1906 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games were an international multi-sport event
which was celebrated in Athens
, Greece
. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games
and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the International Olympic Committee
. While medals were distributed to the participants during these games, the medals are not officially recognized by the IOC today and are not displayed with the collection of Olympic medals at the Olympic Museum
in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The first Intercalated Games
had been scheduled by the IOC in 1901 as part of a new schedule, where every four years, in between the internationally organized games, there would be intermediate games held in Athens. This was apparently a compromise: After the successful games of Athens 1896
, the Greeks suggested they could organize the games every four years. Since they had the accommodations and had proven to be able to hold well-organized games, they received some support. However, Pierre de Coubertin
, the founder of the International Olympic Committee
opposed this. Coubertin had intended the first games to be in Paris
in 1900. After Paris lost the premiere Olympics, Coubertin did not want the games to be permanently hosted elsewhere.
When these games turned out less than perfect and were overshadowed by the Exposition Universelle
, the IOC supported the Greek idea by granting them a second series of quadrennial games in between the first series. All of the games would be International Olympic Games; the difference was that half of them would follow Coubertin's idea of organizing them in different countries to make the Olympic Movement more international, while the other half would follow the Greeks' idea of a permanent home with the Greek NOC
as experienced organizers. This was a departure from the ancient schedule, but it was expected that, if the ancient Greeks could keep a four-year schedule, the modern Olympic Movement could keep a two-year schedule. As 1902 was now too close, and Greece experienced internal difficulties, the 2nd Olympic Games in Athens were scheduled for 1906. The IOC as a whole gave the Greek NOC full support for the organization.
or 1908
games, they were neither stretched out over months nor overshadowed by an international exhibition. Their crisp format was most likely instrumental in the continued existence of the games.
These Games also were the first games to have all athlete registration go through the NOCs. They were the first to have the Opening of the Games as a separate event; an event at which for the first time the athletes marched into the stadium in national teams, each following its national flag. It was also first with an Olympic Village
at the Zappeion
. They introduced the closing ceremony, and the raising of national flags for the victors, and several less-visible changes now accepted as tradition.
The Games were held from 22 April to 2 May 1906, in Athens, Greece. They took place in the Panathinaiko Stadium
, which had already hosted the 1896 Games and the earlier Zappas Olympics
of 1870 and 1875. The games excluded several disciplines that had occurred during the past two games; it was unclear whether they ought to have been part of the Olympic Games. Added to the program were the javelin throw
and the pentathlon
.
.
In the table, the host country is highlighted.
The mixed team medal is for Belgian/Greek athletes in the Coxed Pairs 1 mile rowing event. The silver medal for the team from Smyrna
and the bronze medal for the team from Thessalonica
in the football event were won by ethnic Greeks
competing for Greece, despite both cities being Ottoman
possessions at the time.
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
which was celebrated in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
. While medals were distributed to the participants during these games, the medals are not officially recognized by the IOC today and are not displayed with the collection of Olympic medals at the Olympic Museum
Olympic Museum
The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic movement. With more than 10,000 pieces, the museum is the largest archive of Olympic Games in the world and one of Lausanne's prime tourist draws attracting more than 250,000...
in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Origin
Intercalated Games
The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what we now call Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international...
had been scheduled by the IOC in 1901 as part of a new schedule, where every four years, in between the internationally organized games, there would be intermediate games held in Athens. This was apparently a compromise: After the successful games of Athens 1896
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
, the Greeks suggested they could organize the games every four years. Since they had the accommodations and had proven to be able to hold well-organized games, they received some support. However, Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
, the founder of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
opposed this. Coubertin had intended the first games to be in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1900. After Paris lost the premiere Olympics, Coubertin did not want the games to be permanently hosted elsewhere.
When these games turned out less than perfect and were overshadowed by the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
, the IOC supported the Greek idea by granting them a second series of quadrennial games in between the first series. All of the games would be International Olympic Games; the difference was that half of them would follow Coubertin's idea of organizing them in different countries to make the Olympic Movement more international, while the other half would follow the Greeks' idea of a permanent home with the Greek NOC
National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
as experienced organizers. This was a departure from the ancient schedule, but it was expected that, if the ancient Greeks could keep a four-year schedule, the modern Olympic Movement could keep a two-year schedule. As 1902 was now too close, and Greece experienced internal difficulties, the 2nd Olympic Games in Athens were scheduled for 1906. The IOC as a whole gave the Greek NOC full support for the organization.
First Intercalated Games
The 1906 games were quite successful. Unlike the 1900, 19041904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
or 1908
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
games, they were neither stretched out over months nor overshadowed by an international exhibition. Their crisp format was most likely instrumental in the continued existence of the games.
These Games also were the first games to have all athlete registration go through the NOCs. They were the first to have the Opening of the Games as a separate event; an event at which for the first time the athletes marched into the stadium in national teams, each following its national flag. It was also first with an Olympic Village
Olympic Village
An Olympic Village is an accommodation centre built for an Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials, athletic trainers, and other staff. Since the Munich Massacre at the 1972...
at the Zappeion
Zappeion
The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...
