| Men's 100 metres at the Games of the I Olympiad |
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 100 metres final |
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| Venue | Panathinaiko Stadium | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | April 6 | ||||||||
| Competitors | 15 from 8 nations | ||||||||
| Medalists | |||||||||
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| 1900» | |||||||||
| Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics  |
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|---|---|---|
| Track events | ||
| 100 m | men | |
| 400 m | men | |
| 800 m | men | |
| 1500 m | men | |
| 110 m hurdles | men | |
| Road events | ||
| Marathon | men | |
| Field events | ||
| Long jump | men | |
| Triple jump | men | |
| High jump | men | |
| Pole vault | men | |
| Shot put | men | |
| Discus throw | men | |
The men's 100 metres race was the first event run at the modern Olympics, on 6 April 1896. It was the shortest race on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. 21 athletes were entered in the first round, divided into three heats of seven runners, but six of them later withdrew. The top two athletes in each heat advanced to the final, which took place on 10 April.
15 athletes from 8 nations competed.
Contents |
Results
Heats
The first round of heats took place on 6 April. The first heat of the 100 metres was the first competition held in the Games. Francis Lane won the first heat, thus becoming the first winner of a modern Olympic race. All heats were won by athletes of the United States.
Heat 1
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Francis Lane (USA) |
12.2 s |
| 2 |  Alajos Szokolyi (HUN) |
12.6 s |
| 3 |  Charles Gmelin (GBR) |
Unknown |
| 4 |  Alphonse Grisel (FRA) |
Unknown |
| 5 |  Kurt Dörry (GER) |
Unknown |
Heat 2
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Curtis (USA) |
12.2 s |
| 2 |  Alexandros Khalkokondilis (GRE) |
12.8 s |
| 3 | Launceston Elliot (GBR) |
Unknown |
| 4 |  Eugen Schmidt (DEN) |
Unknown |
| 5 | George Marshall (GBR) |
Unknown |
Heat 3
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Burke (USA)[note 1] |
11.8 s |
| 2 | Fritz Hoffmann (GER)[note 1] |
12.6 s |
| 3 | Friedrich Traun (GER) |
Unknown |
| 4-5 [note 2] | Georgios Gennimatas (GRE) |
Unknown |
 Henrik Sjöberg (SWE) |
Unknown |
- notes
- ^ a b Burke and Hoffmann were each known more for middle-distance events rather than sprinting.
- ^ It is not clear which athlete received which place.
Final
The final heat of the 100 metre race, run on 10 April, involved the six runners who had finished in the top two of their preliminary heats, with the exception of Thomas Curtis, who elected not to run. Burke again ran the race in 12.0 seconds to win it. His companion from the third heat, Hoffmann, placed second, with the two runners from the first heat tying for third place.
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Burke (USA) |
12.0 s |
| 2 | Fritz Hoffmann (GER) |
12.2 s |
| 3 | Francis Lane (USA) |
12.6 s |
| Alajos Szokolyi (HUN) |
12.6 s | |
| 5 | Alexandros Khalkokondilis (GRE) |
12.6 s |
| – | Thomas Curtis (USA) |
DNS |
Two runners tied for third place in the final and both are considered to be bronze medallists by the International Olympic Committee.
References
- Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J.; & Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck. (Digitally available at AAFLA.org)
- Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9. (Excerpt available at AAFLA.org)
- Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X.
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