion over titles, and the many, many events held at the fair, what events should actually be considered "Olympic" and which should not.  The IOC had no real control of this and thus one sees various listings.  Many unusual sports and events were contested such as motorboating, [balloon racing]), [underwater swimming], and an [obstacle swimming race].
The athletics caused a great deal of controversy.  The French scheduled Sunday competition, which was not considered de rigeur in the United States in 1900.  The Americans threatened not to compete and the French at first reconsidered, moving many of the events to 14 July.  However, 14 July was Bastille Day, so the French moved the start of some events back to Sunday, 15 July.  The Americans were confused by much of this, and many of them, notably several pole vaulters, failed to show for their events.
The star of the games was [Al Kraenzlein], who through 2010 is still the only athlete to win four individual gold medals in track & field at a single Olympics.  In the [long jump], Kraenzlein met his arch-rival, [Meyer Prinstein], a Jew.  Both competed on Saturday, with Prinstein leading the qualifying for the long jump.  The finals were to be held on Sunday and Prinstein refused to compete out of principle, although he had competed on his Sabbath.  Kraenzlein did compete on Sunday and posted a winning jump that surpassed Prinstein's Saturday effort.  Prinstein proposed a Monday jump-off, which Kraenzlein refused.  Prinstein then punched Kraenzlein in the mouth and the two feuded for years.
Women made their Olympic début, with the first known competitors being croquet players and one yachtswoman, [Hélène de Pourtalès].  [Charlotte Cooper] (GBR) won the first championships by a woman, in tennis singles and mixed doubles.  [Margaret Abbott] (USA) won the )Olympic) golf championship in early October.  Neither of those two sports were labeled as Olympic by the organizers.  Years later, Abbott's relatives did not know for certain that the title she won that day had been for the Olympic championship.  Incidentally, in many sports, medals were not awarded.  Most of the listed prizes were cups and other similar trophies.  In several sports, notably fencing and shooting, professional events were held and considered later by the IOC to be of )Olympic) stature.
Of the 1900 Olympics, the best that can be said is that there was very little of true Olympic stature.  The world awaited better, but it would have to wait for eight years.
Country Medal Leaders
A Sports Reference Site : About SR/Olympics  | Privacy Statement  | Conditions & Terms of Service | Use of Data
Data provided by OlyMADMen , led by Hilary Evans, Arild Gjerde, Jeroen Heijmans, and Bill Mallon.  Members: David Foster, Martin Frank, Jørn Jensen, Carl-Johan Johansson, Taavi Kalju, Martin Kellner, George Masin, Stein Opdahl, Wolf Reinhardt, Ralf Regnitter, Paul Tchir, Magne Teigen, Christian Tugnoli, Morten Aarlia Torp, and Ralf Schlüter.
Sports Reference LLC and www.sports-reference.com are not  sponsored by or affiliated with the Olympics, the United States Olympic  Committee or the International Olympic Committee. Trademarks featured or  referred to on this website are the property of their respective trademark  holders and not Sports Reference LLC or www.sports-reference.com .
Part of the