Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 60 metres

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Men's 60 metres
at the Games of the II Olympiad
60m 1900.jpg
Finish of the final
Venue Bois de Boulogne
DateJuly 15, 1900
Competitors10 from 6 nations
Winning time7.0 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Alvin Kraenzlein
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg Walter Tewksbury
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Stan Rowley
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Australia
1904  

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.

Background

This was the first time the event was held; it would be held again only in 1904 before being discontinued. 110 metres hurdles champion Alvin Kraenzlein, 200 metres and 400 metres hurdles champion Walter Tewksbury, and 100 metres and 200 metres bronze medalist Stan Rowley were among the entrants. [1]

Australia, France, Hungary, India, Sweden, and the United States competed in the debut of the event.

Records

World bests were not recognized until 1966.

As this was a new event, there was no standing Olympic record: Alvin Kraenzlein set the initial record with 7.0 seconds in the first semifinal, then equalled it in the final.

Competition format

The competition consisted of two rounds: semifinals and a final. The top two runners in each of the two semifinals advanced to the final.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Sunday, 15 July 190014:00
14:45
Semifinals
Final

Results

Semifinals

Semifinal 1

Minahan was about half a yard behind Kraenzlein, with Pritchard a yard behind him.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Alvin Kraenzlein US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.0Q, OR
2 Edmund Minahan US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.0Q
3 Norman Pritchard British Raj Red Ensign.svg  India 7.1
4–5 Adolphe Klingelhoefer Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
Isaac Westergren Swedish civil ensign (1844-1905).svg  Sweden Unknown

Semifinal 2

Tewksbury beat Rowley by a foot.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Walter Tewksbury US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.2Q
2 Stan Rowley Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Australia 7.3Q
3 William Holland US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown
4–5 Pál Koppán Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown
Ernő Schubert Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown

Final

The 60 metres final was a close race, with the two top Americans being separated by four inches and Rowley half a yard behind. It was each of the runners' second time running the 60 in less than an hour, as the final was held almost immediately after the preliminary heats.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Alvin Kraenzlein US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.0 =OR
Silver medal icon.svg Walter Tewksbury US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.1
Bronze medal icon.svg Stan Rowley Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Australia 7.2
4 Edmund Minahan US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 7.2

Sources

  1. "60 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 28 December 2020.