Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres
| Men's 800 metres at the Games of the II Olympiad | |||||||
| Venue | Bois de Boulogne | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | July 14 (semifinals) July 16 (final) | ||||||
| Competitors | 18 from 7 nations | ||||||
| Medalists | |||||||
| |||||||
| Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Track events | ||
| 60 m | men | |
| 100 m | men | |
| 200 m | men | |
| 400 m | men | |
| 800 m | men | |
| 1500 m | men | |
| 110 m hurdles | men | |
| 200 m hurdles | men | |
| 400 m hurdles | men | |
| 2500 m steeplechase | men | |
| 4000 m steeplechase | men | |
| 5000 m team race | men | |
| Road events | ||
| Marathon | men | |
| Field events | ||
| Long jump | men | |
| Triple jump | men | |
| High jump | men | |
| Pole vault | men | |
| Standing long jump | men | |
| Standing triple jump | men | |
| Standing high jump | men | |
| Shot put | men | |
| Discus throw | men | |
| Hammer throw | men | |
The men's 800 metres was middle-distance running event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14 and July 16, 1900. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. 18 athletes from seven nations competed.
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 1:53.4(*) |  Charles Kilpatrick |
New York (USA) | September 21, 1895 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Record | 2:10.0 |  Edwin Flack |
Athens (GRE) | April 6, 1896 (NS) |
(*) unofficial 880 yards (= 804.68 m)
In the first heat of the first round David Hall set a new Olympic record with 1:59.0.
Results
First round
In the first round, there were three heats. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.
First round, heat 1
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  David Hall (USA) | 1:59.0 OR |
| 2 | Alfred Tysoe (GBR) | (1:59.4) |
| 3 | Howard Hayes (USA) | (2:00.2) |
| 4 |  Maurice Salomez (FRA) | Unknown |
| 5 |  Christian Christensen (DEN) | Unknown |
| 6-7 | Walter Drumheller (USA) | Unknown |
| Alexander Grant (USA) | Unknown |
Hall's Olympic record time surprised most of those present, as Tysoe had been the favorite in the heat.
First round, heat 2
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henri Deloge (FRA) | 2:00.6 |
| 2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Zoltán Speidl (HUN) | (2:01.1) |
| 3 | Justus Scrafford (USA) | (2:01.8) |
| 4-6 | .svg.png){kind=small} Emilio Banfi (ITA) | Unknown |
| Edward Bushnell (USA) | Unknown | |
| Harrison Smith (USA) | Unknown |
Deloge finished three yards in front of Spiedl, with the other runners trailing.
First round, heat 3
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cregan (USA) | 2:03.0 |
| 2 | John Bray (USA) | (2:03.9) |
| 3 | Harvey Lord (USA) | (2:04.5) |
| 4-5 | Edward Mechling (USA) | Unknown |
 Ondřej Pukl (BOH) | Unknown |
Cregan won the slowest of the three heats by six yards.
Final
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfred Tysoe (GBR) | 2:01.2 |
| 2 | John Cregan (USA) | 2:03.0 |
| 3 | David Hall (USA) | (2:03.8) |
| 4 | Henri Deloge (FRA) | Unknown |
| 5 | Zoltán Speidl (HUN) | Unknown |
| 6 | John Bray (USA) | Unknown |
Deloge led early, but was passed just before the final straight by Tysoe and Cregan. Hall, who had set an Olympic record in the heats, was just barely able to catch Deloge to finish third, but had no chance of passing the two leaders.
Sources
- International Olympic Committee.
- De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at .
- Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.