1900 Olympic Games
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| Host city | Paris, France | ||
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| Nations participating | 24 | ||
| Athletes participating | 997 (975 men, 22 women) | ||
| Events | 85 in 19 sports | ||
| Opening ceremony | none (first event May 14) | ||
| Closing ceremony | none (last event October 28) | ||
| Stadium | Vélodrome de Vincennes | ||
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The 1900 Summer Olympics (French: Les Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France, and the last Summer Olympics to be held in the 19th century. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair. In total, 997 competitors took part in 19 different sports. Women took part in the games for the first time and sailor Hélène de Pourtalès became the first female Olympic champion. The decision to hold competitions on a Sunday brought protests from many American athletes, who travelled as representatives of their colleges and were expected to withdraw rather than compete on their religious day of rest.
At the Sorbonne conference of 1894, Pierre de Coubertin proposed that the Olympic Games should take place in 1900 in Paris. The delegates to the conference were unwilling to wait six years and lobbied to hold the first games in 1896. A decision was made to hold the first Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens and that Paris would host the second celebration.
Most of the winners in 1900 did not receive medals, but were given cups or trophies. Professionals competed in fencing and Albert Robert Ayat (France), who won the épée for amateurs and masters, was awarded a prize of 3000 francs.
Some unusual events were contested for the only time in the history of the Games, including automobile and motorcycle racing,ballooning,cricket,croquet,Basque pelota, and 200m swimming obstacle race and underwater swimming. This was also the only Olympic Games in history to use live animals (pigeons) as targets during the shooting event.
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