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Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 metres hurdles

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Men's 110 metres hurdles
at the Games of the II Olympiad
Alvin Kraenzlein, 110 and 400 metres hurdles champion
VenueBois de Boulogne
DateJuly 14
Competitors9 from 3 nations
Winning time15.4 OR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alvin Kraenzlein
 United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) John McLean
 United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Frederick Moloney
 United States
← 1896
1904 →

The men's 110 metres hurdles was the first of the track and field events on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, 1900. Nine athletes from three nations competed in the shortest of the hurdling events.[1] The event was won by Alvin Kraenzlein of the United States, the second of five consecutive victories for the nation in the first five Olympic Games. It was also the first of four consecutive podium sweeps for the Americans in the event.

Background

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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 hurdlers from 1896 returned. Alvin Kraenzlein was the dominant hurdler of the time and an overwhelming favorite.[2]

India made its first appearance in the event. France and the United States each made their second appearances, the only two nations to compete in the 110 metres hurdles in both the first two Games.

Competition format

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There were three rounds: semifinals, repechages, and a final. The top runners in each of the 3 semifinal heats advanced to the final, while all other finishers in the heats moved to the repechages. Two repechage heats were held, with the winner of each advancing to the final.

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics. No world record was recognized until 1912, when the IAAF recognized a 1908 performance as the first world record. Alvin Kraenzlein's 15.2 seconds in the 120 yards (slightly shorter) was the closest equivalent.

World Record 15.2y United States Alvin Kraenzlein Chicago 18 June 1898[3]
Olympic Record 17.6 United States Thomas Curtis Athens (GRE) April 10, 1896 (NS)

At first Alvin Kraenzlein set a new Olympic record in the first heat of the first round with 15.6 seconds. In the final he improved this to 15.4 seconds.

Schedule

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Date Time Round
Saturday, 14 July 1900 9:30
 
10:05
Semifinals
Repechage
Final

Results

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Semifinals

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In the first round, there were three heats. The top runners in each advanced to the finals, with the other runners competing in repechage heats.

Semifinal 1

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Kraenzlein set a new world record and won by three yards - though he was slower than his previous mark of 15.2 seconds at the slightly shorter 120 yards - while Choisel fell and did not finish.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Alvin Kraenzlein  United States 15.6 Q, OR
2 Frederick Moloney  United States 16.0 R
3 John McLean  United States 16.3 R
Eugène Choisel  France DNF R

Semifinal 2

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Klingelhoefer pulled up lame, leaving Pritchard to win by a yard and a half.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Norman Pritchard  India 16.6 Q
2 William Remington  United States 16.8 R
3 William Lewis  United States Unknown R
Adolphe Klingelhoefer  France DNF R

Semifinal 3

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Lécuyer had no competition in this heat, and automatically advanced to the final.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Jean Lécuyer  France WO Q

Repechage

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The two repechage heats consisted of the hurdlers that had not qualified in the first round. Adolphe Klingelhoefer was forced to scratch due to injury.

The winner of each heat joined the three first round heat winners in the final.

Repechage heat 1

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Moloney beat Lewis by 512 yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Frederick Moloney  United States 17.0 Q
2 William Lewis  United States 17.8
3 Eugène Choisel  France Unknown

Repechage heat 2

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McLean won the second repechage heat easily to become the third person from the first preliminary heat to qualify for the final.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John McLean  United States 17.0 Q
2 William Remington  United States Unknown
Adolphe Klingelhoefer  France DNS

Final

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McLean gained an early lead, due in part to a starter's error, but Kraenzlein caught him at the eighth hurdle and ran away to win by three yards, thus winning the first athletics competition of the 1900 Games. McLean was able to hold off a challenge from Moloney to finish second by a foot, with Pritchard, the winner of the second heat, pulling up lame.

All three of the Americans had come from the first preliminary heat.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alvin Kraenzlein  United States 15.4 OR
2nd place, silver medalist(s) John McLean  United States 15.5
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Frederick Moloney  United States 15.6
4 Jean Lécuyer  France Unknown
Norman Pritchard  India DNF

Results summary

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Rank Athlete Nation Semifinals Repechage Final Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alvin Kraenzlein  United States 15.6 Bye 15.4 OR
2nd place, silver medalist(s) John McLean  United States 16.3 17.0 15.5
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Frederick Moloney  United States 16.0 17.0 15.6
4 Jean Lécuyer  France WO Bye Unknown
5 Norman Pritchard  India 16.6 Bye DNF
6 William Lewis  United States Unknown 17.8 Did not advance
7 William Remington  United States 16.8 Unknown 2nd in repechage
8 Eugène Choisel  France DNF Unknown 3rd in repechage
9 Adolphe Klingelhoefer  France DNF DNS

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 110 metres Hurdles". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  2. ^ "110 metres Hurdles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Track and Field Statistics". trackfield.brinkster.net. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

Sources

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