1.
1500 metres
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The 1500 metres or 1, 500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896, the demands of the race are similar to that of the 800 metres, but with a slightly higher emphasis on aerobic endurance and a slightly lower sprint speed requirement. The 1500 metre race is predominantly aerobic, but anaerobic conditioning is also required, each lap run during the world-record race run by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1998 in Rome, Italy averaged just under 55 seconds. 1,500 metres is three and three-quarter laps around a 400-metre track, in the Modern Olympic Games, the mens 1, 500-metre race has been contested from the beginning, and at every Olympic Games since. The first winner, in 1896, was Edwin Flack of Australia, the womens 1, 500-metre race was first added to the Summer Olympics in 1972, and the winner of the first gold medal was Lyudmila Bragina of the Soviet Union. During the Olympic Games of 1972 through 2008, the womens 1, 500-metre race has won by three Soviets plus one Russian, one Italian, one Romanian, one Briton, one Kenyan. The 2012 Olympic results are still undecided as a result of doping cases. The best womens times for the race were set by Chinese runners. At least one of those top Chinese athletes has admitted to being part of a doping program, the womens record was finally surpassed by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia in 2015. Which distance is used depends on which state the school is in. The person who wins the race is behind watching Correct as of November 2016. The world records for the distance in swimming for men are 14,31.02 by Sun Yang,14,08.06 by Gregorio Paltrinieri, and by women 15,25.48 by Katie Ledecky, and 15,19.71 by Mireia Belmonte García. The world records for the distance in speed skating are 1,41.04 by Shani Davis and 1,50.85 by Heather Richardson-Bergsma, IAAF list of 1500-metres records in XML Statistics
2.
Olympic Games
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The Olympic Games are considered the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in changes to the Olympic Games. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, as a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship, World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916,1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games, the Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations, National Olympic Committees, and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, the IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals, gold, silver, the Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to themselves to the world. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat such as wrestling. It has been written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce and this idea is a modern myth because the Greeks never suspended their wars. The truce did allow those religious pilgrims who were travelling to Olympia to pass through warring territories unmolested because they were protected by Zeus
3.
Athletics at the Summer Olympics
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Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics, the modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions, the events contested have varied widely. From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war, no new events have been added to the mens athletics programme since the 1952 addition of the short racewalk. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976, the last womens event added to the roster was the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2008. A total of 52 different events have held in the mens competition. The current list comprises 24 events, many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines. Team racing events have been eliminated after appearing in six editions of the Games. The athletic triathlon and pentathlon events were phased out in favor of the decathlon. Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912, cross country running was on the program from 1912 to 1924 and is the most prominent form of athletics not to feature at the Olympics. Womens competition in athletics began at the 1928 Summer Olympics Nearly every nation that has competed at the Olympics has entered the athletics competition, the number in each box represents the number of athletes the nation sent. Updated after the 2016 Summer Olympics, considering stripped medals as of February 10,2017 Sources, Olympic sports
4.
Matthew Centrowitz Jr.
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Matthew Centrowitz Jr. is a U. S. track and field athlete who specializes in the 1500m. He became a prominent figure in U. S. running when he won a medal in the 1500 meters at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. A seasoned competitor with a potent finishing kick, he competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meters—where he finished 4th by only 0.04 seconds. At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Centrowitz improved on his bronze medal performance with a silver in the same event, at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, he won his first major international championship in the 1500 meters. He then won the medal in the 1500 meters at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro with a 50.6 second final 400m. Centrowitz was born in Beltsville, Maryland, the son of Beverly and two-time Olympian Matt Centrowitz and he grew up in Arnold, Maryland, and was a track star at Broadneck High School in Annapolis. His negative split 8,41.55 win in the 2-mile race at the Nike Outdoor Nationals is considered one of the best races in history and was also the best high school time of 2007. His time of 4,08.38 for the mile at the Penn Relays in April 2007 established a meet record and he also went on to set the Maryland state record over 1600 meters in 4,04.09 that same year. He also won a medal at the Pan American Junior Championships held in São Paulo. Like his father, Centrowitz ran for the University of Oregon, in 2009, Centrowitzs split of 3.59.24. In 2011 Centrowitz won the 1500 meters in the Pac-10 and the NCAA Mens Division I Outdoor Track, hed previously won the 1500 in the Pac-10 three times. On November 29,2011, he announced his decision to turn professional and his decision to turn professional resulted in his becoming a Nike-sponsored athlete, and he joined the Nike Oregon Project, and is still currently coached by Alberto Salazar. Centrowitz outkicked Bernard Lagat and Leo Manzano at the 2011 USATF Outdoor Championships in the 1500m and his 2011 season is sometimes described as The Perfect Season, where he won the NCAA Championship and went on to win the national championship in the 1500m. He went on to get a medal in the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in the 1500m behind Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat. He would go on to finish 7th in the World Championship Indoor 1500m final, on July 1,2012, Centrowitz qualified for the United States Olympic team in the 1500 m. He finished in place in the 2012 London Olympic Games in the 1,500 meter race. He won the Fifth Avenue Mile ahead of Bernard Lagat that September, during the 2013 indoor season, his first race was at the Seattle UW Indoor Preview, where he won the 800m. He was second at the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile and he was first at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix mile
5.
United States at the Olympics
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The United States of America have sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games, except the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott. The United States Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the United States, U. S. athletes have won a total of 2,520 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and another 282 at the Winter Olympic Games. Most medals have been won in athletics and swimming, thomas Burke was the first athlete to represent the United States at the Olympics. He took first place in both the 100 meters and the 400 meters of the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, american track and field athlete James Connolly was the first modern Olympic champion. He took first place in the jump which was the first opening day final event at the 1896 Summer Olympics. American swimmer Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympic athlete of any nation, from the mid-20th century to the late 1980s, the United States mainly competed with the Soviet Union at Summer Games and with the Soviet Union, Norway, and East Germany at the Winter Games. The United States has topped the medal count at two winter Olympics,1932 in Lake Placid and 2010 in Vancouver. At the 2010 games, the United States set a record for the most total medals of any country at a single Winter Olympics. The United States have hosted the Games on eight occasions, more than any other country, United States at the Paralympics United States of America
6.
