Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 60 metres

Men's 60 metres at the Games of the II Olympiad
Venue	Bois de Boulogne
Date	July 15
Competitors	10 from 6 nations
Medalists
Alvin Kraenzlein  United States Walter Tewksbury  United States Stan Rowley  Australia

The men's 60 metres was the shortest of the track races at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, which was the first time the event was held. It was held on 15 July 1900. 10 athletes from 6 nations competed. Five preliminary heats were scheduled, though only two were actually held. The top two athletes from each of the heats advanced to the final, resulting in a final race that featured three United States runners and an Australian.

Results

First round

Heat 1

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time	Notes
1	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	7.0	Q
2	Edmund Minahan	United States	(7.0)	Q
3	Norman Pritchard	India	(7.1)
4–5	Adolphe Klingelhoefer	France	Unknown
4–5	Isaac Westergren	Sweden	Unknown

Minahan was about half a yard behind Kraenzlein, with Pritchard a yard behind him.

Heat 2

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time	Notes
1	Walter Tewksbury	United States	7.2	Q
2	Stan Rowley	Australia	(7.3)	Q
3	William Holland	United States	Unknown
4–5	Pál Koppán	Hungary	Unknown
4–5	Ernő Schubert	Hungary	Unknown

Tewksbury beat Rowley by a foot.

Final

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time
	Alvin Kraenzlein	United States	7.0
	Walter Tewksbury	United States	(7.1)
	Stan Rowley	Australia	(7.2)
4	Edmund Minahan	United States	(7.2)

The 60 metres final was a close race, with the two top Americans being separated by four inches and Rowley half a yard behind. It was each of the runners' second time running the 60 in less than an hour, as the final was held almost immediately after the preliminary heats.

Sources

• International Olympic Committee.
• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 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.