Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Great Britain at the Olympic Games
Flag of the United Kingdom IOC code  GBR NOC British Olympic Association
At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris
Competitors	102 in 14 sports
Medals	Gold 15	Silver 6	Bronze 9	Total 30
Olympic history (summary)
Summer Games
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Winter Games
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014
Intercalated Games
1906

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the second appearance of the European nation, after having participated in the inaugural 1896 Games. In Olympic competition, the nation has always shortened its official name to Great Britain rather than the more common United Kingdom seen elsewhere.

Medallists

Gold

• Charles Bennett – athletics, 1500 metres
• Charlotte Cooper – tennis, women's singles
• Laurence Doherty – tennis, men's singles
• John Jarvis – swimming, men's 1000 metre freestyle
• John Jarvis – swimming, men's 4000 metre freestyle
• John Rimmer – athletics, 4000 metre steeplechase
• Alfred Tysoe – athletics, 800 metres
• Laurence Doherty and Reginald Doherty – tennis, men's doubles
• Reginald Doherty and Charlotte Cooper – tennis, mixed doubles
• Lorne Currie, John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton, Linton Hope, Algernon Maudslay – sailing, .5-1 ton race 1
• Lorne Currie, John Gretton, Linton Hope, Algernon Maudslay – sailing, open class
• Edward Hore, H. N. Jefferson, J. Howard Taylor – sailing, 3-10 ton race 2
• Devon and Somerset Wanderers – cricket, 2-day 12-man
• Upton Park F.C. – football, men's competition
• Osborne Swimming Club – water polo, men's competition

Additionally, British athletes were part of three mixed teams to win gold medals.

Silver

• Charles Bennett – athletics, 4000 metre steeplechase
• Patrick Leahy – athletics, high jump
• Harold Mahony – tennis, men's singles
• Sidney Robinson – athletics, 2500 metre steeplechase
• Walter Rutherford – golf, men's 36 holes
• Moseley Wanderers – rugby, men's competition

Additionally, British athletes were part of two mixed teams to win silver medals.

Bronze

• George Saint Ashe – rowing, single sculls
• Reginald Doherty – tennis, men's singles
• Edward Hore – sailing, 10-20 ton
• Peter Kemp – swimming, men's 200 metre obstacle event
• Patrick Leahy – athletics, long jump
• Arthur Norris – tennis, men's singles
• David Donaldson Robertson – golf, men's 36 holes
• Sidney Robinson – athletics, 4000 metre steeplechase
• Harold Mahony and Arthur Norris – tennis, men's doubles

Additionally, British athletes were part of three mixed teams to win bronze medals (two in mixed doubles tennis and one in polo).

Results by event

Athletics

Great Britain took 4 gold medals in athletics, including one as part of a mixed team (with 4 British athletes and one Australian). This put them second on the leaderboard for that sport, behind the dominant United States as the two nations to win multiple gold medals in the sport. The British team won a total of 9 athletics medals including a sweep of the 4000 metre steeplechase event. 9 athletes competed in 10 events.

Event	Place	Team / Athlete	Score / Time
5000 metre team race	1st	Great Britain / Australia	26 points
	1st	Charles Bennett	1 point 15:29.2
	2nd	John Rimmer	2 points Unknown
	6th	Sidney Robinson	6 points Unknown
	7th	Alfred Tysoe	7 points Unknown
	10th	Stan Rowley (AUS)	10 points Did not finish

Cricket

Great Britain was represented by the Devon and Somerset Wanderers in cricket in 1900. The team won the only match, a 2-day 12-man contest, by 158 runs.

Fencing

Great Britain first competed in fencing at the Olympics in the sport's second appearance. The nation sent one fencer.

Football

Upton Park F.C. represented Great Britain in the football competition. The club squad won its only match, against Club Française, 4-0.

Golf

Great Britain was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic golf events. The British golfers took the silver and bronze medals in the men's competition, making Great Britain the only nation other than the United States to win a golfing medal that year.

Gymnastics

Great Britain's second Olympic gymnastics appearance was no more successful than the nation's first, resulting in no medals.

Polo

Great Britain was one of four nations to compete in the first Olympic polo event. British athletes played on three of the five teams, two of which included American players while the third included French players. The mixed American/British combinations took the top two places, while the French/British team took third place.

Rowing

Britain had a single rower present at the first Olympic rowing contests, winning the bronze medal in the single sculls event.

Rugby

Britain was one of three teams to compete in the first Olympic rugby games. Britain lost its only game, against France. The game against Germany was cancelled due to travel plans.

Sailing

Great Britain matched France in gold medals at the 1900 sailing events with 5, but took only 1 other medal, a bronze. France took 8 silvers and 8 bronzes for a total of 21 medals to Britain's 6. However, even a perfect performance by the British athletes would have earned only a total of 8 medals—Great Britain failed to medal in only 2 of its attempts. The crew members listed are those listed by the IOC in their database. The Olympic historian Ian Buchanan in his book "British Olympians" (1991) states that "reports on many aspects of the 1900 regatta are inconclusive and the crew members of the British entry "Scotia" has never been positively settled. The records of the British Olympic Association give the crew as Lorne Currie, John Gretton and Linton Hope, but it has been established that Linton Hope was in England at the time of the races and his name only appears in the Olympic records as he was the designer of the "Scotia". Similarly the names of Currie and Gretton are probably only listed as the owners of the boat but as it is possible that they sailed their boat, they are listed as Olympic champions, although the participation of Lorne Currie, in particular, is in doubt. The one crew member whose participation has been established is Algernon Maudslay, whose name does not appear in any Olympic records, but from contemporary press reports it is clear that he was the helmsman of the "Scotia"".

Shooting

Great Britain was represented by one shooter in its second appearance. Merlin, who had competed for Great Britain four years earlier, competed again. He tied for 7th in the trap shooting event.

Swimming

Tennis

Water polo

The British water polo team won gold easily. The roster listed is that credited with gold medals by the IOC; the actual competition roster may have differed with up to five of the listed players not actually playing.^[2] One British player (Thomas William Burgess) played on a French team that won a bronze medal, as well, but the IOC credits that appearance to France and not Great Britain or a mixed team.

Notes

1. 1 2 Reginald and Laurence Doherty refused to play each other prior to the final. Since they were seeded in such a way that they would face each other in the semifinals, Reginald withdrew, accepting a bronze medal while Lawrence went on to win gold.
2. ↑ Sports-Reference