The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris (France) were held from May 14 to October 28. They lasted more than 5 months. The fact is that the iras were timed to coincide with the World Exhibition, which at that time was held in Paris. 997 athletes took part in them, including 22 women, from 24 countries of the world. 95 sets of medals were played in 18 sports.
The Greeks hoped that the Olympic Games, as in ancient times, would be held only in Greece. However, the IOC had a different opinion on this matter. Pierre de Coubertin proposed to host the Olympic Games in various countries. In recognition of the Frenchman's merits in the revival of the modern Olympic Games, it was decided to hold the next Games in his homeland.
The program of games in Paris has been replenished with such sports as water polo, golf, archery, water polo and others.
Women in the Olympic Games also participated for the first time - in golf and tennis competitions. The first Olympic champion of our time was tennis player Charlotte Cooper from England.
The first place in the unofficial team event was taken by the French - 100 medals (25-41-34), the second place in the USA - 47 (19-14-14), the third in England - 30 (15-6-9). In track and field competitions alone, 14 records were set, 6 of which exceeded world records.
However, these Olympic Games were not particularly significant. Opening and closing ceremonies were not held, because the games were a kind of supplement to the International Exhibition. Many other Olympic traditions were also not followed.
The fact is that Alfred Picard, the director of the exhibition, considered sports "useless and absurd." At first, he was against the behavior of the OI. Nevertheless, he was persuaded. On November 6, 1898, representatives of the French Union of Athletes announced that only their organization has the right to hold any sporting events at the exhibition. The IOC did not dare to join the fight and conceded the right.
In February 1899, a new committee was formed to organize the OI. Picard became its head. He and the president of the French Rifle Association, Daniel Merillon, drew up a new competition program and a list of sports grounds. It is noteworthy that the new committee practically did not use the word "Olympic", calling the Olympic Games "Exhibition Competition" or "International Championship". At that time, Coubertin was on the road, inviting athletes from various countries to the games.
