Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres

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Men's 100 metres
at the Games of the V Olympiad
1912 Athletics men's 100 metre final3.JPG
The finish of the final.
VenueStockholm Olympic Stadium
Dates6–7 July
Competitors70 from 22 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ralph Craig  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alvah Meyer  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Donald Lippincott  United States
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Athletics at the
1912 Summer Olympics
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The men's 100 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The competition was held on 6 July 1912 and on 7 July 1912. Seventy runners from 22 nations competed.[1] NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.[2] The event was won by Ralph Craig of the United States, as the Americans swept the medals for a second time (previously having done so in 1904).

Background[]

This was the fifth time the event was held, having appeared at every Olympics since the first in 1896. None of the 1908 medalists returned in 1912. Notable entrants included Erwin Kern, Emil Ketterer, and Richard Rau of Germany, who shared the unofficial world record; George Patching of South Africa, the 1910 and 1911 AAA Championships winner; and United States Olympic Trials winners Ira Courtney, Clement Wilson, and Howard Drew.[3]

Chile (disputed, as Luis Subercaseaux may have run in 1896), Iceland, Japan, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia were represented in the event for the first time. "Australasia" also appeared for the first time, though Australia had previously competed. The United States and Hungary were the only two nations to have appeared at each of the first five Olympic men's 100 metres events.

Competition format[]

The event maintained the three round format from 1908: heats, semifinals, and a final. This time, however, the top two runners in each of the 17 heats advanced to the semifinals. These 34 semifinalists (which became 33, as the first heat had only 1 runner) were divided into 6 semifinal heats; only the top runner in each semifinal advanced to the final.

Records[]

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.

World Record 10.5(*) German Empire Emil Ketterer Karlsruhe (GER) July 9, 1911
10.5(*) German Empire Richard Rau Braunschweig (GER) August 13, 1911
10.5(*) German Empire Richard Rau Munich (GER) May 12, 1912
10.5(*) German Empire Erwin Kern Munich (GER) May 26, 1912
Olympic Record 10.8 United States Frank Jarvis Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900
10.8 United States Walter Tewksbury Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900
10.8 United States James Rector London (GBR) July 20, 1908
10.8(**) South Africa Reggie Walker London (GBR) July 21, 1908
10.8 United States James Rector London (GBR) July 21, 1908
10.8 South Africa Reggie Walker London (GBR) July 22, 1908

(*) unofficial

(**) Actual time was 10.7, rounded up to the nearest fifth, in accordance with rules in force at the time. So his time was only given as 104⁄5.

The Olympic record for the 100 metres coming into 1912 was 10.8 seconds. It was matched by David Jacobs of Great Britain in the 10th heat before being broken by American Donald Lippincott with 10.6 seconds in the 16th heat. This was also the inaugural official world record in the 100 metres. Three semifinalists (including Lippincott) ran the race in 10.7 seconds, but the new record of 10.6 seconds stood for the rest of the event.

Results[]

Heats[]

All heats were held on Saturday, July 6, 1912.

Heat 1[]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Charles Luther  Sweden 12.8 Q

Heat 2[]

Möller and Szalay were close at 70 metres; "Möller was stronger in the finish, however, and won by something more than half a metre."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Ivan Möller  Sweden 11.5 Q
2 Pál Szalay  Hungary Q
3 Rudolf Rauch  Austria

Heat 3[]

There was much separation at the top of this heat; Courtney "won without being extended" and Jankovich "was a very easy second."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Ira Courtney  United States 11.2 Q
2 István Jankovich  Hungary Q
3 Pierre Failliot  France
4 Henry Blakeney  Great Britain
5 Ladislav Jiránek-Strana  Bohemia
6 Pablo Eitel  Chile

Heat 4[]

With both runners assured of advancement to the semifinals, they "ran the course very quietly" with Rice "breaking the tape easily ahead of" Smedmark.[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Richard Rice  Great Britain 11.4 Q
2 Rolf Smedmark  Sweden Q

Heat 5[]

