Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres

The men's 100 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The competition was held on 6 July 1912 and on 7 July 1912. Seventy runners from 22 nations competed.[1] NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.[2] The event was won by Ralph Craig of the United States, as the Americans swept the medals for a second time (previously having done so in 1904).

Men's 100 metres
at the Games of the V Olympiad
The finish of the final.
VenueStockholm Olympic Stadium
Dates6–7 July
Competitors70 from 22 nations
Medalists
Ralph Craig  United States
Alvah Meyer  United States
Donald Lippincott  United States
Athletics at the
1912 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 mmen
200 mmen
400 mmen
800 mmen
1500 mmen
5000 mmen
10,000 mmen
110 m hurdlesmen
4×100 m relaymen
4×400 m relaymen
3000 m team racemen
10 km walkmen
Road events
Marathonmen
Field events
Long jumpmen
Triple jumpmen
High jumpmen
Pole vaultmen
Standing long jumpmen
Standing high jumpmen
Shot putmen
Discus throwmen
Hammer throwmen
Javelin throwmen
2-hand shot putmen
2-hand discusmen
2-hand javelinmen
Combined events
Pentathlonmen
Decathlonmen
Cross-country events
Individualmen
Teammen

Background

This was the fifth time the event was held, having appeared at every Olympics since the first in 1896. None of the 1908 medalists returned in 1912. Notable entrants included Erwin Kern, Emil Ketterer, and Richard Rau of Germany, who shared the unofficial world record; George Patching of South Africa, the 1910 and 1911 AAA Championships winner; and United States Olympic Trials winners Ira Courtney, Clement Wilson, and Howard Drew.[3]

Chile (disputed, as Luis Subercaseaux may have run in 1896), Iceland, Japan, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia were represented in the event for the first time. "Australasia" also appeared for the first time, though Australia had previously competed. The United States and Hungary were the only two nations to have appeared at each of the first five Olympic men's 100 metres events.

Competition format

The event maintained the three round format from 1908: heats, semifinals, and a final. This time, however, the top two runners in each of the 17 heats advanced to the semifinals. These 34 semifinalists (which became 33, as the first heat had only 1 runner) were divided into 6 semifinal heats; only the top runner in each semifinal advanced to the final.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.

World Record 10.5(*) Emil Ketterer Karlsruhe (GER) July 9, 1911
10.5(*) Richard Rau Braunschweig (GER) August 13, 1911
10.5(*) Richard Rau Munich (GER) May 12, 1912
10.5(*) Erwin Kern Munich (GER) May 26, 1912
Olympic Record 10.8 Frank Jarvis Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900
10.8 Walter Tewksbury Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900
10.8 James Rector London (GBR) July 20, 1908
10.8(**) Reggie Walker London (GBR) July 21, 1908
10.8 James Rector London (GBR) July 21, 1908
10.8 Reggie Walker London (GBR) July 22, 1908

(*) unofficial

(**) Actual time was 10.7, rounded up to the nearest fifth, in accordance with rules in force at the time. So his time was only given as 10​4⁄5.

The Olympic record for the 100 metres coming into 1912 was 10.8 seconds. It was matched by David Jacobs of Great Britain in the 10th heat before being broken by American Donald Lippincott with 10.6 seconds in the 16th heat. This was also the inaugural official world record in the 100 metres. Three semifinalists (including Lippincott) ran the race in 10.7 seconds, but the new record of 10.6 seconds stood for the rest of the event.

Results

Heats

All heats were held on Saturday, July 6, 1912.

