1900 Olympics facts
While investigating facts about 1900 Olympics, I found out little known, but curios details like:
Margaret Abbott, a woman who competed in and won a golf tournament in Paris. After her death, it was discovered that this tournament was part of the poorly-organized 1900 Olympics. She never knew she was an Olympian.
The United States won gold in fire truck racing at the 1900 Olympics.
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 50 of the best facts about 1900 Olympics I managed to collect.
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France was the only nation to send athletes to compete in Croquet in the the 1900 olympics. All 10 athletes medaled, including 2 unopposed. The only spectator was an elderly englishman who only watch the qualifying round. The sport was deemed too unpopular to include in subsequent olympics
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The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris ran for five months, and included car racing as an event
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During the 1900 Olympics, the Dutch Mens Double Rowing team felt their cox was too heavy. For the finals, they decided to use a boy from the Parisian crowd. Besides a quick photo, there's no record of the boy and to this day he remains the only Anonymous Olympic Gold Medal Winner.
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Only one person showed up to the 1900 Olympic croquet event
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In the 1900 Olympics in Paris, live pigeons were used in several of the shooting competitions with the winner being the one who shot the highest number of pigeons. Nearly 400 of them were killed and they've been replaced with clay 'pigeons' (disks) ever since
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At the 1900 Olympics, a mixed Danish-Swedish tug-of-war team was facing withdrawal due to injury. They asked a Danish newspaper reporter who was covering the games to join at the last minute, and went on to defeat the only other team and win gold.
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In the 1900 Summer Olympics only one team entered the doubles croquet competition - and were awarded the gold
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Tug of war used to be an Olympic event and was at every Olympiad from 1900 to 1920.
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Fire Fighting was an unofficial summer Olympic event in the year 1900 and the U.S.A. won gold for the paid department portion
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Rugby has only been played as an Olympic sport four times. The first time was in 1900 and the last time was in 1924.
What is true about 1900 olympics?
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Margaret Abbott was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold, coming first in the women's golf tournament in 1900. She didn't realise she was competing in the Olympics at the time, and lived her whole life without finding out.
In the 1900 Summer Olympics live pigeons were used as the target in archery competition.
The 1900 Paris Olympics featured several bizarre sporting events including; canon shooting, pigeon racing, kite flying, and even life saving - source
The Summer Olympics had tug of war as an event from 1900 to 1920.
At the 1896 Olympics, silver was awarded to winners and bronze to runners-up, while at 1900 other prizes were given, not medals. - source
Archery has been an Olympic sport almost from the beginning. Its debut in the summer Olympics occurred in 1900. In 1924 it was discontinued and it was reintroduced in 1972.
The 1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris included a swimming "obstacle race" whereby swimmers were required to swim underneath as well as climb over a row of boats.
Ray Ewry, who won eight Olympic gold medals from 1900 to 1908. Only Michael Phelps has won more. His specialty was the standing high jump and standing long jump.
Croquet was once an olympic sport. There was only ever one croquet competition in Olympic Games history, held in 1900 in Paris. France won all events, and three women participated.
Live pigeon shooting was an event at the 1900 Olympics
Lifesaving, fire fighting, angling (fishing), kiting, ballooning, and pigeon racing were demonstration sports in the 1900 Olympics