The 1900 Olympic Games held in Paris were not the most successful Games of all-time. In fact, the Games were so laced with controversy and poorly-prepared events that it would be difficult to call the 1900 Paris Olympic Games a success at all.
Controversy Among the American Team at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games
The most controversial aspect of the Games came on the very first day after the French Olympic Committee refused to change or postpone events held on Sunday, which was the Sabbath day for many American athletes. As a result, the American team faced a lot of drama among themselves during the 1900 Olympic Games. Caspar Whitney, an American representative on the International Olympic Committee, was furious about the situation, and the dissension among the American team members was near tangible.
In the end, many athletes from Princeton, Syracuse and Michigan opted not to compete in the Sunday events, but five of the 13 Americans from Penn did.
Relations among the team members broke down entirely after the long jump event, and long-time rivals Alvin Kraenzlein and Myer Prinstein were at the center of the controversy.
The qualifying round for the long jumpers was held on Saturday, while the final round for the event was held on Sunday. At the time, jumps from the qualifying round could be carried through to the final round. The day ended on Saturday with world-record holder Prinstein in the lead.
A member of the Syracuse team, Prinstein elected not to jump on Sunday, despite the fact that he was Jewish, out of a show of American solidarity. At the time, Prinstein did not expect Kraezlein to jump, either.
But when Sunday was over, Kraezlein had, in fact, competed in the final round of the long jump, surpassing Prinstein's mark by 1cm. Prinstein challenged Kraenzlein to a rematch on Monday, and when Kraenzlein refused, Prinstein's teammates had to physically restrain him from attacking the boisterous Kraenzlein.
Controversy During the Pole Vault Event at the 1900 Olympic Games
Another confusing controversy arose in the pole vault event. The event, originally scheduled for Sunday, was changed to Monday so the Americans could compete. It was changed back, however, and contested while the Americans were in church. The event was won by Irvin Baxter, himself an American and the first part-Native American to compete in the Games.
When those in church discovered what had happened, they threw such a fit that the event was recontested on Monday. This time, church attendee and American Dan Horton won the event.
Horton was declared the winner in the pole vault - for a few days, anyway. Eventually, the French Olympic Committee again changed their minds, decided Baxter to be the pole vault champion, and offered Horton an umbrella for his trouble. Baxter also was the winner of the high jump event.
Problems With the Marathon at the 1900 Olympic Games
It wasn't the day of the week, but a lack of organization, instead, that turned the marathon into a disaster. During the winding 26.2-mile race, the course was littered with people and bikes, causing British runner E. Ion Pool to call the event a 25-mile steeplechase.
"The marathon turned out a dismal fiasco," he said. " -- The entire absence of precautions to ensure fair plan can only be characterized by one word: preposterous with a capital P. -- At best it proved a steeplechase, with bicycles and cars for obstacles. Twenty-five miles really is too long for a steeplechase."
The race was so poorly organized that in the end, no one could really say which runners took the proper course to the finish line. Michael Theato, a Frenchman, was awarded the top spot, though there were many who wondered whether the local baker's delivery boy took back roads.
Despite the controversies and the lack of interest from the French and from the world, the 1900 Olympic Games did feature some interesting firsts. The Paris games featured the first women competitors, 22 of who competed in a limited number of sports, including tennis and croquet.
Sources:
- Paris, 1900. www.olympic.org
- Miller, David. "Athens to Athens: The Official History of the Olympic Games and the IOC, 1894-2004." Mainstream Publishing Company, 2004.
Kristen Nichols - Kristen is a freelance reporter and copywriter covering Olympic and Paralympic sport for Suite101.com. Kristen's love of sport developed ...