Faith Kipyegon
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Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is a Kenyan middle-distance runner and the current Olympic champion in the 1500 m womens having won the Rio Olympics on 16 August 2016. She is also the Commonwealth champion having won the medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She won the medal at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she competed in the Womens 1500 metres, But got 9th in the 3rd heat and she won the womens junior race in the World Cross Country Championships in 2013. She competed in the 2013 World Championships in Athletics and Came in 5th place in the final with a time of 4,05.08. At 16, Faith Kipyegon ran in the 2010 World Cross Country Championships womens junior race and came in 5th place individually, in 2011 she won the gold medal in the junior race both with her team and individually. She participated in the 2011 World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, a few months afterward, she competed at the World Youth Championships in the womens 1500 m winning the gold medal ahead of three Ethiopian runners with a time of 4,09.48. In the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, she won the gold medal way ahead of the field with a time of 4,04.96, the Serbian Amela Terzić and Ethiopian Teferi Senbere took 2nd and 3rd. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the womens 1500 m, in London, at the beginning of the 2013 season, Faith Kipyegon won the junior race individual at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz Poland. On May 10, at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in Doha, she established a new Kenyan Record in the womens 1500 m in a time of 3,56.98, facing the Swedish runner Abeba Aregawi. In August 2013, at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, in 2014, she won the gold medal in the 4 ×1500 m Relay at the first IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, along with Mercy Cherono, Irene Jelagat and Hellen Obiri. The Kenya team, ahead of the United States and Australia and she also won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. On August 25,2015, Kipyegon won silver at World Championships in Beijing, finishing second to record holder Genzebe Dibaba in the 1500 m. On September 11,2015, at Diamond League finale in Brussels, Kipyegon won the mile in 4,16.71, beating Sifan Hassan in the final stretch who finished in 4,18.20. In August 2016, Kipyegon competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she won the 1500 meters in 4,08.92, with a 56. 8-second final lap
7.
Kenya at the Olympics
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Kenya first participated at the Olympic Games in 1956, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the boycotted 1976 and 1980 Games. Kenya participated in the Winter Olympic Games in 1998,2002 and 2006, however, their only competitor at these games, Philip Boit, failed to qualify for the 2010 events, and retired in 2011. Kenyan athletes have won 91 medals in total, all from boxing and track, of those,61 medals come from the long-distance running events. In terms of medals won, the most recent Summer Olympics have been Kenyas most successful. The number of Kenyan women winning Olympic medals has risen dramatically, increasingly, Kenya-born athletes are competing in the Olympics for other countries, most notably the USA and Bahrain. In the 2016 Olympics, there were ~20 such athletes, including multiple medal winners, the National Olympic Committee for Kenya is the National Olympic Committee Kenya, founded in 1955. Kenya national athletics team Category, Olympic competitors for Kenya Kenya at the Paralympics Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics Kenya
8.
Summer Olympic Games
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The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad, first held in 1896, is an international multi-sport event that is hosted by a different city every four years. The most recent Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the International Olympic Committee organizes the games and oversees the host citys preparations. In each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place, and bronze medals are awarded for third, the Winter Olympic Games were created due to the success of the Summer Olympics. The Olympics have increased in scope from a 42-event competition with fewer than 250 male competitors from 14 nations in 1896 to 302 events with 10,768 competitors from 204 nations in 2012, eighteen countries have hosted the Summer Olympics. The United States has hosted four Summer Olympics, more than any other nation, four cities have hosted two Summer Olympics, Athens, Paris, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Tokyo is the first city outside of the Western world to host the Summer Olympics multiple times, asia has hosted the Summer Olympics four times in Japan, South Korea, and China. The only Summer Olympics held in the Southern Hemisphere have been in Australia, the 2016 Games are the first Summer Olympics to be held in South America and the first to be held during the local winter season. Africa has yet to host a Summer Olympics, only five countries—Greece, Australia, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland—have been represented at every Summer Olympic Games. The only country to have won at least one medal at every Summer Olympic Games is Great Britain. The United States leads the medal table. Qualification rules for each of the Olympic sports are set by the International Sports Federations that governs that sports international competition, for individual sports, competitors typically qualify through attaining a certain place in a major international event or on the IFs ranking list. There is a rule that maximum three individual athletes may represent each nation per competition. Nations most often qualify teams for team sports through continental qualifying tournaments, each nation may be represented by no more than one team per competition a team is two people in some sports. The United States has hosted four Summer Olympic Games, more than any other nation, the United Kingdom hosted the 2012 Olympic Games, its third Summer Olympic Games, in its capital London, making London the first city to host the Summer Olympic Games three times. Australia, France, Germany, Greece, and Japan have all hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice. Other countries that have hosted the Summer Olympics are Belgium, Brazil, China, Canada, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the Soviet Union, asia has hosted the Summer Olympics three times and will host again in 2020. In 2016, Rio de Janeiro hosted the first Summer Olympics in South America, three cities have hosted two Summer Olympic Games, Los Angeles, Paris, and Athens. Stockholm has hosted events at two Summer Olympic Games, having hosted the games in 1912 and the events at the 1956 Summer Olympics—which they are usually listed as jointly hosting
9.
Multi-sport event
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A multi-sport event is an organized sports event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of significance is the modern Olympic Games. Many regional multi-sport events have since founded and modeled after the Olympics. Most have the basic structure. Games are held over the course of days in and around a host city. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes, athletes or teams are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. The games are held every four years, though some are annual competitions. Instead, the Greek sports of racing and wrestling, as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at events were almost exclusively male. As international womens sport began to develop, events such as the Womens World Games, though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century. Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences, after some celebrations, the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing, the Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities, and is organised by the International Paralympic Committee. Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome, Italy, the number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago, the most recent Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, United States, involved 25 sports and approximately 6,500 athletes from 177 countries. At the beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event and these Games were held in Scandinavia, and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating. The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games, in the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for a group of athletes, rather than everybody. Regional games were another kind of event that was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games
10.
