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1900 Paris Summer Games
1330 Athletes, 21 Countries, 85 Events

The 1900 Games became part of the World's Fair concurrently occurring in Paris at the suggestion of the International Olympic Committee president, French baron Pierre de Coubertin. Fair organizers played a prominent role in the Games, and with more emphasis placed on the fair, the Olympics were held over the course of five months.

In Paris, 22 track and field athletes, 13 of whom were from Penn, represented the Ancient Eight. The group returned stateside with 16 gold, 10 silver, and nine bronze medals. The United States finished with 20 gold, 14 silver, and 14 bronze medals overall. Remarkably, only four track and field events did not have a Leaguer in the top three. The reason for this is not a poor performance, but rather that many American athletes refused to compete on Sunday.

Out of the 22 Ivies in Paris, many came home with two, three, four, or five medals. Irving K. Baxter (Penn '01) won gold medals in the high jump and pole vault competitions, and silver medals in the standing high jump, standing long jump, and standing triple jump. Legend has it that a year after the Paris Games, at a 1901 British competition, Baxter used a flagpole to compete in the pole vault competition.

Truxtun Hare (Penn '01) came back with only a silver medal in the hammer throw which paled in comparison to Baxter's five medals. Hare's home, however, was the gridiron, where he was a fourtime AllAmerican. Only four football players have ever achieved that feat. More remarkable is the fact that he played every minute of every game in all four years of his college career.

Just as remarkable as Hare's football accolades was the Paris performance of Alvin C. Kraenzlein (Penn '01). His four gold medals in individual events in one Games remains a track and field record. Kraenzlein was victorious in the 60meter dash, 110meter hurdles, 200meter hurdles, and the long jump. Along the way, he set world or Olympic records in all except the 200meter hurdles competition. He is credited with inventing the legextended style of hurdling used today. Despite having earned a dental degree, Kraenzlein would remain in the sport, coaching at the University of Michigan and then internationally.

Dr. J. Walter B. Tewksbury (Penn '00) beat Kraenzlein in the medal count. He returned to Philadelphia with two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze. Tewksbury won the 400meter hurdles and 200meter race. He placed second in the 60 and 100meter dashes, and third in the 200meter hurdles.

Yale's Sheldon brothers (Lewis '96 and Richard '98) also won three gold and three bronze medals between them in men's track and field.

Please note, while we refer to gold, silver and bronze medals being won at the 1900 Games for recordkeeping purposes, most of the winners received cups and trophies instead of medals.