Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

Last updated
Men's 800 metres
at the Games of the II Olympiad
800m final 1900.jpg
Finish of the final
Venue Bois de Boulogne
DatesJuly 14 (semifinals)
July 16 (final)
Competitors18 from 7 nations
Winning time2:01.2
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Alfred Tysoe
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Silver medal icon.svg John Cregan
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg David Hall
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
  1896
1904  

The men's 800 metres was middle-distance running event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14 and July 16, 1900. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. 18 athletes from seven nations competed. The event was won by Alfred Tysoe of Great Britain, the nation's first medal in the event. The United States also won its first medals in the 800 metres, with silver and bronze.

Contents

Background

This was the second appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. None of the runners from 1896 returned. Among the favorites were Alexander Grant of the United States (1899 AAU one-mile champion) and Alfred Tysoe of Great Britain (1897 AAA one-mile champion). [1]

Bohemia, Denmark, Italy, and the United States appeared in the event for the first time. France, Great Britain, and Hungary each made their second appearance, having also appeared in 1896.

Competition format

There were two rounds: heats and a final. There were three heats, of between 5 and 7 runners each. The top 2 runners in each heat advanced to the final.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.

World recordFlag of the United States.svg  Charles Kilpatrick  (USA)1:53.4 (y)(u) New York City, United States 21 September 1895
Olympic recordFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Edwin Flack  (AUS)2:10.0 Athens, Greece 6 April 1896

In the first heat of the first round David Hall set a new Olympic record with 1:59.0.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Saturday, 14 July 190010:15Round 1
Monday, 16 July 1900Final

Results

Semifinals

In the first round, there were three semifinals. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

Hall's Olympic record time surprised most of those present, as Tysoe had been the favorite in the heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 David Hall US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 1:59.0Q, OR
2 Alfred Tysoe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:59.4Q
3 Howard Hayes US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:00.2
4 Maurice Salomez Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
5 Christian Christensen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Unknown
6–7 Walter Drumheller US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown
Alexander Grant US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown

Semifinal 2

Deloge finished three yards in front of Spiedl, with the other runners trailing.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Henri Deloge Flag of France.svg  France 2:00.6Q
2 Zoltán Speidl Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 2:01.1Q
3 Justus Scrafford US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:01.8
4–6 Emilio Banfi Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown
Edward Bushnell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown
Harrison Smith US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown

Semifinal 3

Cregan won the slowest of the three heats by six yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 John Cregan US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.0Q
2 John Bray US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.9Q
3 Harvey Lord US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:04.5
4–5 Edward Mechling US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown
Ondřej Pukl Flag of Bohemia.svg  Bohemia Unknown

Final

Deloge led early, but was passed just before the final straight by Tysoe and Cregan. Hall, who had set an Olympic record in the heats, was just barely able to catch Deloge to finish third, but had no chance of passing the two leaders.

RankAthleteNationTime
Gold medal icon.svg Alfred Tysoe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 2:01.2
Silver medal icon.svg John Cregan US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.0
Bronze medal icon.svg David Hall US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.8
4 Henri Deloge Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
5 Zoltán Speidl Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown
6 John Bray US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown

Results summary

RankAthleteNationSemifinalsFinalNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Alfred Tysoe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:59.42:01.2
Silver medal icon.svg John Cregan US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.02:03.0
Bronze medal icon.svg David Hall US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 1:59.02:03.8 OR
4 Henri Deloge Flag of France.svg  France 2:00.6Unknown
5 Zoltán Speidl Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 2:01.1Unknown
6 John Bray US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:03.9Unknown
7 Howard Hayes US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:00.2Did not advance
Justus Scrafford US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:01.8
Harvey Lord US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 2:04.5
10 Maurice Salomez Flag of France.svg  France Unknown4th in semifinal
11 Edward Mechling US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown4th–5th in semifinal
Ondřej Pukl Flag of Bohemia.svg  Bohemia Unknown4th–5th in semifinal
13 Christian Christensen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Unknown5th in semifinal
14 Emilio Banfi Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown4th–6th in semifinal
Edward Bushnell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown4th–6th in semifinal
Harrison Smith US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown4th–6th in semifinal
17 Walter Drumheller US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown6th–7th in semifinal
Alexander Grant US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown6th–7th in semifinal

Related Research Articles

The men's 100 metres was the shortest of the sprint races at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held over the course of three days. The first round was held on 20 July, the semifinals on 21 July, and the final on 22 July. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes, The event was won by Reggie Walker of South Africa, the first time the gold medal went to a nation other than the United States. The Americans did stay on the podium with James Rector's silver medal. Canada won its first medal in the event, a bronze by Robert Kerr.

Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metre race was held for the third time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held from 21 to 23 July 1908. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. 43 sprinters from 15 nations competed. The event was won by Robert Kerr of Canada, the first win by a nation other than the United States. Americans took silver and bronze, with Cartmell becoming the first person to win multiple 200 metres medals after taking earning silver in 1904.