1896 Summer Olympics
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The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. Organised by the International Olympic Committee, which had created by Pierre de Coubertin, it was held in Athens, Greece. Winners were given a medal, while runners-up received a copper medal. Retroactively, the IOC has converted these to gold and silver, ten of the 14 participating nations earned medals. The United States won the most gold medals,11, host nation Greece won the most medals overall,46, the highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spyridon Louis. The most successful competitor was German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann, the main venue was the Panathenaic Stadium, where athletics and wrestling took place, other venues included the Neo Phaliron Velodrome for cycling, and the Zappeion for fencing. The opening ceremony was held in the Panathenaic Stadium on 6 April, during which most of the athletes were aligned on the infield. After a speech by the president of the committee, Crown Prince Constantine. Afterwards, nine bands and 150 choir singers performed an Olympic Hymn, composed by Spyridon Samaras, the 1896 Olympics were regarded as a great success. The Games had the largest international participation of any sporting event to that date, the Panathenaic Stadium, the only Olympic stadium used in the 1800s, overflowed with the largest crowd ever to watch a sporting event. However, the 1900 Summer Olympics were already planned for Paris and, except for the Intercalated Games of 1906, during the 19th century, several small-scale sports festivals across Europe were named after the Ancient Olympic Games. The 1870 Olympics at the Panathenaic stadium, which had been refurbished for the occasion, had an audience of 30,000 people. In 1890, Coubertin wrote an article in La Revue Athletique, Coubertin also took inspiration from the earlier Greek games organised under the name of Olympics by businessman and philanthropist Evangelis Zappas in 1859,1870 and 1875. This the Greek government did despite the fact that the cost of refurbishing the stadium in marble had already been funded in full by Evangelis Zappas forty years earlier. With deep feeling towards Baron de Coubertins courteous petition, I send him, on 18 June 1894, Coubertin organised a congress at the Sorbonne, Paris, to present his plans to representatives of sports societies from 11 countries. Following his proposals acceptance by the congress, a date for the first modern Olympic Games needed to be chosen, Coubertin suggested that the Games be held concurrently with the 1900 Universal Exposition of Paris. Concerned that a waiting period might lessen public interest, congress members opted instead to hold the inaugural Games in 1896. With a date established, members of the congress turned their attention to the selection of a host city and it remains a mystery how Athens was finally chosen to host the inaugural Games
11.
1972 Summer Olympics
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The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11,1972. The sporting nature of the event was overshadowed by the Munich massacre in which eleven Israeli athletes and coaches. Five Black September Palestinian terrorists died, the 1972 Summer Olympics were the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after the 1936 Games in Berlin, which had taken place under the Nazi regime. The logo of the Games was a blue solar logo by Otl Aicher, the Olympic mascot, the dachshund Waldi, was the first officially named Olympic mascot. The Olympic Fanfare was composed by Herbert Rehbein, a companion of Bert Kaempfert, the Olympic Park is based on Frei Ottos plans and after the Games became a Munich landmark. The competition sites, designed by architect Günther Behnisch, included the Olympic swimming hall, the Olympics Hall and the Olympic Stadium, and an Olympic village very close to the park. The design of the stadium was considered revolutionary, with sweeping canopies of acrylic glass stabilized by metal ropes, Munich won its Olympic bid on April 26,1966, at the 64th IOC Session at Rome, Italy, over bids presented by Detroit, Madrid, and Montréal. Montreal would eventually host the following Olympic games in 1976, the Games were largely overshadowed by what has come to be known as the Munich massacre. Two of the hostages who resisted were killed in the first moments of the break-in, the German authorities planned to ambush them there, but underestimated the numbers of their opposition and were thus undermanned. During a botched attempt, all of the Israeli hostages were killed. Four of them were shot, then incinerated when one of the terrorists detonated a grenade inside the helicopter in which the hostages were sitting, the five remaining hostages were then machine-gunned to death. All but three of the terrorists were killed as well, although arrested and imprisoned pending trial, they were released by the West German government on October 29,1972, in exchange for a hijacked Lufthansa jet. Two of those three were supposedly hunted down and assassinated later by the Mossad, jamal Al-Gashey, who is believed to be the sole survivor, is still living today in hiding in an unspecified African country with his wife and two children. A memorial ceremony was held in the Olympic stadium. The attack prompted heightened security at subsequent Olympics beginning with the 1976 Winter Olympics, security at Olympics was heightened further beginning with the 2002 Winter Olympics, as they were the first to take place since September 11,2001. The massacre led the German federal government to re-examine its anti-terrorism policies and this led to the creation of the elite counter-terrorist unit GSG9, similar to the British SAS. It also led Israel to launch a campaign known as Operation Wrath of God, in which those suspected of involvement were systematically tracked down, the events of the Munich massacre were chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary, One Day in September. An account of the aftermath is also dramatized in three films, the 1976 made-for-TV movie 21 Hours at Munich, the 1986 made-for-TV movie Sword of Gideon and Steven Spielbergs 2005 film Munich
12.
1500 metres world record progression
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A distance of 1500 m sometimes is called the metric mile. The French had the first important races over the distance, holding their initial championship in 1888, when the Olympic games were revived in 1896, metric distances were run, including the 1500. The distance has now almost completely replaced the mile in major track meets, the first world record in the 1500 m for men was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912. To June 21,2009, the IAAF has ratified 38 world records in the event, + - indicates record set during mile race. Ovetts 3,31.36 was initially ratified as 3,31.4 until times to the hundredths were recognized in 1981. The first world record in the 1,500 m for women was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, to June 21,2009, the IAAF has ratified 13 world records in the event. + - En route time during mile race, the IAAF accepted records to the hundredth of a second starting in 1981. General Womens record progression Mens record progression Specific Cordner Nelson and Roberto Quercetani, The Milers, Tafnews Press,1985, ISBN 0-911521-15-1
13.
