| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Jean Bouin (right) and Hannes Kolehmainen in Stockholm, 1912 |
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| Men's athletics | ||
| Competitor for France | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 1912 Stockholm | 5000 metres |
Jean Bouin (December 20, 1888 – September 29, 1914) was a French athlete and rugby union footballer. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
In the 1500 metres, Bouin placed second of three in his initial semifinal heat and did not advance to the final. His time was 4:17.0.
His struggle against Finland's Hannes Kolehmainen in the 5,000-metre final of the 1912 Olympics has long been regarded as one of the most memorable moments of international track races. Bouin lost that race to Kolehmainen by just 0.1 seconds; their times were 14 minutes 36.7 seconds and 14:36.6, respectively (see, for example, Matti Hannus, The Flying Finns, chapter 1, "Hannes Kolehmainen", originally published as "Lentävät suomalaiset" in Helsinki, Finland, in 1988; Wolfgang Wünsche, The Heroes of Race Tracks/Kilpakenttien sankarit, chapter entitled "The Long-Distance Races"/Pitkät matkat, translated into Finnish and published in Helsinki, Finland, in 1984).
Bouin was killed in action during World War I near Xivray, Meuse, 10 miles east of Saint-Mihiel.
The Stade Jean-Bouin in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, home of the Stade Français rugby union club, was named after him. The French government made a stamp with his picture on it and many games have been held in his honor.
A 10 km race under the name of Jean Bouin takes place every year through the streets of Barcelona since 1920.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Svanberg |
Men's 3,000 m World Record Holder June 11, 1911 – September 24, 1911 |
Succeeded by Hannes Kolehmainen |
| Preceded by Hannes Kolehmainen |
Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder November 16, 1911 – June 22, 1921 |
Succeeded by Paavo Nurmi |
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