This was a close race between the top two placers, with d'Arcy "shak[ing] off" Povey at the end and winning "by a metre."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Victor d'Arcy  Great Britain 11.2 Q
2 Reuben Povey  South Africa Q
3 António Stromp  Portugal

Heat 6[]

Rau started strongly and led throughout.[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Richard Rau  Germany 11.5 Q
2 Vilmos Rácz  Hungary Q
3 Ture Person  Sweden
4 Robert Schurrer  France
5 Dimitrios Triantafyllakos  Greece
6 Leopolds Lēvenšteins  Russia

Heat 7[]

In one of the faster heats, Stewart finished "well in front of [Aelter], who also ran very well."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William Stewart  Australasia 11.0 Q
2 Léon Aelter  Belgium Q
3 Charles Lelong  France
4 Jan Grijseels  Netherlands
5 Richard Schwarz  Russia

Heat 8[]

Lindberg won the heat "easily."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Knut Lindberg  Sweden 11.6 Q
2 Bedřich Vygoda  Bohemia 11.6 Q
3 Dušan Milošević  Serbia 11.6
4 Jón Halldórsson  Iceland 12.1

Heat 9[]

Meyer "won without any apparent effort," as Giongo "ran well, although he was not the same class as the American."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Alvah Meyer  United States 11.6 Q
2 Franco Giongo  Italy Q
3 Robert Duncan  Great Britain
4 Georges Rolot  France

Heat 10[]

Jacobs matched the Olympic record in a tight heat, neck-and-neck with Wilson for most of the way before winning by "a hands-breadth."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 David Jacobs  Great Britain 10.8 Q, =OR
2 Clement Wilson  United States Q
3 Marius Delaby  France
4 Herman Sotaaen  Norway
5 Václav Labík-Gregan  Bohemia

Heat 11[]

Belote was "a safe winner, after a very quick finish."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Frank Belote  United States 11.0 Q
2 René Mourlon  France Q
3 Henry Macintosh  Great Britain
4 Harry Beasley  Canada

Heat 12[]

Weinzinger had a good start and led at 25 metres before falling to third. Gerhard "was clearly the best man."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Peter Gerhardt  United States 11.2 Q
2 Frank Lukeman  Canada Q
3 Fritz Weinzinger  Austria
4 Alexander Pedersen  Norway
5 Duncan Macmillan  Great Britain

Heat 13[]

Patching had a false start. The top three men were close, with Patching leading at 85 metres but Howard taking the lead at the end by "the least bit."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Howard  Canada 11.0 Q
2 George Patching  South Africa Q
3 Harold Heiland  United States
4 Pavel Shtiglits  Russia
— Emil Ketterer  Germany Did not finish

Heat 14[]

McConnell led early but faltered at the end; Thomas passed him for the second qualifying spot "just before reaching the post."[5]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Arthur Anderson  Great Britain 11.0 Q
2 Rupert Thomas  United States Q
3 Frank McConnell  Canada
4 Skotte Jacobsson  Sweden

Heat 15[]

There was a false start. Drew "won easily" with Kern "a pretty good distance behind."[6]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Howard Drew  United States 11.0 Q
2 Erwin Kern  Germany Q
3 Julien Boullery  France
— James Barker  Great Britain Did not finish

Heat 16[]

There were two false starts in this heat before, on the third try, Lippincott set a new Olympic record and the first official world record. He "led from start to finish, and gave the impression that he would be an easy winner, but Applegarth came on very quickly in the last 20 metres, and Lippincott had to do his very best in order to keep the lead."[7]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Donald Lippincott  United States 10.6 Q, OR
2 Willie Applegarth  Great Britain Q
3 Max Herrmann  Germany
4 Ervin Szerelemhegyi  Hungary
5 Yahiko Mishima  Japan

Heat 17[]

Ekberg started well and led through halfway before being passed by Craig and Szobota at around 60 metres. Craig then "won easily" over Szobota.[7]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Ralph Craig  United States 11.2 Q
2 Ferenc Szobota  Hungary Q
3 Ragnar Ekberg  Sweden
4 Fritz Fleischer  Austria

Semifinals[]

All semi-finals were held on Saturday, July 6, 1912.

