The Olympics were the first Games to award gold, silver and bronze medals previously some winners had received only a diploma and the first in which all entrants had to compete as a member of a national team, rather than individually. It was also the first to include winter events figure skating events were held in October, months after the other events and in which women were allowed to compete — 37 women were amongst the competitors — although Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the IOC, was opposed to their participation.
Qualifying rounds and a limit on the number of competitors any one nation could field were also instated. Less successfully, powerboat racing and tug-of-war made their first and last appearances at the Olympics in , the latter dominated by British police teams who took home the gold, silver and bronze medals.
The London Olympic Games were not without controversy, however, as international politics and contentious judging reared their heads on several occasions. The Finnish team refused to carry a flag when they were told they would have to march under the standard of Tsarist Russia and Irish competitors were ordered to compete for Great Britain, causing many to withdraw. The United States, whose flag had been inadvertently omitted from being displayed above the stadium, retaliated by refusing to respectfully dip the Stars and Stripes as they passed the Royal Box.
This was a precursor of several arguments between the Americans and their British hosts who, by agreement with the IOC, provided all the judges and timekeepers. Americans lodged complaints of biased judging and bemoaned that British rules were applied to events.
The tensions reached a climax in the final of the m, which was contested by three Americans and one Englishman, Wyndham Halswelle. The final was won by American John Carpenter, but he was judged to have obstructed Halswelle and was subsequently disqualified and a re-run ordered. In protest the Americans refused to take part so Halswelle ran unopposed to secure the gold medal.
More controversy followed in the marathon, held on the final day of the competition. In previous Olympics the length of the marathon had been around 40 km An additional metres was added on to the end to enable the runners to finish in front of the Royal Box.
The total distance of Dazed, he headed in the wrong direction around the track, tottering towards the finish tape, but he collapsed more than once and to be helped by race officials to his feet.
Applauded by the 90,strong crowd, he was still the first to reach the finish line but was disqualified and stripped of his victory for receiving outside aid. The gold medal was thus awarded to the next competitor to cross the line - Johnny Hayes, the youngest member of the US team. Although some eyewitness accounts have suggested that Pietri may have had the odd swig of brandy proffered by spectators around the route, his plight touched the hearts of public and the following day Queen Alexandra presented Pietri with a gold cup as a special consolation prize.
It was designed to accommodate 66, spectators but could hold as many as , standing on terraces. Over 2, athletes competed in the Games, more than three times the number than had competed at St Louis.
A record number of twenty-two nations sent teams and for the first time thirty-seven women were amongst the competitors though Baron Pierre de Coubertin , the French aristocrat who had been the moving spirit behind the revival of the Olympics, was opposed to their participation. The London Olympics were the first games in which medals were awarded to all winners, some previous winners having received only a diploma. They are the only Olympics in which Great Britain won most medals, with fifty-six golds and medals in total, three times the number won by the second-placed team, that of the United States.
Its inclusion at Paris in had attracted only two teams, the team representing France losing narrowly to Britain.
The London Games were not without controversy. At the opening ceremony, performed by Edward VII on July 13th, the team from Finland refused to carry a flag when they were told that they would have to march under the standard of Tsarist Russia.
This incident was the precursor of many arguments between the Americans and their British hosts who, by agreement with the International Olympic Committee, provided all the judges and timekeepers. The disagreements reached a climax in the final of the metres which was contested by three Americans and one Englishman, Wyndham Halswelle. Halswelle was adjudged to have been obstructed by the American J.
Carpenter, who was disqualified. Further controversy followed in the marathon on the final day of competition. In previous Olympics the length of the race had varied slightly, around forty-two kilometres, but in the King requested that the race begin on the lawns of Windsor Castle so that his grandchildren the future Edward VIII and George VI amongst them could see the start of the race.
The runners followed a route through Stoke Poges, Ruislip and Wormwood Scrubs to the finish at White City, a distance of 26 miles yards, which thereafter was the official distance for the marathon. Just three years after allied forces marched into Berlin to effectively herald the end of WWII , London prepared to host the world's greatest sporting event.
With rationing still in force and an economy recovering from the demands of war, the wartime attitude of 'make-do and mend' typified the spirit in which these Games were held. Twelve years had passed since the Olympic flame had resided in Berlin, and by the world was a very different place. Battle-scarred and still in recovery, Britain put themselves forward to host the Olympics for the second time in its history, having previously hosted the event in A global event unlike any other, Britain saw an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the worst effects of the war were now behind them.
London saw off competition from four American cities, including Los Angeles and the Swiss city of Lausanne to the host the Olympics. No new venues were erected nor was there an Olympic village to house the athletes. Male competitors stayed in military camps in Uxbridge, West Drayton and Richmond, while female competitors were housed in London colleges. Local athletes stayed at home and many commuted to the Games via public transport. As food and clothing rationing were still in force, competitors were encouraged to buy or make their own uniforms.
Athletes were, however, provided with increased food rations, which equated to around 5, calories a day instead of the normal 2, In true spirit of the Games, many countries pitched in to help increase provisions, with Denmark providing , eggs and the Dutch sending over a hundred tonnes of fruit. Under the banner of the famous quote by the founding father of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the eleventh modern Olympic Games was declared open on 29 July in Wembley Stadium.
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