Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres

Men's 400 metres
at the Games of the II Olympiad
W. L. Long (New York A. C.) winning in 49 s. 2/5
Venue Bois de Boulogne
Dates July 14 (semifinals)
July 15 (final)
Date 4–6 August
Competitors 15 from 6 nations
Medalists
1st, gold medalist(s) Maxie Long
 United States
2nd, silver medalist(s) William Holland
 United States
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Ernst Schultz
 Denmark

The men's 400 metres was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, and July 15, 1900. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. 15 athletes from six nations competed.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.

World Record 48.5(*) United Kingdom Edgar Bredin London (GBR) June 22, 1895
Olympic Record 54.2 United States Thomas Burke Athens (GRE) April 7, 1896 (NS)

(*) unofficial 440 yards (= 402.34 m)

Maxie Long set a new Olympic record in the first round with 50.4 seconds. In the final he improved his own record when he ran 49.4 seconds.

Results

First round

In the first round, there were three heats. They were held on July 14. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.

First round, heat 1

PlaceAthleteTime
1 Maxie Long (USA)50.4 s
2 Harry Lee (USA)Unknown
3 Harvey Lord (USA)Unknown
4 Georges Clément (FRA)Unknown
5 Walter Drumheller (USA)Unknown

This heat, featuring four American runners, resulted in an easy win for Long and the top three spots for the United States team.

First round, heat 2

PlaceAthleteTime
1 William Moloney (USA)51.0 s
2 Ernst Schultz (DEN)Unknown
3 Charles-Robert Faidide (FRA)Unknown
4 Pál Koppán (HUN)Unknown
5 Yngvar Bryn (NOR)Unknown

Again, an American won the heat easily. Schulz took second place to qualify for the final.

First round, heat 3

PlaceAthleteTime
1 Dixon Boardman (USA)51.2 s
2 William Holland (USA)Unknown
3 Henry Slack (USA)Unknown
4-5 Zoltán Speidl (HUN)Unknown
 Umberto Colombo (ITA)Unknown

The United States runners again took all three of the top spots in this heat.

Final

PlaceAthleteTime
1 Maxie Long (USA)49.4 s
2 William Holland (USA)(49.6)
3 Ernst Schultz (DEN)(51.5)
 Dixon Boardman (USA)DNS
 Harry Lee (USA)DNS
 William Moloney (USA)DNS

Boardman, Lee, and Moloney withdrew because the final was held on a Sunday. Long and Holland did start, however, and Long led the entire way to win by five yards, with Schultz 20 yards behind the Americans.

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.
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