Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics - Men's discus throw

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Robert Garrett throwing the discus
Robert Garrett throwing the discus
Athletics at the
1896 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 m   men
400 m men
800 m men
1500 m men
110 m hurdles men
Road events
Marathon men
Field events
Long jump men
Triple jump men
High jump men
Pole vault men
Shot put men
Discus throw men

The men's discus throw was one of two throwing events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. The discus throw was the fourth event held. It was contested on 6 April. 11 athletes competed, including one each from France, Sweden, the United States, and Great Britain as well as three Greeks and two Danes.

[edit] Medallists

Gold Silver Bronze
United States Robert Garrett
United States
Greece Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos
Greece
Greece Sotirios Versis
Greece

[edit] Results

Place Athlete Nation Distance 1 2 3 4 5
1 Robert Garrett United States United States 29.15 metres 27.53 X Unknown 28.72 29.15
2 Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos Greece Greece 28.95 metres 28.51 Unknown 28.88 28.95
3 Sotirios Versis Greece Greece 27.78 metres Unknown
4 George S. Robertson Great Britain Great Britain 25.20 metres Unknown Did not advance
5-9 Alphonse Grisel France France Unknown Unknown
Viggo Jensen Denmark Denmark Unknown Unknown
Holger Nielsen Denmark Denmark Unknown Unknown
Georgios Papasideris Greece Greece Unknown Unknown
Henrik Sjöberg Sweden Sweden Unknown Unknown

Many of the competitors had never thrown a discus before, as the event had never been held at an international competition. Robert Garrett of the United States was the last foreigner in the competition, and eventually defeated the famed Greek competitors to win the second modern Olympic gold medal.

[edit] References

  • Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J.; & Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck.  (Digitally available at AAFLA.org)
  • Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9.  (Excerpt available at AAFLA.org)
  • Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X.