United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Americans were the most successful athletes in terms of gold medals, beating host nation Greece, 11 to 10, despite fielding only 14 competitors compared to an estimated 169 Greek entrants. However, the Greeks' 46 total medals dwarfed the Americans' 20.

United States at the
1896 Summer Olympics
IOC codeUSA
NOCUnited States Olympic Committee
in Athens, Greece
April 15, 1896
Competitors14 in 3 sports and 16 events
Medals
Ranked 1st
Gold
11
Silver
7
Bronze
2
Total
20
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

The United States team had 27 entries in 16 events, with 20 of the 27 resulting in top-three finishes.

Most of the American competitors were students at Harvard University or Princeton University or members of the Boston Athletic Association. The team trained at The Pennington School, in Pennington, New Jersey, while preparing for the first modern Olympic Games.

Medalists

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Of the 14 Americans at the Athens Games, 12 won medals. Charles Waldstein, a shooter, and Gardner Williams, a swimmer, were the two who did not win any medals. The following competitors won medals at the games. In the discipline sections below, the medalists' names are bolded.

 
Several members of America's first Olympic team in 1896. Standing: T.E. Burke, Thomas P. Curtis, Ellery H. Clark. Seated: W.W. Hoyt, Sumner Paine, Trainer John Graham, John B. Paine, Arthur C. Blake
 
Several members of America's first Olympic team
Medal Name Sport Event Date
  Gold James Connolly Athletics Men's triple jump April 6
  Gold Robert Garrett Athletics Men's discus throw April 6
  Gold Robert Garrett Athletics Men's shot put April 7
  Gold Ellery Clark Athletics Men's long jump April 7
  Gold Thomas Burke Athletics Men's 400 metres April 7
  Gold Thomas Burke Athletics Men's 100 metres April 10
  Gold Thomas Curtis Athletics Men's 110 metre hurdles April 10
  Gold Ellery Clark Athletics Men's high jump April 10
  Gold William Hoyt Athletics Men's pole vault April 10
  Gold John Paine Shooting Men's 25 metre military pistol April 10
  Gold Sumner Paine Shooting Men's 30 metre free pistol April 11
  Silver Herbert Jamison Athletics Men's 400 metres April 7
  Silver Arthur Blake Athletics Men's 1500 metres April 7
  Silver Robert Garrett Athletics Men's long jump April 7
  Silver James Connolly Athletics Men's high jump April 10
  Silver Robert Garrett Athletics Men's high jump April 10
  Silver Albert Tyler Athletics Men's pole vault April 10
  Silver Sumner Paine Shooting Men's 25 metre military pistol April 10
  Bronze James Connolly Athletics Men's long jump April 7
  Bronze Francis Lane Athletics Men's 100 metres April 10
Medals by sport
Sport       Total
Athletics 9 6 2 17
Shooting 2 1 0 3
Total 11 7 2 20

Multiple medalists

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The following competitors won multiple medals at the 1896 Olympic Games.

Name Medal Sport Event
Robert Garrett   Gold
  Gold
  Silver
  Silver
Athletics Men's shot put
Men's discus throw
Men's high jump
Men's long jump
Thomas Burke   Gold
  Gold
Athletics Men's 100 m
Men's 400 m
Ellery Clark   Gold
  Gold
Athletics Men's high jump
Men's long jump
James Connolly   Gold
  Silver
  Bronze
Athletics Men's triple jump
Men's high jump
Men's long jump
Sumner Paine   Gold
  Silver
Shooting Men's 30 metre pistol
Men's 25 metre military pistol

Competitors

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Athletics

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Thomas Curtis
 
US athletic team

The United States squad of 11, which featured only one national champion, won nine gold medals in the twelve athletics events, with contributions from six different athletes. Six silver medals and two bronze medals also went to the Americans in athletics.

Track & road events

Athlete Event Heat Final
Time Rank Time Rank
Thomas Burke 100 m 11.8 OR 1 Q 12.0  
Thomas Curtis 12.2 1 Q DNS
Ralph Derr DNS Did not advance
Francis Lane 12.2 1 Q 12.6  
Charles Vanoni DNS Did not advance
Thomas Burke 400 m 58.4 1 Q 54.2 OR  
Herbert Jamison 56.8 1 Q 55.2  
Thomas Burke 800 m DNS Did not advance
Arthur Blake 1500 m 4:33.6  
James Brendan Connolly 110 m hurdles DNS Did not advance
Thomas Curtis 18.0 1 Q 17.6 OR  
William Hoyt Unknown 2 DNS
Fred Lord DNS Did not advance
Charles Vanoni DNS Did not advance
Arthur Blake Marathon DNF

Field events

Athlete Event Final
Distance Position
Ellery Harding Clark Men's high jump 1.81 OR  
James Brendan Connolly 1.65  
John Stanley Edwards DNS
Robert Garrett 1.65  
William Hoyt Men's pole vault 3.30 OR  
Albert Tyler 3.20  
Charles Vanoni DNS
Ellery Harding Clark Men's long jump 6.35 OR  
James Brendan Connolly 6.11  
Thomas Curtis DNS
Ralph Derr DNS
Robert Garrett 6.18  
James Brendan Connolly Men's triple jump 13.71 OR  
Ellery Harding Clark Men's shot put Unknown 5-7
Robert Garrett 11.22 OR  
Charles Vanoni DNS
Robert Garrett Men's discus throw 29.15 WR  
Charles Vanoni DNS

Cycling

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Road

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Athlete Event Time Rank
A. Johnson Men's road race DNS
B. MacDonald DNS

Fencing

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Athlete Event Round 1 Final
MW ML Rank Opposition
Score
Rank
Fred Hellen Men's foil DNS
Albertson Van Zo Post Men's sabre DNS

Shooting

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The Paine brothers contested only two events, taking the top two spots in the event in which they both competed, the military pistol. Sumner was the only one of the two to enter the free pistol, which he won. Waldstein was the third member of the American shooting contingent, competing in the military rifle event.

Athlete Event Final
Score Rank
Charles Waldstein Men's 200 m military rifle Unknown 14-41
John Paine Men's 25 m military pistol 442  
Sumner Paine 380  
Sumner Paine Men's 30 m pistol 442  

Swimming

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Williams competed in two swimming events, with his results currently being unknown (lost in the years since).

Athlete Event Final
Time Rank
Gardner Williams 100 m freestyle Unknown 3-10
Gardner Williams 1200 m freestyle Unknown 3-8

References

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  • Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J. & Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896 (PDF). Athens: Charles Beck.
  • Mallon, Bill & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9. (Excerpt available at [1])
  • Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X.