1912 - Stockholm

The 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden May 5 - July 22, 1912 Mascot - none 28 countries, 2547 athletes (57 women) 13 sports, 101 events Opening - King Gustav V of Sweden Torch lit by - none Candidates: Berlin, Milan, Rome Man of many talents: the athlete named Shining Path amazed the crowds with his strength and versatility in Stockholm. However, Jim Thorpe would end his career in tragic circumstances before finally being restored, posthumously, to his former Olympic glory. The Games begin to progress In 1912 the Stockholm Games at last gave Pierre de Coubertin something to smile about. Not only had they become a universal event - for the first time the five continents were represented (around 2,500 athletes from 28 countries) - but they were also staged over a shorter time period (May 5 - July 22) and independent of any commercial exhibition. Four personalities marked these Games - America's Ralph Craig, winner of the 100m and 200m, Finland's Hannes Kolehmainen, the triple cross country champion, the Hawaiian Paoa Duke Kahanamoku, inaugurator of the crawl in swimming, and the American Indian from Irish descent, Jim Thorpe, who was later found guilty of having made money from baseball before the Games and thus banished as an Olympic competitor, and forced to return his medals. Cleared of the charge 70 years later, the IOC granted him posthumous gold medals for his previous spectacular wins in the pentathlon and decathlon. Once again there was drama in the marathon. Under a leaden sky 21-year-old Francisco Lazaro of Portugal fell victim to the heat. He collapsed and died the next day in hospital. The 1912 Olympics at Stockholm were known as the "Swedish Masterpiece" because they were so well organized. Avery Brundage, IOC president from 1952 to 1972, described these Games: "The efficiency and almost mathematical precision with which the events were handled and the formal correctness of the arrangements made a great impression on me."* The Games also benefited from the use of electric timing devices and a public address system which were first used at these Olympic Games. Jim Thorpe and Hannes Kolehmainen made a big impression during the 1912 Olympics. Jim Thorpe, a Native American from the U.S., overwhelmingly won both the pentathlon and the decathlon - an amazing feat. King Gustav said to Thorpe, "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world." Thorpe answered, "Thanks, King." Finland's Hannes Kolehmainen, one of the "Flying Finns," won three gold medals from the 5,000-meter race (made world record time), the 10,000-meter race, and the 8,000-meter cross-country run. Approximately 2,500 athletes attended these Games, representing 28 countries. * Avery Brundage as quote in Allen Guttmann, The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (Chaxicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992) 32. STOCKHOLM 1912 GOLD MEDAL WINNERS 87 Men, 5 Women, 9 Open Events ATHLETICS, Men 100m: Ralph Craig, USA 200m: Ralph Craig, USA 400m: Charles Reidpath, USA 800m: Ted Meredith, USA 1500m: Arnold Jackson, GBR 5000m: Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland 10000m: Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland 110m Hurdles: Fred Kelly, USA 3000m Team Race: United States 4x100m: Great Britain 4x400m: United States 10km Walk: George Goulding, Canada Cross Country: Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland Cross Country Team: Sweden Marathon: Ken McArthur, South Africa Pentathlon: James Thorpe, USA* Decathlon: James Thorpe, USA* Discus: Armas Taipale, Finland Discus Both Hands: Armas Taipale, Finland Hammer: Matt McGrath, USA High Jump: Alma Richards, USA Javelin: Eric Lemming, Sweden Javelin Both Hands: Juho Saaristo, Finland Long Jump: Albert Gutterson, USA Pole Vault: Harry Babcock, USA Shot Put: Patrick McDonald, USA Shot Put Both Hands: Ralph Rose, USA Triple Jump: Gustaf Lindblorn, Sweden Standing High Jump: Platt Adams, USA Standing Long Jump: Konstantin Tsiklitiras, Greece Tug-of-War Team: Sweden CYCLING, Men Road Race: Rudolph Lewis, South Africa Team Road Race: Sweden EQUESTRIAN, Open Individual Dressage: Carl Bonde, Sweden Individual Jumping: Jean Cariou, France Individual 3-Day Event: Axel Nordlander, Sweden Team Jumping: Sweden Team 3-Day Event: Sweden FENCING, Men Individual Epee: Paul Anspach, Belgium Individual Foil: Nedo Nadi, Italy Individual Sabre: Jeno Fuchs, Hungary Team Epee: Belgium Team Sabre: Hungary FOOTBALL, Men Team, men: Great Britain GYMNASTICS, Men Individual All-around: Alberto Braglia, Italy Team: Italy Team-Free System: Norway Team-Swedish System: Sweden MODERN PENTATHLON, Men Individual: Gosta Lilliehook, Sweden ROWING, Men Single Sculls: William Kinnear, GBR Coxed Fours: Germany Coxed Fours (Inriggers): Denmark Eight: Great Britain SAILING, Open 6m Class: France 8m Class: Norway 10m Class: Sweden 12m Class: Norway SHOOTING, Men 25m Rapid Fire Pistol: Alfred Lane, USA 25m SB Rifle Team: Sweden 25m SB Rifle Disappearing Target: Vilhelm Carlbert, Sweden 30m Military Revolver Team: Sweden 50m Free Pistol: Alfred Lane, United States 50m Military Revolver Team: United States 50m SB Rifle any pos: Frederick Hird, USA 50m SB Rifle Team: Great Britain 100m Running Deer Single: Alfred Swahn, Sweden Team: Sweden 100m Running Deer Double: Ake Lundeberg, Sweden 300m Free Rifle 3x40: Paul Colas, France 300m Free Rifle Team: Sweden 300m Military Rifle 3x40: Sandor Prokopp, Hungary 600m Military Rifle any pos: Paul Colas, France Military Rifle Team: United States Trap: James Graham, USA Trap Team: United States SWIMMING M\100m Freestyle: Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, USA M\400m Freestyle: George Hodgson, Canada M\1500m Freestyle: George Hodgson, Canada M\100m Backstroke: Harry Hebner, USA M\200m Breaststroke: Walter Bathe, Germany M\400m Breaststroke: Walter Bathe, Germany M\4x200m Freestyle Relay: Australasia (AUS/NZL) M\10m Platform: Erik Alderz, Sweden M\3m Springboard: Paul Gunther, Germanny M\Plain High Diving: Erik Alderz, Sweden M\Water Polo: Great Britain W\100m Freestyle: Fanny Durack, ANZ W\4x100m Freestyle Relay: Great Britain W\10m Platform: Greta Johansson, Sweden TENNIS M/Singles: Charles Winslow, RSA M/Singles Indoor: Andre Gobert, FRA M/Doubles: Charles Winslow & Harold Kitson, RSA M/Doubles Indoor: Andre Gobert & Maurice Germot, FRA W/Singles: Marguerite Broquedis, FRA W/Singles Indoor: Edith Hannam, GBR Mixed Doubles: Dora Koring & Heinrich Schomburgk, Germany Mixed Doubles Indoor: Charles Dixon & Edith Hannam, GBR WRESTLING, GRECO-ROMAN 60kg: Kaarlo Koskelo, Finland 67.5kg: Emil Vare, Finland 75kg: Claes Johanson, Sweden +82kg: Yrjo Saarela, Finland