The men's rope climbing was one of eight
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...
events on the
Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics
At the 1896 Summer Olympics, eight gymnastics events, all for men, were contested in Panathinaiko Stadium. They were organized and prepared by the Sub-Committee for Wrestling and Gymnastics. Events took place on April 9, April 10, and April 11, ...
programme. The final event in the gymnastics competition, rope climbing was held on 10 April. The rope was 14 metres long, suspended from a frame. Time and style were considered in placing the competitors who reached the top and distance climbed separating those who did not make it all the way up. Five competitors entered, with the two Greeks taking top honors by being the only two to complete the climb. The German
Fritz Hofmann won the bronze medal, while the weightlifting champions
Viggo Jensen
Alexander Viggo Jensen (born 22 June 1874 in Copenhagen, Denmark; died 2 November 1930 in Copenhagen, Denmark) was a Danish weightlifter, sport shooter, gymnast, and athlete. He was the first Danish and Nordic Olympic champion, at the 1896 Summe ...
and
Launceston Elliot
Launceston Elliot (9 June 1874 – 8 August 1930) was a Scottish weightlifter, and the first British Olympic champion.
Biography
Launceston Elliot was conceived in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, after which he was named, but before his b ...
finished fourth and fifth.
Background
This was the first appearance of the event, which was held four times. The event appeared again in
1904
Events
January
* January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''.
* January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
* ...
,
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...
, and
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
.
Competition format
The rope climb was 14 metres in height with a smooth, unknotted rope. Those who completed the climb were ranked on time and style points, with those not reaching the top ranked on height climbed.
[Official Report, part 2, p. 83.]
Schedule
The men's rope climbing was held in the morning of the fifth day of events. The gymnastics programme was intended to be completed on the fourth day, but after six of the eight events had finished it was too late to continue and the final two were moved to the fifth day. The rope climbing was the second of the two that day, the last gymnastics event held.[
]
Results
The heights climbed by Jensen and Elliot are not known, though Jensen climbed higher than Elliot and both were under 12.5 metres. The style points for the finishers are not known. Andriakopoulos finished in 23.4 seconds, quicker than Xenakis, though Xenakis' time is not known beyond that.[
]
References
Sources
* (Digitally available a
* (Excerpt available a
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics - Men's rope climbing
Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics, Men's rope climbing