The men's high jump was a track & field athletics event 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 ...

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. Si ...

. It was held on July 15, 1900. Eight athletes from seven nations competed in the

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

. The event was won by

Irving Baxter Irving Knott Baxter (March 25, 1876 in Utica, New York – June 13, 1957 in Utica, New York) was an American Athletics (sport), athlete, who won the gold medal in both the men's high jump and the pole vault at the 1900 Summer Olympic ...

of the United States, the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's high jump. Great Britain (

Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...

's silver) and Hungary (

Lajos Gönczy Lajos Gönczy (24 February 1881 – 3 December 1915)Lajos Gön ...

's bronze) each took medals in their first appearance in the event.

Background

This was the second appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. None of the jumpers from 1896 returned.

of the United States was the 1900 AAA champion, while

of Great Britain had won in 1898 and 1899. France, Great Britain, Hungary, and Norway each competed for the first time in the event. Germany, Sweden, and the United States all appeared for the second time.

Competition format

There was a single round of jumping. The bar started at 1.50 metres. When the victor was the only man left, he was able to choose the height.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics. ''(*)'' unofficial

improved the Olympic record twice. At first he jumped 1.85 metres and finally he also cleared 1.90 metres.

Schedule

The Sunday schedule prevented two Americans,

William Remington William Walter Remington (1917–1954) was an economist employed in various federal government positions until his career was interrupted by accusations of espionage made by the Soviet spy and defector Elizabeth Bentley. He was convicted of ...

and

Walter Carroll Walter Carroll (4 July 1869 - 9 October 1955) was an English composer, music lecturer and author. He was born at 156 Great Ducie Street in the Cheetham district of Manchester. Early life and education He was a pupil at Longsight High School, ...

, from competing.

Results

Baxter won easily, clearing 1.85 metres and 1.90 metres. With no one else close, he attempted to break the world record, 1.97 metres at the time. He failed all three times he attempted it, but still took the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have be ...

. Jump sequences are known only for Baxter's jumps at 1.85 metres and above.

References

Sources

International Olympic Committee
* De Wael, Herman. ''Herman's Full Olympians'': "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically a

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics At The 1900 Summer Olympics - Men's High Jump Men's jumping high High jump at the Olympics