Heat 1
RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Charles Luther Sweden12.8Q

Heat 2

Möller and Szalay were close at 70 metres; "Möller was stronger in the finish, however, and won by something more than half a metre."[4]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Ivan Möller Sweden11.5Q
2Pál Szalay HungaryQ
3Rudolf Rauch Austria

Heat 3

There was much separation at the top of this heat; Courtney "won without being extended" and Jankovich "was a very easy second."[4]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Ira Courtney United States11.2Q
2István Jankovich HungaryQ
3Pierre Failliot France
4Henry Blakeney Great Britain
5Ladislav Jiránek-Strana Bohemia
6Pablo Eitel Chile

Heat 4

With both runners assured of advancement to the semifinals, they "ran the course very quietly" with Rice "breaking the tape easily ahead of" Smedmark.[4]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Richard Rice Great Britain11.4Q
2Rolf Smedmark SwedenQ

Heat 5

This was a close race between the top two placers, with d'Arcy "shak[ing] off" Povey at the end and winning "by a metre."[4]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Victor d'Arcy Great Britain11.2Q
2Reuben Povey South AfricaQ
3António Stromp Portugal

Heat 6

Rau started strongly and led throughout.[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Richard Rau Germany11.5Q
2Vilmos Rácz HungaryQ
3Ture Person Sweden
4Robert Schurrer France
5Dimitrios Triantafyllakos Greece
6Leopolds Lēvenšteins Russia

Heat 7

In one of the faster heats, Stewart finished "well in front of [Aelter], who also ran very well."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1William Stewart Australasia11.0Q
2Léon Aelter BelgiumQ
3Charles Lelong France
4Jan Grijseels Netherlands
5Richard Schwarz Russia

Heat 8

Lindberg won the heat "easily."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Knut Lindberg Sweden11.6Q
2Bedřich Vygoda Bohemia11.6Q
3Dušan Milošević Serbia11.6
4Jón Halldórsson Iceland12.1

Heat 9

Meyer "won without any apparent effort," as Giongo "ran well, although he was not the same class as the American."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Alvah Meyer United States11.6Q
2Franco Giongo ItalyQ
3Robert Duncan Great Britain
4Georges Rolot France

Heat 10

Jacobs matched the Olympic record in a tight heat, neck-and-neck with Wilson for most of the way before winning by "a hands-breadth."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1David Jacobs Great Britain10.8Q, =OR
2Clement Wilson United StatesQ
3Marius Delaby France
4Herman Sotaaen Norway
5Václav Labík-Gregan Bohemia

Heat 11

Belote was "a safe winner, after a very quick finish."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Frank Belote United States11.0Q
2René Mourlon FranceQ
3Henry Macintosh Great Britain
4Harry Beasley Canada

Heat 12

Weinzinger had a good start and led at 25 metres before falling to third. Gerhard "was clearly the best man."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Peter Gerhardt United States11.2Q
2Frank Lukeman CanadaQ
3Fritz Weinzinger Austria
4Alexander Pedersen Norway
5Duncan Macmillan Great Britain

Heat 13

Patching had a false start. The top three men were close, with Patching leading at 85 metres but Howard taking the lead at the end by "the least bit."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1John Howard Canada11.0Q
2George Patching South AfricaQ
3Harold Heiland United States
4Pavel Shtiglits Russia
—Emil Ketterer GermanyDid not finish

Heat 14

McConnell led early but faltered at the end; Thomas passed him for the second qualifying spot "just before reaching the post."[5]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Arthur Anderson Great Britain11.0Q
2Rupert Thomas United StatesQ
3Frank McConnell Canada
4Skotte Jacobsson Sweden

Heat 15

There was a false start. Drew "won easily" with Kern "a pretty good distance behind."[6]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Howard Drew United States11.0Q
2Erwin Kern GermanyQ
3Julien Boullery France
—James Barker Great BritainDid not finish

Heat 16

There were two false starts in this heat before, on the third try, Lippincott set a new Olympic record and the first official world record. He "led from start to finish, and gave the impression that he would be an easy winner, but Applegarth came on very quickly in the last 20 metres, and Lippincott had to do his very best in order to keep the lead."[7]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Donald Lippincott United States10.6Q, OR
2Willie Applegarth Great BritainQ
3Max Herrmann Germany
4Ervin Szerelemhegyi Hungary
5Yahiko Mishima Japan

Heat 17

Ekberg started well and led through halfway before being passed by Craig and Szobota at around 60 metres. Craig then "won easily" over Szobota.[7]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Ralph Craig United States11.2Q
2Ferenc Szobota HungaryQ
3Ragnar Ekberg Sweden
4Fritz Fleischer Austria

Semifinals

All semi-finals were held on Saturday, July 6, 1912.

