The men's
200 metres hurdles
The 200 metres hurdles is a rarely run hurdling event in track and field competitions. Sometimes, this event is referred to as the low hurdles. It was run twice in the Summer Olympics, in 1900 and 1904.
All-time top 25
*straight = performanc ...
was a
hurdling
Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...
event on the
athletics programme at the
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. It was held on July 16, 1900. 11 athletes from five nations competed in the middle of the three
hurdling
Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...
events. The event was won by
Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Christian "Al" Kraenzlein (December 12, 1876 – January 6, 1928) was an American track-and-field athlete known as "the father of the modern hurdling technique". He was the first sportsman in the history of the Olympic games to win four ...
of the United States, earning his fourth individual gold in athletics in one Games—a record that still stands as of the 2016 Games. The silver medal went to
Norman Pritchard
Norman Gilbert Pritchard (23 June 1875 – 30 October 1929), also known by his stage name Norman Trevor, was a British-Indian athlete and actor who became the first Asian-born athlete to win an Olympic medal when he won two silver medals in a ...
of India, while another American (
Walter Tewksbury
Walter Beardsley Tewksbury (March 21, 1876 – April 24, 1968) was an American track and field athlete. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, he won five medals, including two golds.
Biography
Born in Ashley, Pennsylvania, Tewksbury studied for a dental ...
) earned bronze.
Background
This was the first of only two times the event was held; it would return in 1904 but then be eliminated from the programme. American
Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Christian "Al" Kraenzlein (December 12, 1876 – January 6, 1928) was an American track-and-field athlete known as "the father of the modern hurdling technique". He was the first sportsman in the history of the Olympic games to win four ...
was an overwhelming favorite; he had already won the 60 metres, 110 metres hurdles, and long jump by the time of the 200 metres hurdles.
France, Germany, Hungary, India, and the United States competed in the inaugural 200 metres hurdles event.
Competition format
The
low hurdles Low hurdle races are a generally defunct form of track and field hurdle racing. The event, generally run at or near a distance of 200 metres, was popular through 1960 at the international level. After that, the IAAF stopped ratifying records in ...
competition consisted of two rounds: semifinals and a final. The semifinal round consisted of two heats, with 5 hurdlers in one and 6 in the other. The top 2 athletes in each semifinal advanced to the final.
Records
''None'', this was the first time the event was held.
Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Christian "Al" Kraenzlein (December 12, 1876 – January 6, 1928) was an American track-and-field athlete known as "the father of the modern hurdling technique". He was the first sportsman in the history of the Olympic games to win four ...
set the first Olympic record for this event when he ran 27.0 seconds in the first heat of the first round.
Norman Pritchard
Norman Gilbert Pritchard (23 June 1875 – 30 October 1929), also known by his stage name Norman Trevor, was a British-Indian athlete and actor who became the first Asian-born athlete to win an Olympic medal when he won two silver medals in a ...
improved this record in the second heat with 26.8 seconds. Finally
Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Christian "Al" Kraenzlein (December 12, 1876 – January 6, 1928) was an American track-and-field athlete known as "the father of the modern hurdling technique". He was the first sportsman in the history of the Olympic games to win four ...
took the Olympic record by winning the final with 25.4 seconds.
Schedule
Results
Semifinals
In the semifinal round, there were two heats. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.
Semifinal 1
Kraenzlein won by four yards.
Semifinal 2
Pritchard won by two yards.
Final
Kraenzlein won by five yards, despite having been penalized one metre for a false start. The 200 metre hurdles was his fourth individual victory in Paris; no other track and field athlete has won as many individual victories in a single Olympics.
Results summary
References
Sources
International Olympic Committee
* De Wael, Herman. ''Herman's Full Olympians'': "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically a
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metres hurdles
Men's hurdles 200 metres
Sprint hurdles at the Olympics