Sebastian Coe
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Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, CH, KBE, FRIBA, often referred to as Seb Coe or Lord Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Lord Coe won four Olympic medals, Coes rivalries with fellow Britons Steve Ovett and Steve Cram dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s. Following Coes retirement from athletics, he was a member of parliament for the Conservative Party from 1992 to 1997 for Falmouth and Camborne in Cornwall and he headed the successful London bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and became chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. In 2007, he was elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, in August 2015 he was elected president of the IAAF. In 2012, Coe was appointed Pro-Chancellor at Loughborough University where he had been an undergraduate, in November 2012 he was appointed chair of the British Olympic Association. In 2012 he was one of 24 athletes inducted as members of the IAAF Hall of Fame. Coe was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December 2012, in March 2017, Coe was named Chancellor at Loughborough University, replacing Nigel Rudd and becoming the Universitys sixth Chancellor. Coe was born on 29 September 1956 at Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital, Hammersmith and his mother, Tina Angela Lal, died in London, in 2005, aged 75. She was of half Indian descent, born to a Punjabi father, Sardari Lal Malhotra, and his father, Peter Coe, died on 9 August 2008, aged 88, while Sebastian was visiting Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The family then moved to Sheffield where he attended Tapton Secondary Modern School, Crosspool which became a Comprehensive School when he was there, Coe was coached by his father and represented Loughborough University and later Haringey when not competing for his country. Coe studied Economics and Social History at Loughborough University and won his first major race in 1977—an 800 metres event at the European indoor championships in San Sebastián and it was at Loughborough University that he met athletics coach George Gandy who had developed revolutionary conditioning exercises to improve Coes running. He ran in the Emsley Carr Mile on 29 August 1977, out-sprinting Filbert Bayi of Tanzania in the home straight and winning in 3,57.7. Coes 1978 season continued to show his progression in the distances, though he raced only sparingly as he had, in early June. On 18 August 1978, he ran at the Ivo Van Damme Memorial meeting in Brussels, in the 800m and he first ran against his great rival Steve Ovett in a schools cross country race in 1972. According to Pat Butcher, Coes father and coach Peter Coe had encouraged him to run as fast as he could from the start. The early pace was indeed exceptionally fast, Coe ran 200 metres in 24.3 seconds,400 metres in 49.32 seconds and 600 metres in 1,16.2, then he slowed down and finished third in 1,44.76. A few weeks later Coe was to reclaim the UK record, the next year,1979, Coe set three world records in 41 days. He easily won the 800m at the European Cup in Turin in August, covering the last 200m in 24.1, in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Ovett and Coe won each others speciality, Ovett the 800 metres, and Coe the 1500 metres
14.
800 metres at the Olympics
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The 800 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the multi-sport event. The mens 800 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896, the womens event was first held in 1928, making it the first distance running event for women. However it was not held again until 1960, since when it has been a permanent fixture and it is the most prestigious 800 m race at elite level. The competition format typically has three rounds, a round, semi-final stage, and a final between eight runners. The Olympic records are held by David Rudisha, who ran a record of 1,40.91 minutes in 2012, and Nadezhda Olizarenko. Olizarenkos mark is the joint longest-standing womens Olympic record and the joint second-longest after the long jump record by Bob Beamon. Her time remains the second fastest ever for the event, four men have won back-to-back 800 m Olympic titles, Douglas Lowe, Mal Whitfield, Peter Snell, and Rudisha. No women have won titles in the event, Maria Mutola. No athlete of either sex has won more than two medals, historically, athletes in this event have also had success in the 1500 metres at the Olympics. Holmes was the last athlete to win both events at the same Olympics in 2004, but no athlete has reached both middle-distance podiums since Sebastian Coe in 1984. The United States is the most successful nation, having nine gold medals and 24 medals in total, the next most successful nations are Great Britain and Kenya. Two nations have achieved a sweep of the medals, the United States in the mens contest in 1904 and 1912, nb The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the Unified Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany. However, this never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of games as part of the Olympic canon. At this event a mens 800 m was held and Paul Pilgrim, the reigning 800 m and 1500 metres champion from the 1904 Olympics, James Lightbody, was the runner-up and Britains Wyndham Halswelle, later the 1908 Olympic champion, was the bronze medalist. In addition to the main 1900 Olympic mens 800 metres, a competition with thirteen entrants was contested three days after the final. Christian Christensen of Denmark was the winner in a time of 1,52.0 minutes with a 70 m handicap. Howard Hayes and Harvey Lord, both of the United States, filled out the top three, with Hayes recording 1,53.5 mins and Lord finishing in 1,54.2 minutes
15.
Kelly Holmes
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Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. Holmes specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set British records in events and still holds the records over the 600,800 and 1000 metre distances. Inspired by a number of successful British middle distance runners in the late 1970s and early 1980s and she joined the British Army, but continued to compete at the organisations athletics events. She turned to the athletics circuit in the early 1990s and in 1994 she won the 1500 m at the Commonwealth Games. She won silver in the 1500 m at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and bronze in the 800 m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Holmes won the 1500 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 800 m bronze at the Munich European Championships that year. The 2003 track season saw her take silver in the 1500 m at the World Indoor Championships and the 800 m silver medals at the World Championships and first World Athletics Final. She took part in her final championship in 2004 — she turned in a double gold medal-winning performance at the Athens Olympics. For her achievements she won awards and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005. She retired from athletics in 2005 and has made a number of television appearances. She participated as a contestant in the 2015 series of Bear Grylls, Holmes was born in Pembury, Kent, the daughter of Derrick Holmes, a Jamaican-born car mechanic, and an English mother, Pam Norman. Her mother,18 at the time of her birth, married painter and decorator Michael Norris, Holmes grew up in Hildenborough, Kent, where she attended Hildenborough CEP School, and then Hugh Christie Comprehensive School in Tonbridge from the age of 12. Her hero was British middle distance runner Steve Ovett, and she was inspired by his success at the 1980 Summer Olympics, in the Army, she was initially a lorry driver in the Womens Royal Army Corps, later becoming a basic Physical Training Instructor. Holmes then elected in June 1990 to attend the first course to be run under the Armys new Physical Training syllabus, although militarily quite young, Holmes athletic prowess was impressive and she was encouraged to attend the course selection for full-time transfer to the Royal Army Physical Training Corps. Holmes eventually qualified as a Sergeant Class 1 PTI, although she remained in the Adjutant Generals Corps after the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992. At another event, she competed in and won an 800 metres, a 3000 metres, for several years she combined athletics with employment in the Army, until increased funding allowed her to become a full-time athlete in 1997. At least once, she considered suicide, but she sought help from a doctor and was diagnosed with clinical depression. While she could not use anti-depressants because it would affect her performance,2004 saw Holmes arrive at a major competition, the Athens Olympics, with no injury worries for just about the first time in her career
16.
