Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's single sculls explained

Event:Men's single sculls
Games:1900 Summer
Venue:Seine
Dates:25–26 August
Competitors:12
Nations:3
Longnames:yes
Win Value:7:35.6
Gold:Hermann Barrelet
Goldnoc:FRA
Silver:André Gaudin
Silvernoc:FRA
Bronze:Saint-George Ashe
Bronzenoc:GBR
Next:1904

The single sculls was one of the competitions in the Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics events in Paris. It was held on 25 and 26 August 1900. 12 athletes from 3 nations competed. Four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and a final were held.[1] The event was won by Hermann Barrelet of France; the host nation also took silver with André Gaudin. Saint-George Ashe of Great Britain earned bronze, after interfering with another rower in the quarterfinals and advancing out of the semifinals for unknown reasons after placing third in his heat.

Background

This was the first appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The single sculls has been held every time that rowing has been contested, beginning in 1900.[2]

Great Britain's best sculler, C. V. Fox, entered but withdrew.[3]

Competition format

The tournament featured three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. There were four quarterfinals, each with three boats; the top two in each advanced to the semifinals. The two semifinals each had four boats, with the top two advancing to the final. The final was a four-boat race.[2]

The distance for each race was 1750 metres, rather than the 2000 metres which was becoming standard even at the time (and has been used in the Olympics since 1912, except in 1948).[4]

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Saturday, 25 August 1900 9:00 Quarterfinals
Sunday, 26 August 1900 10:00
16:30
Semifinals
Final

Results

Quarterfinals

The top two rowers in each heat advanced to the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1

Ashe went out of his rowing lane, interfering with Benoit. Despite this, he was not disqualified.

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 6:38.8
2 Raymond-Benoît 6:45.4
3 7:13.0

Quarterfinal 2

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 6:38.8
2 6:43.0
3 Lardon 6:46.4

Quarterfinal 3

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 6:29.6
2 6:38.8
data-sort-value=3data-sort-value=9:99.9

Quarterfinal 4

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 6:33.8
2 6:46.8
data-sort-value=3data-sort-value=9:99.9

Semifinals

The top two rowers in each semifinal advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

For unknown reasons, Ashe protested the result of this semifinal. Barrelet and Gaudin objected and refused to race if Ashe were advanced, but eventually relented. The final therefore included five rowers instead of the planned four.

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 8:23.0
2 8:33.4
3 8:37.2
4 Raymond-Benoît data-sort-value=9:99.9Unknown

Semifinal 2

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 8:36.4
2 8:45.0
3 9:25.2
4 data-sort-value=9:99.9Unknown

Final

Yet another protest marred the single sculls competition in the final, as Prével complained of being interfered with after falling in the water and dropping out of the race; his protest was rejected. Barrelet and Gaudin, who had placed first and second in both the preliminary round and the semifinal, did so once again in the final. Ashe took the bronze medal, with d'Heilly close behind him.

Rank Rower Nation Time
7:35.6
7:41.6
8:15.6
4 8:16.0
data-sort-value=5data-sort-value=9:99.9

Results summary

Rank Rower Nation Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
6:38.8 8:23.0 7:35.6
6:43.0 8:33.4 7:41.6
6:38.8 8:37.2 8:15.6
4 6:38.8 8:45.0 8:16.0
5 6:29.6 8:36.4 data-sort-value=9:99.9
6 6:33.8 9:25.2 rowspan=3
7 6:46.8 data-sort-value=9:99.9Unknown
Raymond-Benoît 6:45.4 data-sort-value=9:99.9Unknown
9 Lardon 6:46.4 rowspan=4 colspan=2
10 7:13.0
data-sort-value=11 rowspan=2data-sort-value=9:99.9
data-sort-value=9:99.9

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rowing at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418132603/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ROW/mens-single-sculls.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . Sports Reference . 22 July 2018.
  2. Web site: Single Sculls, Men . Olympedia . 14 April 2021.
  3. Web site: Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics . Olympedia . 14 April 2021.
  4. Web site: Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance . World Rowing . 1 May 2017 . 14 April 2021.