Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 60 metres
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.
| Men's 60 metres at the Games of the II Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Finish of the final | ||||||||||
| Venue | Bois de Boulogne | |||||||||
| Date | July 15 | |||||||||
| Competitors | 10 from 6 nations | |||||||||
| Winning time | 7.0 OR | |||||||||
| 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 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 1935. This was a new event with no standing Olympic record. Alvin Kraenzlein set the initial record with 7.0 seconds in the first semifinal, then matched 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
| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 15 July 1900 | 14:00 14:45 | Semifinals Final |
Results
Semifinal 1
Minahan was about half a yard behind Kraenzlein, with Pritchard a yard behind him.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alvin Kraenzlein | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} United States | 7.0 | Q, OR |
| 2 | Edmund Minahan | United States | 7.0 | Q |
| 3 | Norman Pritchard |  India | 7.1 | |
| 4–5 | Adolphe Klingelhoefer |  France | Unknown | |
| Isaac Westergren | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sweden | Unknown |
Semifinal 2
Tewksbury beat Rowley by a foot.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Tewksbury | United States | 7.2 | Q |
| 2 | Stan Rowley |  Australia | 7.3 | Q |
| 3 | William Holland | United States | Unknown | |
| 4–5 | Pál Koppán | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Hungary | Unknown | |
| Ernő Schubert | 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.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alvin Kraenzlein | United States | 7.0 | =OR |
 | Walter Tewksbury | United States | 7.1 | |
 | Stan Rowley | Australia | 7.2 | |
| 4 | Edmund Minahan | United States | 7.2 |
Sources
- "60 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- 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.