Great Britain at the Olympics
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Great Britain or Team GB is the team that sends athletes from the United Kingdom, all but three of its overseas territories, and the three Crown dependencies, to the Olympic Games. From 1896 to 2016 inclusive, Great Britain has won 847 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and it is organised by the British Olympic Association as the National Olympic Committee for the UK. Great Britain was one of 14 teams to compete in the first Games, the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, and is one of only three nations to have competed at every Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Sir Chris Hoy holds the record for medals in different events, having reached the top step in four different disciplines - mens kilo, mens team sprint, mens match sprint. Cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins has the most overall medals by a British Olympian with eight, Sir Steve Redgrave is the only British Olympian to win a Gold Medal in five consecutive Olympic Games, winning his first in 1984 Los Angeles and last in 2000 Sydney. With five golds and a bronze, Redgrave is the most successful Olympic male rower of all time, alongside five time gold medalist Redgrave, Grainger, Ainslie, Wiggins and Jack Beresford are the only British Olympians to win medals of any colour in five successive Games. The most successful Winter Olympians from Great Britain are Jeannette Altwegg, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, each with one gold and one bronze medal, as a non-alpine nation, Great Britain has found the bulk of its success in the Summer Olympics. Prior to the 2014 Games all Britains winter olympic medals had been won in sports performed on ice. Snowboarder Jenny Jones became the first British athlete to win a medal on snow in the 90 years of the games when she won a bronze medal in the womens slopestyle event. Great Britain has hosted the Summer Games on three occasions -1908,1948 and 2012, all in London - second only to the United States, under the IOC charter, the Olympic Council of Ireland is responsible for the entire island of Ireland. However, athletes from Northern Ireland can elect to represent either the UK or Ireland at the Olympics, a number of Northern Ireland born athletes, particularly in boxing, have won medals for Ireland at the Games. London is the city in the UK that has hosted the games. *Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil, according to official data of the International Olympic Committee. This is a list of people who have won three or more Olympic gold medals for Great Britain, medals won in the 1906 Intercalated Games are not included. It includes top-three placings in 1896 and 1900, before medals were awarded for top-three placings, kathleen McKane Godfree also won five medals, but were one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes. Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Ben Ainslie and Alastair Brownlee are the most successful Olympic competitors in their sports, as of 2016. Steve Redgrave and Reginald Doherty are the most successful athletes in their respective sports, rowing and tennis. Great Britain has competed in all Badminton events held at the Summer Olympics since badminton made its debut as an Olympic sport in 1992
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1904 Summer Olympics
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The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis. It was the first time that the Olympic Games were held in a majority English language nation, European tension caused by the Russo-Japanese War, and the difficulty of getting to St. Louis, kept most of the worlds top athletes away. Only 62 of the 650 athletes who competed came from outside of North America, 80% of competitors were from the United States, and in over half of the events these were the only competitors. In some cases the U. S. national championship was combined with the Olympic championship, pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, gave in and awarded the games to St. Louis. St. Louis organizers treated the games in a similar to the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Competitions were reduced to a side-show of the Worlds Fair and were overshadowed by other, david R. Francis, the President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, declined to invite anybody else to open the Games and, on July 1 did so himself. Officially, the games lasted for four and a half months, in fact, the Olympic-calibre events were mixed with other sporting events that Sullivan also called Olympic. The IOC later declared that 94 of these events were Olympic, the actual athletics events that formed the bulk of the recognised Olympic sports were held from Monday, August 29 to Saturday, September 3. The participants totalled 651 athletes –645 men and 6 women representing 12 countries, however, only 42 events actually included athletes who were not from the United States. Boxing, dumbbells, freestyle wrestling and the made their debuts. The swimming events were held in a pond near Skinker and Wydown Boulevards. The organizers of the Worlds Fair held Anthropology Days on August 12 and 13, one of the most remarkable athletes was the American gymnast George Eyser, who won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood. Frank Kugler won four medals in wrestling, weightlifting and tug of war. Chicago runner James Lightbody won the steeplechase and the 800 m, sprinter Archie Hahn was champion in the 60 m,100 m and 200 m. In this last race, he set an Olympic record in 21.6, in the discus, after American Martin Sheridan had thrown exactly the same distance as his compatriot, Ralph Rose, the judges gave them both an extra throw to decide the winner. Sheridan won the decider and claimed the gold medal, ray Ewry again won all three standing jumps. The team representing Great Britain was awarded a total of two medals, both won by Irish athletes, the top non-USA athlete was Emil Rausch of Germany, who won three swimming events. Zoltan Halmay of Hungary and Charles Daniels of the United States each won two swimming gold medals, galt Football Club from Canada won the gold medal in football
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Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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At the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Olympiad, twelve athletics events were contested. A total of 25 medals were awarded, the medals were later denoted as 37 modern medals. All of the events except the marathon were held in the Panathinaiko Stadium, Events were held on 6 April,7 April,9 April, and 10 April 1896. Altogether,64 athletes, all men, from ten nations competed and this made athletics the most international of the nine sports at the 1896 Games. The American team of 11, which featured only one champion, was dominant. No world records were set, because few international top competitors had participated, in addition, the curves of the track were very tight, making fast times in the running events virtually impossible. The heats of the 100 metres were the first Olympic event to be conducted, the first Olympic champion was crowned in the triple jump, Harvard student James Connolly. Connolly also did well in the jumping events, placing second in the high jump. Many other athletes were versatile as well, thomas Burke won both the 100 metres and 400 metres, a feat not since repeated, while London-based Australian Edwin Flack won the 800 and 1500 metres races. Robert Garrett, a Princeton student, won two first and two second places and his first title was in the discus throw, an event originating from the Ancient Olympics, but never before held at an international event. Garrett had attempted to train for the event with a 10 kilogram replica of a discus, but had given up as it was too heavy. When he learned the actual competition discus weighed only 2 kilograms, he entered the event after all, and won it, to the dismay of the Greek public, a second event held for the first time in international competition was the marathon foot race. It was conceived by Michel Bréal, a friend of Pierre de Coubertin, the race started in Marathon, and ran for 40 kilometres over dusty roads to Athens. The Greek public, disappointed as there had not yet been a Greek victor in athletics, was overjoyed when it was announced during the race that a Greek runner had taken the lead. When Spiridon Louis, a carrier from Maroussi, arrived in the stadium he was accompanied by the Greek Crown Prince on his final lap. Louis would never compete in a race, but his victory made him a national hero. The exploits of Louis, Garrett, Connolly, and Flack would be chronicled in the 1984 NBC miniseries, The First Olympics and these medals were retroactively assigned by the International Olympic Committee, at the time, winners were given a silver medal and runners-up bronze medals. Athletes coming third received no award. P, de Coubertin, Pierre, Philemon, P. J. & Anninos, C