The men's 800 metres made its fourth Olympic appearance at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 20, 1908 and on July 21, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=​13 mile in circumference. It was run in two rounds, with the winners of the eight heats of the first round competing in the final.

The men's 1500 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 13, 1908 and on July 14, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=​13 mile in circumference. The event was won by Mel Sheppard of the United States, the second consecutive Games an American had won the event. Sheppard, like Jim Lightbody in 1904, would also win the 800 metres for a middle-distance double.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 60 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 60 metres was the shortest of the track races at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, which was the first time the event was held. It was held on 15 July 1900. 10 athletes from 6 nations competed. Five preliminary heats were scheduled, though only two were actually held. The top two athletes from each of the heats advanced to the final, resulting in a final race that featured three United States runners and an Australian. Hurdle specialist Alvin Kraenzlein of the United States won the event, with his countryman Walter Tewksbury in second and Australian Stan Rowley earning bronze.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 100 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 100 metres was a sprinting event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, 1900. 20 athletes from nine nations competed. The event was won by Frank Jarvis of the United States, the second of three straight gold medals by different Americans in the event. Australia medaled in the event for the first time, a bronze by Stan Rowley.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 200 metres was a sprinting event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 22, 1900, well after most of the rest of the athletics events. The 1900 Games were the first time the 200 metres was contested. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Eight athletes from seven nations competed. The event was won by Walter Tewksbury of the United States. Norman Pritchard of India took silver while Australian Stan Rowley earned bronze.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 400 metres was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, and July 15, 1900. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. 15 athletes from six nations competed.

The men's 1500 metres was a middle-distance running event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 15, 1900. The race was held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Nine athletes from six nations competed. The event was won by Charles Bennett of Great Britain, the nation's first medal in the brief history of the event.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 110 metres hurdles Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 110 metres hurdles was the first of the track and field events on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, 1900. Nine athletes from three nations competed in the shortest of the hurdling events. The event was won by Alvin Kraenzlein of the United States, the second of five consecutive victories for the nation in the first five Olympic Games. It was also the first of four consecutive podium sweeps for the Americans in the event.

The men's 200 metres hurdles was a hurdling event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 16, 1900. 11 athletes from five nations competed in the middle of the three hurdling events.

The men's 400 metres hurdles was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. This event was held for the first time at the Olympics. The competition took part on July 14 and July 15, 1900. The race was held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Five athletes from four nations competed in the longest of the three hurdling events.

The men's 5000 metres team race was the final track and field event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was the first time that a team race was held at the Olympics. It was held on July 22, 1900. Two teams, from France and a Mixed Team, of five athletes each competed. Stan Rowley of Australia completed an otherwise British team.

Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Mens 800 metres

The men's 800 metres race was the second-longest of the four flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. The preliminary heats were the third event held on 6 April. The nine competitors were split into two groups. The top two athletes in each heat advanced to the final, which was held on 9 April.

Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which has appeared at every edition of the Summer Olympics since the 1900 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 10, 1912, and on July 11, 1912. 61 runners from 19 nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. The event was won by Ralph Craig of the United States, the nation's third victory in four Games. Another American, Donald Lippincott, took silver. Great Britain earned its first medal in the 200 metres with Willie Applegarth's bronze.

Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second time the 200 metres was contested. All races of this competition was held on a straight course. 5 athletes from 2 nations participated. The competition was held on August 31, 1904. The United States swept the medals, with Archie Hahn earning the second of his three sprint medals in St. Louis. Nathaniel Cartmell took silver and William Hogenson earned bronze. It was the second consecutive American victory in the event.

The men's 800 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the third time the event was held. 13 runners from 3 nations participated. The competition was held on September 1, 1904. The event was won by Jim Lightbody of the United States, the nation's first title in the 800 metres. The United States, with 10 of the 13 runners, swept the medals—the first sweep of the 800 metres podium.

Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Thursday, August 19, 1920, and on Friday, August 20, 1920. Forty-eight sprinters from 22 nations competed. Nations were limited to 4 athletes each, down from the 12 allowed in previous Games. The event was won by Allen Woodring of the United States, the nation's second consecutive victory in the event and fourth in five Games. Fellow American Charley Paddock took silver. Great Britain reached the podium for a second consecutive Games with Harry Edward's bronze.

The men's 800 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The competition was held from Sunday, July 6, 1924 to Tuesday, July 8, 1924. As with all other races the track was 500 metres in circumference. Fifty middle distance runners from 24 nations competed.

The men's 800 metre event at the 1928 Olympic Games took place between July 29 & July 31. Forty-nine athletes from 24 nations competed. NOCs were limited to 4 competitors each.

References

  1. "800 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

Sources