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AP WAS THERE: 1900 Paris Olympics

FILE - This 1900 file photo shows the eastern part of a busy boulevard in Paris, France in the year 1900. No opening ceremony. No closing ceremony. And many of the athletes at the 1900 Paris Games had no idea they even competed at the Olympics. But the second edition of the Olympics had female athletes competing for the first time. (AP Photo/File) (Uncredited, AP1900)

EDITORS — With the Tokyo Olympics postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press is looking back at the history of Summer Games. This story was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on July 17, 1900. The story is published as it appears in the newspaper, including errors and language of the time.

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Paris, July 16. — Associated Press. — The American athletes continued winning victories at the international contests in connection with the exposition this afternoon. The crowd was the smallest which has yet attended and mostly composed of Americans, as many foreigners stayed out of today’s events and less interest than usual was manifested in the contests, which were largely among Americans.

The first was the 200-meters hurdle race, and resulted: A. C. Kraenzlein, of University of Pennsylvania, first; N. G. Pritchard, champion 100-yards runner of India, second, and Walter B. Tewkesbury, of the University of Pennsylvania, third; time, 25 2-5 seconds.

Ray Ewry, of the New York Athletic club, amid a scene of great enthusiasm, secured the standing high jump with a record of 1 meter, 65 centimeters, equal to 5 feet 5 inches. I. K. Baxter, of the University of Pennsylvania, was second, with 1 meter, 52 1/2 centimeters, and Richard Sheldon, of the New York Athletic club, was third with 1 meter, 50 centimeters. The previous record was Ewry’s 1 meter 63 centimeters. After winning the high jump he succeeded in breaking his own record with 1 meter, 64 centimeters, and then exceeded this newly-made record with 1 meter, 65 centimeters.

In the 4,000 meters steeplechase (scratch), Rimmer, Englishman, was first; Bennett, Englishman, second, and Robinson, Englishman, third. Time, 12:58 2-5. Orton, Pennsylvania; McLain, Michigan, and Grant, Pennsylvania, contested but failed to secure a place.

The standing long jump was won by Ewry, New York Athletic club, three meters, 21 centimeters; Baxter, Pennsylvania, second; Torchboeuf, Frenchman, third. The Swedish team won the tug of war against the Frenchmen. The Americans did not compete.

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Source: The Kalamazoo Gazette. Retrieved by AP researcher Francesca Pitaro.


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