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Edwin Flack
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Edwin Harold Teddy Flack was an Australian athlete and tennis player. He was Australias first Olympian, being its only representative in 1896, and the first Olympic champion in the 800 metres, born in London, England, Teddy Flack was five years old when his family migrated to Australia, to live in Berwick, Victoria. Soon after leaving the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School in 1892, from 1892 to 1894, Flack was active in middle distance and distance running in amateur athletics in the then colony of Victoria, competing with the Melburnian Hare & Hounds athletics club. In 1892 he placed third in the inaugural Victorian 10 mile cross country championships, held at Caulfield Racecourse and this was the second such meet, the first having been held at Moore Park in Sydney on 31 May 1890. Flack competed in the 1893 event and won the championship in a time of 4,44.0. He also competed in the 880 yards and three miles championship, but was unplaced in both events.21. On 15 December 1894 he won both the 880yards and mile Victorian 1894 championships and, on a date in 1894 was 2nd in the 10 mile cross country championships. The 1894 event was Flacks last appearance in the Victorian Championships, at the age of 21 Flack was sent to London to receive further training as an accountant with the firm Price, Waterhouse & Co. A keen athlete in Victoria, Flack joined the London Athletic Club and was intent on attending the coming inaugural Olympics while in the city of New York, Flack reached Athens after an uncomfortable six-day rail and sea trip, during which he was plagued with sea sickness. On the opening day of the Games he won his first race, on the second day he lined up against the American favourite, Arthur Blake, in the 1500 metres run. Running shoulder to shoulder with Blake in the straight, Flack powered ahead near the end to win by more than five metres in a time of 4,33.2. On the fourth day of the Games Flack earned his second first-place medal and it may be noted that, even by the standards of the time, the times required to win the 800m and 1, 500m at the first Olympics were slow. At the Australasian Championships of 1896, the mile was won by New Zealander W Bennett in a time of 4,28.6 - some 4. 6s quicker than Flacks Olympic 1, 500m time, despite running 109 metres further. Just a day later Flack tried for a treble, in the marathon, even though he had never run a more than 10 miles. He was in place behind Frenchman Albin Lermusiaux, bronze medallist in the 1500 m run. After 32 kilometres, the Frenchman dropped out and Flack was left in the lead, but with just three kilometres to go, Flack suddenly collapsed. He was so delirious that, when a Greek spectator tried to help him, Flack was removed from the course and tended to by Prince Nicholas. Although largely unknown, Flack also competed in the singles and doubles at the Athens Olympics
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Australia at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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One athlete from Victoria, a British colony which later formed part of Australia, competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Edwin Flack was born in England and was resident in London in 1896, the Union Flag was used as the flag for the Australian colonies as well as Great Britain and Ireland at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Flack was the competitor from an Australian colony. He entered five events, winning medals in three, the bronze medal in tennis, however, was part of a mixed team and therefore is not counted for Australia. Both of Flacks gold medals came in the competitions as he won both of his track races. In the singles tournament, Flack lost both of the matches he competed in and his loss in the semifinals of the doubles competition, while carrying no prize at the time, earned him a retroactive bronze medal from the International Olympic Committee. This medal is counted for mixed team rather than Australia, however, de Coubertin, Pierre, Philemon, P. J. & Anninos, C. The Olympic Games, BC776 – AD1896, results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games
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United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Americans were the most successful nation in terms of medals, beating host nation Greece,11 to 10. However, the Greeks 46 total medals dwarfed the Americans 20, the United States team had 27 entries in 16 events, with 20 of the 27 resulting in top-three finishes. Most of the American competitors were students at Harvard University or Princeton University or members of the Boston Athletic Association, the team trained at The Pennington School, in Pennington, New Jersey, while preparing in secret for the first modern Olympic Games. Of the 14 Americans at the Athens Games,12 won medals, charles Waldstein, a shooter, and Gardner Williams, a swimmer, were the two who did not win any medals. The United States squad won nine medals in the twelve athletics events. Six silver medals and two bronze medals went to the Americans in athletics. Track & Road Field Events The Paine brothers contested only two events, taking the top two spots in the event in which both competed, the military pistol. Sumner was the one of the two to enter the free pistol, which he won. Waldstein was the member of the American shooting contingent, competing in the military rifle event. Williams competed in two swimming events, placing in neither, de Coubertin, Pierre, Philemon, P. J. & Anninos, C. The Olympic Games, BC776 – AD1896, results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games
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Albin Lermusiaux
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Albin Lermusiaux was a French athlete and shooter who competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. In the 1500 metres event, which was conducted in a race, Lermusiaux led from the start, but in the final straight was passed by Edwin Flack and Arthur Blake. Lermusiaux also competed in the rifle shooting event, Lermusiauxs place and score are unknown
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France at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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Thirteen athletes from France competed in six sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. France won the fourth-most gold medals with 5 and the fourth-most total medals with 11, cycling was the sport in which the French competitors had the most success, as they completely dominated the field. The French team had 27 entries in 18 events, winning 11 medals, the six French athletes won 2 medals between them. Track and road Field Events France dominated the events, taking 4 of the 6 gold medals. Three were won by Paul Masson who won every event he entered, with Léon Flameng adding the fourth as well as a silver and a bronze. One of the two won each event that a Frenchman contested, the two medals won by other countries were in competitions that Masson and Flameng did not enter. The French fencers were held in high regard prior to the Games, Gravelotte, each went undefeated in their pool, advancing to face each other in the final. Surprisingly, however, Perronet lost to the Greek Leonidas Pyrgos in the match of the masters competition. Grisel competed in the bars in the gymnastics program. The competitions had no scoring, the judges merely selecting the winner. Grisel was neither in his competition, lermusiaux entered the military rifle event in the shooting program. His score and placing are unknown, only the last name of the French tennis player in 1896 is known. He was defeated in the first round of the singles tournament, de Coubertin, Pierre, Philemon, P. J. Anninos, C. The Olympic Games, BC776 – AD1896, results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games
24.
Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics
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At the 1900 Summer Olympics, twenty-three athletics events were contested. Altogether,117 athletes from 15 nations competed, a total of 68 medals were awarded. The 23 events listed are currently considered to have been of Olympic stature by the International Olympic Committee. They exclude all events that used a system, as well as all events which were open to professional athletes. Competitions were held on 14 July,15 July,16 July,19 July and this included Bastille Day, which is a French holiday, and then Sunday, which many of the American athletes protested. The conditions of competition were also subpar compared even to those at the games in 1896. There was no track for the Paris Games, as a grass field dotted with trees, the course was 500 metres in length, an unusual distance for a track. These medals are assigned by the International Olympic Committee, at the time. All rounds, including the finals, for the 100 metres, the United States took 5 of the medals, missing only the bronze medal in the 100 metres won by Stan Rowley of Australia. Frank Jarvis won the 100 metres, with Alvin Kraenzlein taking the gold in the 110 metre hurdles, in the 400 metre heats, the United States took 5 qualifying spots for the final while Denmark secured the last one. The 800 metres was more balanced, with 3 Americans and one each from France, Great Britain. The 400 metre hurdles semifinals eliminated only one athlete, with the other four advancing to the finals, defending discus and shot put champion Robert Garrett failed to make a mark in the qualification round of the discus throw, but did advance to the final in the shot put. Bohemia advanced a thrower in the discus, an event which saw 5 athletes from 5 different nations qualify. Surprising few, Kraenzlein and Meyer Prinstein took the top two spots in the long jump qualification, moving to the final along with a third American, a Briton, and a Frenchman. In a busy day for the program,10 finals were held along with the semifinals of the 60 metres. The United States took 7 of the championships, with Great Britain, Canada and this brought Kraenzleins total to 3 gold medals, better than any athlete had done four years earlier. Irving Baxter also took gold in two events, the jump and the pole vault. Denmark won its first athletics medal, with a bronze in the 400 metres, charles Bennetts gold in the 1500 metres gave Britain its first gold in the sport
25.
Charles Bennett (athlete)
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Charles Bennett was a British athlete, winner of the 1500 metres at the 1900 Summer Olympics and the first British track and field athlete to become Olympic champion. He was a member of Finchley Harriers which was amalgamated into Hillingdon Athletic Club in 1966, in the latter year, also the Olympic year, he won the British title in the mile, qualifying himself for the 1500 m in Paris. That distance had a weak field, and Bennett lead throughout the race. That time was a world record, although many athletes had already run faster in competitions over the slightly longer mile. Together with the combined British/Australian 5000 metres team, Bennett won a second Olympic title, Bennett finished first in the race, with an unofficial world record 15,29.2, beating teammate John Rimmer. His third event was the 4000 m steeplechase, in which he just failed to catch up with the same Rimmer in the part of the race. Bennett died in Bournemouth, aged 79 and his Olympic achievements were largely forgotten for more than 100 years until his grandson Chris Bennett found his abandoned and overgrown grave in the corner of St Andrew’s Churchyard in Kinson. In December 2011 Bennett was commemorated after Anthony Ives Memorials of Bournemouth donated a headstone to recognise his feat. The plinth, unveiled on the eve of the year of the London Olympics, reads, first British track and field athlete to become Olympic Champion. Bennett, known as the Shapwick Express, won two medals and a silver at the Paris Games in 1900. The new headstone also remembers Bennetts wife Sarah Lena and reads, Charles Bennetts profile at databaseOlympics Charles Bennetts profile at Sports Reference. com
26.
Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the appearance of Britain after having participated in the inaugural 1896 Games. In Olympic competition, the nation has always shortened its name to Great Britain rather than the United Kingdom seen elsewhere
27.
Henri Deloge
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Henri Deloge was a French middle distance runner who won a silver medal over 1500m in Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris ahead of John Bray. The race was won by Charles Bennett who won the gold medal and he also won the silver medal in the 5000 metres team race for the French distance team. Deloge also placed fourth in the 800 metres, after winning his heat with a time of 2,00.6. A repeat of that time would have won the final, archived from the original on 2014-08-04
28.
France at the 1900 Summer Olympics
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France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece and had returned to compete at the 1900 Games. Gold medals were not given out and silver medals were given to the winners while bronze medals were given to second place, Belgium and the Netherlands were the only others nation that competed, taking the remaining six medals. Many of the French, Belgian, and Dutch competitors are unknown as their names were not recorded,13 French archers are known by at least their surname,116 are unidentified in any way. The 129 archers had 239 entries across all 6 archery events, French athletes did not win any gold medals in athletics, but took six medals in the sport to take 7th place in the leaderboard for athletics. 22 athletes competed in 18 events, with a total of 28 entries, michel Théatos win in the marathon is credited to France by the International Olympic Committee, Théato was Luxembourgish. France was represented by the French Athletic Club Union in cricket in 1900, the team lost the only match, a 2-day 12-man contest, by 158 runs. France and Belgium were the two nations to compete in croquet. France sent 6 men and 3 women, the French players won all 7 medals in the three events. In the singles one ball, a Belgian man competed but did not finish, France competed a second time in cycling, once again dominating the field. Of the six medals awarded in the event, French cyclists missed only one of the bronze medals, France dominated the fencing competitions at the second modern Olympics, taking five of the seven gold medals and 15 of the 21 overall medals. Club Française represented France in the football competition, the club squad lost to Upton Park F. C. but defeated the Université de Bruxelles team to take second place in the three-team competition. France was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic golf events, frances first Olympic gymnastics medals came in the second edition of the competitions. France took all three medals in the combined event. 108 of the 135 entrants in the event were French, France sent one of two teams that competed in the pelota tournament. The two-man team lost to Spains team, taking the silver medal, France was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic polo event. Frenchmen played on two of the five teams, one of which also included British players, the mixed French/British combination was one of the third-place teams. France was one of three teams to compete in the first Olympic rugby games, France won both of its games, taking top prize in the tournament
29.
United States at the 1900 Summer Olympics
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The United States competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Additionally, Foxhall Parker Keene and Frank MacKey were part of the team that won the gold medal in polo. Additionally, Walter McCreery was part of the team that won the silver medal in polo. Additionally, Marion Jones won a medal with Lawrence Doherty of Great Britain in mixed doubles tennis. The United States team took 16 of the 23 track & field athletics medals, the Americans failed to win a medal in only 3 of the 22 events they contested—the marathon and the two steeplechase events. Kraenzlein won four gold medals while Baxter and Tewksbury led in medals with five each. The United States first cycling appearance was at the second Olympic cycling competition,1900, one cyclist from the United States competed in both events, winning the bronze medal in the 2000 metre sprint to become the only cyclist from outside France to win a medal. The United States first competed in fencing at the Olympics in the second appearance. The United States was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic golf events, the Americans took both gold medals, as well as sweeping the womens competition to take 4 of 6 total medals. The United States was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic polo event, Americans played on two of the five teams, each time along with British companions. The two American/British combinations won the top two prizes
30.
