HISTORY OF THE MODERN OLYMPICS

Paris, France, 1900

Olympic posters from the Archives, Olympic Museum Lausanne, from the book The Olympic Spirit, published by Tehabi Books
The second modern Olympic competition was relegated to a sideshow of the World Exhibition, which was being held in Paris that summer. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics and president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), lost control of his hometown Games to the French government. The Games suffered from poor organization and marketing, with events conducted over a period of five months in venues that often were inadequate. The track-and-field events were held in a grass field that was uneven and often wet. Broken telephone poles were used to make hurdles, and hammer throwers occasionally found their efforts stuck in a tree. The swimming events were contested in the Seine River, whose strong current carried athletes to unrealistically fast times. There was such confusion about schedules that few spectators or journalists made it to the events. Officials and athletes often were unaware that they were participating in the Olympics.

Nevertheless, the Games were attended by 19 nations, represented by at least 1,066 athletes. There was an infusion of new events, some of which were later discontinued (e.g., golf, rugby, cricket, and croquet). Archery, association football, rowing, and equestrian events were among those introduced at the 1900 Games. Women, competing in lawn tennis and golf, participated in the Olympics for the first time.

Despite the problems of the Paris Games, the quality of athletic performance improved. Athletes from the United States, led by jumper Ray Ewry and sprinter Alvin Kraenzlein, again dominated the track-and-field competition. American athletes won 17 of the 23 track-and-field events, while French athletes earned a total of 102 medals, by far the most for any nation at the 1900 Games.



Introduction * Early History * Revival of the Olympics * Organization of the Modern Games