Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 2500 metres steeplechase
The men's 2500 metres steeplechase was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was the first time that a steeplechase race was held at the Olympics. It was held on July 15, 1900.[1] The race was held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Six athletes from six nations competed in the shorter of the two steeplechase events. The 4000 metre steeplechase race was held one day later. The event was won by George Orton of Canada, the nation's first gold medal in athletics. Sidney Robinson of Great Britain took silver, while Jean Chastanié of France earned bronze.
| Men's 2500 metres steeplechase at the Games of the II Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Finish of the race | ||||||||||
| Venue | Bois de Boulogne | |||||||||
| Date | July 15 | |||||||||
| Competitors | 6 from 6 nations | |||||||||
| Winning time | 7:34.4 | |||||||||
| Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Track events | |
| 60 m | men |
| 100 m | men |
| 200 m | men |
| 400 m | men |
| 800 m | men |
| 1500 m | men |
| 110 m hurdles | men |
| 200 m hurdles | men |
| 400 m hurdles | men |
| 2500 m steeplechase | men |
| 4000 m steeplechase | men |
| 5000 m team race | men |
| Road events | |
| Marathon | men |
| Field events | |
| Long jump | men |
| Triple jump | men |
| High jump | men |
| Pole vault | men |
| Standing long jump | men |
| Standing triple jump | men |
| Standing high jump | men |
| Shot put | men |
| Discus throw | men |
| Hammer throw | men |
Background
This was the first Olympic steeplechase race, and the only time that an Olympic steeplechase race was held over the distance of 2500 metres. The 1900 Games introduced steeplechase events with this competition and the 4000 metres steeplechase. The next two Games would each feature a steeplechase, but at different distances: 2590 metres in 1904 and 3200 metres in 1908. There was no steeplechase event in 1912. After World War I, the now-standard 3000 metres steeplechase was introduced and has been held at every Games since. Women's steeplechase, also at 3000 metres, was added in 2008.
Most of the American team did not compete due to the event being scheduled on a Sunday.[2]
Competition format
This steeplechase event featured a single race. The competition involved five laps of the 500 metre track, complete with standard hurdles as well as stone fences and a water jump.
Records
None, this was the first time the event was held. And it was the only time a steeplechase race was held over 2500 metres.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 15 July 1900 | 17:00 | Final |
Results
Robinson and Chastanié were the two leaders for most of the race, with Newton and Orton behind them. Orton had been in fourth place for most of the race, ahead of only Wraschtil and Duhne who had dropped behind the other four runners. Orton passed the three leaders in the final straight of the fifth lap.[2]
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
 | George Orton | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | 7:34.4 |
 | Sidney Robinson |  Great Britain | 7:38.0 |
 | Jean Chastanié |  France | Unknown |
| 4 | Arthur L. Newton | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} United States | Unknown |
| 5 | Hermann Wraschtil |  Austria | Unknown |
| 6 | Franz Duhne | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Germany | Unknown |
| — | Charles Bennett | Great Britain | DNS |
| John Bray | United States | DNS | |
| Wilbur Burroughs | United States | DNS | |
| Alexander Grant | Canada | DNS |
References
- "Athletics at the 1900 Paris: Men's 2,500 metres Steeplechase". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- "2,500 metres Steeplechase, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
Sources
- International Olympic Committee.
- De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at .
- Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.