Jim Lightbody
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James Davies Jim Lightbody was an American middle distance runner, winner of six Olympic medals in the early 20th century. Lightbody, born in Pittsburgh and graduating high school in Muncie, Indiana, had great success at the 1904 Summer Olympics. He wasnt favoured in any of the three events in which he competed, but nevertheless won all three of them. First, he won the 2590 metre steeplechase, sprinting to the 800 metres title days later, finally, he won the 1500 metres in a new world record. Later that day, he added a second place to his tally, in 1905, Lightbody won AAU titles in both the 800 and 1500 metres, and the following year he competed in his second Olympics, the 1906 Intercalated Games of in Athens. He successfully defended his 1500 metres title, and placed second in the 800 metres, Lightbody competed again in the 1908 Summer Olympics. In the 800 metres, he placed fourth in his first round heat. Lightbody lost a race to fellow American James Sullivan in the first round of the 1500 metres. He was defeated by a mere ten yards by Harry Sewell in the first round of the 3200 metre steeplechase, Lightbody died in 1953, two weeks short of his 71st birthday in Charleston, South Carolina. The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report, James Lightbodys profile at Sports Reference. com
31.
United States at the 1904 Summer Olympics
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The United States hosted the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. These Games were sparsely attended by athletes from outside the United States, many events were contested solely by Americans, with a record 57 events having an entirely American podium. The United States first competed in archery at the 1904 Summer Olympics and they were the only nation to compete that year, taking all 17 medals. The United States was the nation to have boxers compete in boxing. The United States was the nation to compete in cycling. The United States and Germany were the two nations competed in diving. The two American divers took gold and bronze in the platform event, the five Americans in the plunge for distance had no foreign competition, taking all three medals. The United States made its first appearance in football, known there as soccer, two American club teams played in a round-robin with a Canadian team, with the Canadian team defeating both of the American squads. The Americans then played two scoreless draws against each other before one won the third contest, 2-0, the United States was one of two nations to compete in tennis. The United States was the nation to have wrestlers compete in 1904. Archived from the original on February 16,2009
32.
Mel Sheppard
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Melvin Whinfield Peerless Mel Sheppard was an American athlete, member of the Irish American Athletic Club and winner of four gold medals at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics. Along with Henry Taylor of the United Kingdom, he was the most successful athlete at the 1908 Olympics, Sheppard, or Peerless Mel as he was nicknamed, was rejected by the New York Police because he had a slightly enlarged heart. By late 1907 Sheppard held the indoor records for 600 yards,880 yards,1000 yards. During the indoor season of 1907/08 Sheppard raced Guy Haskins 3 times and he was not selected for the Australasian team either, largely for financial reasons. The 1908 Olympics were the first true championships for the 1500 metres, Sheppard won the 1500 metres, setting an Olympic record at 4,05.0 in the first round that fell in the very next heat, when Norman Hallows ran a 4,03.6. Sheppard matched Hallows time in the final the day to win the first running gold medal awarded at the 1908 Games. In the 800 metres, Sheppard won his first round heat with a time of 1,58.0, James Lintott remained close throughout the race and threatened to eliminate Sheppard from the competition. Noted for being a frontrunner, Sheppard ran the first 400 metres of the 800 metres final in 53 seconds and he earned his third gold medal on the medley relay race. He was the runner on the American team, running fully half of the 1600 metre race. He was passed the baton by fellow Irish American Athletic Club member John Baxter Taylor, the team won both the first round and final, in times of 3,27.2 and 3,29.4. Sheppards 800 metre split for the final was 1,55.4, the other three men on the record breaking team were, C. S. Cassara, William Robbins and James Rosenberger. His 1910 trading card called him undoubtedly the greatest mid-distance runner the world has ever seen, after winning Amateur Athletic Union titles at 880 yards in 1911 and 1912, Sheppard was a favourite to defend his Olympic 800 metres title at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. At Stockholm, he tried the tactics as in London. Sheppard won his gold medal as lead-off runner on the 4 ×400 m relay team that set a world record of 3,16.6. Sheppard was a member of the New Jersey National Guard and the 69th Regiment, during World War I, he served as an athletic director at a number of military training camps. After the war he coached for a number of athletic clubs. Sheppard worked for John Wanamaker and was the director for the Millrose A. A. which was formed by Wanamakers employees. Sheppard coached the U. S. womens track and field team at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Sheppard died at his home in Bayside, Queens, New York City
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United States at the 1908 Summer Olympics
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The United States competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England. S. The United States had one archer present in 1908, the 19-year-old Richardson had already won an Olympic bronze medal, in the team event at the 1904 Summer Olympics. He competed in events open to men, taking the bronze medal in the York rounds and 15th place in the Continental style. American track & field athletes continued to dominate the sport, taking more than twice as many championships as the next most successful nation, the Americans sent two divers in 1908. Gaidzik made it to the finals in both diving events, after a successful protest in the platform competition and he won a bronze medal in the springboard after tying with the third-place German diver. In the jeu de paume competition, Gould won the medal while Sands was eliminated in the first round by the eventual silver medallist. The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report
Matthew Centrowitz (USA)
Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
Great Britain (GBR)
Spain (ESP)
Morocco (MAR)
Algeria (ALG)
Italy (ITA)
New Zealand (NZL)
Finland (FIN)
Australia (AUS)
Sweden (SWE)
Ireland (IRL)
Luxembourg (LUX)
France (FRA)
East Germany (GDR)
Germany (GER)[nb]
Belgium (BEL)
Czechoslovakia (TCH)
Switzerland (SUI)
Canada (CAN)
Hungary (HUN)
Netherlands (NED)
Portugal (POR)
Qatar (QAT)
Soviet Union (URS)
Romania (ROU)
Russia (RUS)
Ukraine (UKR)
Unified Team (EUN)
Turkey (TUR)
Ethiopia (ETH)
Austria (AUT)
Bahrain (BRN)
China (CHN)
James Lightbody (USA)