Semifinal 1

Drew "ran magnificently" and used a "powerful, concentrated finish" to become "a safe winner."[7]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Howard Drew United States11.0Q
2Ira Courtney United States
3Peter Gerhardt United States
4Charles Luther Sweden
5Erwin Kern Germany
6Vilmos Rácz Hungary

Semifinal 2

Patching had another false start in this round. Lindberg fell behind early, dropping to fourth place at the halfway mark, but challenged Patching with a "hard spurt" at the end. The distance between the two was too much for him to make up, however.[7]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1George Patching South Africa10.9Q
2Knut Lindberg Sweden
3Richard Rice Great Britain
4Franco Giongo Italy
5Léon Aelter Belgium

Semifinal 3

In an event marred by false starts, this semifinal heat was decided by a legal start that one runner thought false. Smedmark was off first, but came to a stop thinking he had false started. The remaining runners saw a "hard struggle between Meyer and Jacobs" with Meyer "strongest in the last 10 metres" to win.[8]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Alvah Meyer United States10.7Q
2David Jacobs Great Britain
3Frank Lukeman Canada
4Pál Szalay Hungary
—Rolf Smedmark SwedenDNF

Semifinal 4

This semifinal heat featured 9 false starts. Rau led for the first 70 metres before being caught by Craig, who "won by more than a metre."[9]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Ralph Craig United States10.7Q
2Richard Rau Germany10.9
3William Stewart Australasia
4István Jankovich Hungary
5René Mourlon France
6Ferenc Szobota Hungary
The start of the final.
Immediately after the start of the final.

Semifinal 5

This heat had a "sharp struggle for the lead during the whole of the race."[9]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Donald Lippincott United States10.7Q
2Willie Applegarth Great Britain
3Bedřich Vygoda Bohemia
4Clement Wilson United States
5Victor d'Arcy Great Britain
6John Howard Canada

Semifinal 6

Belote led throughout.[9]

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Frank Belote United States11.1Q
2Reuben Povey South Africa
3Rupert Thomas United States
4Ivan Möller Sweden
5Arthur Anderson Great Britain

Final

The final was held on Sunday, July 7, 1912. Drew was forced to scratch from the final after he pulled a tendon at the end of the first semi-final. The final featured between 6 and 8 false starts, including one where Craig and Lippincott ignored the recall gun and ran the entire distance. Patching had the strongest start and led at 40 metres by half a metre. Craig caught Patching at 60 metres. At the 75-metre mark, Craig was "a hand's-breadth" ahead of Patching and Meyer, with Lippincott and Belote another half-metre back. At the end, "Craig ran brilliantly and with enormous power." Meyer separated from Patching, who stayed in the third spot until "the last few strides" before being passed "almost on the very line" by Lippincott.[3][10]

The official report gives the result as Ralph Craig 10​4⁄5, Alvah Meyer 60 cm behind winner, and Donald Lippincott 15 cm behind second man.

RankAthleteNationTime
Ralph Craig United States10.8
Alvah Meyer United States10.9
Donald Lippincott United States10.9
4George Patching South Africa11.0
5Frank Belote United States11.0
—Howard Drew United StatesDNS

References
  1. "Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's 100 metres". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  2. Official report, p. 61.
  3. "100 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  4. Official Report, p. 350.
  5. Official Report, p. 351.
  6. Official Report, pp. 351–52.
  7. Official Report, p. 352.
  8. Official Report, pp. 352–53.
  9. Official Report, p. 353.
  10. Official Report, pp. 353–54.
  • Bergvall, Erik (ed.) (1913). Adams-Ray, Edward (trans.). (ed.). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 24 August 2006.
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