Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres was a sprinting event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 22, 1900, well after most of the rest of the athletics events. The 1900 Games were the first time the 200 metres was contested. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Eight athletes from seven nations competed.
| Men's 200 metres at the Games of the II Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Bois de Boulogne | |||||||||
| Date | July 22 | |||||||||
| Competitors | 8 from 7 nations | |||||||||
| 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 |
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 21.4(*) |  |
Chicago (USA) | June 5, 1897 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Record | none |
(*) unofficial 220 yards (= 201.17 m)
William Holland set the first Olympic record when he won the first heat of the first round in 24.0 seconds. In the final Walter Tewksbury set a new Olympic record with 22.2 seconds.
Competition format
There were two rounds: heats and a final. The top 2 runners in each heat advanced to the final.
Results
First round
In the first round, there were two heats. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.
Heat 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Holland | .svg.png){kind=small} | 24.0 | Q |
| 2 | Norman Pritchard |  | Unknown | Q |
| 3 | Adolphe Klingelhoefer |  | Unknown | |
| 4 | Ernő Schubert | .svg.png){kind=small} | Unknown |
The first heat was an easy win for Holland.
Heat 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stan Rowley |  | 25.0 | Q |
| 2 | Walter Tewksbury | | (25.1) | Q |
| 3 | Yngvar Bryn |  | Unknown | |
| 4 | Albert Werkmüller | .svg.png){kind=small} | Unknown |
Rowley beat Tewksbury by about a foot, and neither of the other two runners were close.
Final
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Walter Tewksbury | | 22.2 |
 | Norman Pritchard | | (22.8) |
 | Stan Rowley | | (22.9) |
| 4 | William Holland | | (22.9) |
Tewksbury passed Pritchard in the second half of the race and crossed the finish line 2½ yards clear of the field, with Pritchard half a yard ahead of Rowley, and Rowley six inches ahead of Holland, who was the slowest in the final despite improving upon his time by over a second.
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.