Australia at the 1900 Summer Olympics

 

Australia at the Olympic Games
Flag of Australia
IOC code:	AUS
NOC:	Australian Olympic Committee external link
1900 Summer Olympics in Paris
Competitors	2 in 2 sports
Medals	Gold 2	Silver 0	Bronze 3	Total 5
Summer Olympic Games appearances
1896 • 1900 • 1904 • 1908* • 1912* • 1920 • 1924 • 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004 *with New Zealand as Australasia
Winter Olympic Games appearances
1924 • 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006

Australia competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Most Olympic historians keep Australian records at early Olympics separate from those of the United Kingdom despite Australia's lack of independence at the time.

Australia was represented by two athletes, both of whom won a medal in each event in which he competed. Frederick Lane won two gold medals in swimming and Stanley Rowley won a gold medal (as part of a mixed team with Great Britain) and three bronze medals in athletics.

Medals

Gold

• Frederick Lane — swimming, men's 200 metre freestyle
• Frederick Lane — swimming, men's 200 metre obstacle event

Stanley Rowley also won a gold medal as part of a mixed team — athletics, 5000 metre team race

Bronze

• Stanley Rowley — athletics, 60 metres
• Stanley Rowley — athletics, 100 metres
• Stanley Rowley — athletics, 200 metres

Results by event

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Rowley was Australia's only competitor in athletics. He entered the three sprint events, taking the bronze medal in each of the three. Rowley also joined the Great Britain team in the 5-man team race, as the British squad had only 4 members. The 5 kilometres of the race was much further than Rowley was used to racing. After the first lap of the track, he began to walk. When the last of the other nine competitors (the United Kingdom and France were the only nations to send teams) finished, Rowley was still 1500 metres from the finish. He was allowed to cease the race and claim 10th place at that point.

Rowley's four medals put him, and Australia, in third place on the athletics leaderboard.

Event	Place	Athlete	Heat	Semifinal	Repechage	Final
60 metres	3rd	Stanley Rowley	Unknown 2nd, heat 2	None held		7.2 seconds
100 metres	3rd	Stanley Rowley	Unknown 2nd, heat 3	Unknown 2nd, semifinal 1	11.0 seconds 1st	11.2 seconds
200 metres	3rd	Stanley Rowley	25.0 seconds 1st, heat 2	None held		22.9 seconds

Event	Place	Team / Athlete	Score / Time
5000 metre team race	1st	Great Britain / Australia	26 points
	1st	Charles Bennett (GBR)	1 point 15:29.2
	2nd	John Rimmer (GBR)	2 points Unknown
	6th	Sidney Robinson (GBR)	6 points Unknown
	7th	Alfred Tysoe (GBR)	7 points Unknown
	10th	Stanley Rowley	10 points Did not finish

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Lane won the 200 metre freestyle and obstacle races, both on the same day. He did not receive gold medals, but instead received bronze sculptures of a horse and peasant girl respectively. He was also the favourite for the 100 metre freestyle, but this event was cancelled.

Event	Place	Swimmer	Semifinals	Final
Men's 200 metre freestyle	1st	Frederick Lane	2:59.0 1st, semifinal 3	2:25.2
Men's 200 metre obstacle event	1st	Frederick Lane	3:04.0 1st, semifinal 1	2:38.4

Non-Olympic events

Shooting

Donald Mackintosh was a professional shooter from Melbourne. He was travelling through Europe competing in a series of traditional competitions. He won the live game shooting (Prix Centenaire de Paris) with 22 consecutive kills of live pigeons, one more than Marquis de Villancosa of Spain. He finished in the joint third position alongside Crittenden Robinson of the United States in the live pigeon shooting (Grand Prix d'Exposition) with 18, behind the winner Leon de Lunden, who scored 21. Mackintosh' status has often been confused, as some historians were under the impression that game-shooting was an archery contest. The International Olympic Committee does not consider either event Olympic.

Notes

References

• Andrews, Malcolm (2000). Australia at the Olympic Games. 
• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "1900 Olympians from Australia". Accessed 11 March 2006. Available electronically at [1].
• 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. 

Nations at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France
Argentina • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Bohemia • Canada • Cuba • Denmark • France • Germany • Great Britain • Greece • Haiti • Hungary • India • Iran • Italy • Luxembourg • Mexico • Netherlands • Norway • Peru • Romania • Russia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • United States • Mixed teams

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