Semifinal 1[]

Drew "ran magnificently" and used a "powerful, concentrated finish" to become "a safe winner."[7]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Howard Drew  United States 11.0 Q
2 Ira Courtney  United States
3 Peter Gerhardt  United States
4 Charles Luther  Sweden
5 Erwin Kern  Germany
6 Vilmos Rácz  Hungary

Semifinal 2[]

Patching had another false start in this round. Lindberg fell behind early, dropping to fourth place at the halfway mark, but challenged Patching with a "hard spurt" at the end. The distance between the two was too much for him to make up, however.[7]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 George Patching  South Africa 10.9 Q
2 Knut Lindberg  Sweden
3 Richard Rice  Great Britain
4 Franco Giongo  Italy
5 Léon Aelter  Belgium

Semifinal 3[]

In an event marred by false starts, this semifinal heat was decided by a legal start that one runner thought false. Smedmark was off first, but came to a stop thinking he had false started. The remaining runners saw a "hard struggle between Meyer and Jacobs" with Meyer "strongest in the last 10 metres" to win.[8]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Alvah Meyer  United States 10.7 Q
2 David Jacobs  Great Britain
3 Frank Lukeman  Canada
4 Pál Szalay  Hungary
— Rolf Smedmark  Sweden DNF

Semifinal 4[]

This semifinal heat featured 9 false starts. Rau led for the first 70 metres before being caught by Craig, who "won by more than a metre."[9]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Ralph Craig  United States 10.7 Q
2 Richard Rau  Germany 10.9
3 William Stewart  Australasia
4 István Jankovich  Hungary
5 René Mourlon  France
6 Ferenc Szobota  Hungary
The start of the final.
Immediately after the start of the final.

Semifinal 5[]

This heat had a "sharp struggle for the lead during the whole of the race."[9]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Donald Lippincott  United States 10.7 Q
2 Willie Applegarth  Great Britain
3 Bedřich Vygoda  Bohemia
4 Clement Wilson  United States
5 Victor d'Arcy  Great Britain
6 John Howard  Canada

Semifinal 6[]

Belote led throughout.[9]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Frank Belote  United States 11.1 Q
2 Reuben Povey  South Africa
3 Rupert Thomas  United States
4 Ivan Möller  Sweden
5 Arthur Anderson  Great Britain

Final[]

The final was held on Sunday, July 7, 1912. Drew was forced to scratch from the final after he pulled a tendon at the end of the first semi-final.

The final featured eight false starts, one of which saw Craig and Lippincott fail to hear the recall gun and run to the finish line. On the ninth attempt, Patching had the strongest start and led at 40 metres by half a metre.

Craig caught Patching at 60 metres. At the 75-metre mark, Craig was "a hand's-breadth" ahead of Patching and Meyer, with Lippincott and Belote another half-metre back. At the end, "Craig ran brilliantly and with enormous power." Meyer separated from Patching, who stayed in the third spot until "the last few strides" before being passed "almost on the very line" by Lippincott.[3][10]

The official report gives the result as Ralph Craig 104⁄5, Alvah Meyer 60 cm behind winner, and Donald Lippincott 15 cm behind second man.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ralph Craig  United States 10.8
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alvah Meyer  United States 10.9
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Donald Lippincott  United States 10.9
4 George Patching  South Africa 11.0
5 Frank Belote  United States 11.0
— Howard Drew  United States DNS

References[]

  1. ^ "Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's 100 metres". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  2. ^ Official report, p. 61.
  3. ^ a b "100 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Official Report, p. 350.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Official Report, p. 351.
  6. ^ Official Report, pp. 351–52.
  7. ^ a b c d Official Report, p. 352.
  8. ^ Official Report, pp. 352–53.
  9. ^ a b c Official Report, p. 353.
  10. ^ Official Report, pp. 353–54.

External links[]

  • Bergvall, Erik (ed.) (1913). Adams-Ray, Edward (trans.). (ed.). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 24 August 2006.
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