. They introduced the closing ceremony, and the raising of national flags for the victors, and several less-visible changes now accepted as tradition.
Games
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
, which had already hosted the 1896 Games and the earlier Zappas Olympics
Zappas Olympics
The Zappas Olympics , simply called Olympics at the time, were a series of athletic events held in Athens, Greece, in 1859, 1870, and 1875 sponsored by the Greek businessman Evangelis Zappas. These games were the first revival of the ancient Olympic Games in the modern era...
of 1870 and 1875. The games excluded several disciplines that had occurred during the past two games; it was unclear whether they ought to have been part of the Olympic Games. Added to the program were the javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
and the pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
.
Opening
The games included a real opening ceremony, watched by a large crowd. The athletes, for the first time, entered the stadium as national teams, marching behind their flags. The official opening of the games was done by King Georgios IGeorge I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
.
Highlights
- There were only two standing jump events in Athens, but Ray EwryRay EwryRaymond "Ray" Clarence Ewry was an American track and field athlete who won 8 gold medals at the Olympic Games and 2 gold medals at the "Intercalated Games" . This puts him among the most successful Olympians of all time...
successfully defended his titles in both of them, bringing his total up to 8 gold medals. In 1908 he would successfully defend them one last time for a total of 10 Olympic titles, a feat unparalleled until 20082008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. - Paul PilgrimPaul PilgrimPaul Henry Pilgrim was an American athlete who won three gold medals at the 1904 and 1906 Summer Olympics.He was born in New York City and died in White Plains, New York....
won both the 400 and 800 meters, a feat that was first repeated during Montreal 19761976 Summer OlympicsThe 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
by Alberto JuantorenaAlberto JuantorenaAlberto Juantorena Danger is a Cuban former track athlete. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, he became the first and so far only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles....
. - CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Billy SherringWilliam SherringBilly Sherring was an Irish Canadian athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1906 Intercalated Games ....
lived in Greece for two months, to adjust to the local conditions. His efforts paid off as he unexpectedly won the Marathon. Prince GeorgeGeorge II of GreeceGeorge II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
accompanied him on the final lap. - Finland made its Olympic debut, and immediately won a gold medal, as Verner JärvinenVerner JärvinenVenne "Verner" Järvinen was a Finnish athlete who competed mostly in the throwing events. A gold medalist in the Greek-style discus from the 1906 Intercalated Games, he went on to win a bronze in the same event at the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Career:Originally one of Finland's leading wrestlers, he...
won the Discus, Greek style event. - Peter O'ConnorPeter O'ConnorPeter O'Connor was an Irish athlete who set a long-standing world record for the long jump and won two Olympic medals in the 1906 Games.-Early career:...
of Ireland won Gold in the hop, step and jumpTriple jumpThe triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
(triple jump) and Silver in the long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
. In protest at being put on the British team, O'Connor scaled the flagpole and hoisted the Irish flag, while the pole was guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters. - Martin SheridanMartin SheridanMartin John Sheridan was "one of the greatest athletes [the United States] has ever known" according to his obituary in the New York Times. He was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland and died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, New York, the day before his 37th birthday, a very early casualty...
of the Irish American Athletic ClubIrish American Athletic ClubThe Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
, competing for the U.S. Team won Gold in the 16-LB Shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and the Freestyle Discus throwDiscus throwThe discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
and Silver in the Standing high jumpStanding high jumpThe standing high jump is an athletics event that was featured in the Olympics from 1900 to 1912.It is performed in the same way as high jump, with the difference being that the athlete stands still and jumps with both feet together....
, Standing long jumpStanding long jumpThe standing long jump is an athletics event. It was an Olympic event until 1912.In performing the standing long jump, the jumper stands at a line marked on the ground with their feet slightly apart. The athlete takes off and lands using both feet, swinging their arms and bending their knees to...
and Stone throw. He scored the greatest number of points of any athlete at the Games. For his accomplishments he was presented with a ceremonial javelin by King Georgios I. This javelin is still on display in a local pub near Sheridan's hometown in BoholaBoholaBohola is a fictional village which is in many irish legend stories Gallen, County Mayo, Ireland located along the N5 national primary road. It consists of 2 pubs, a post office and a Catholic Church. The village is located near Lough Conn.-People:...
, County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Closing ceremony
Six thousand schoolchildren took part in possibly the first ever Olympic closing ceremony.Medals awarded
|
|
Medal count
These medals were distributed but are no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee.In the table, the host country is highlighted.
| 1 |  Early Modern France |
15 | 9 | 16 | 40 |
| 2 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 24 | |
| 3 |  Greece |
8 | 14 | 13 | 35 |
| 4 |  United Kingdom |
8 | 11 | 5 | 24 |
| 5 |  Italy |
7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
| 6 |  Switzerland |
5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| 7 |  Germany |
4 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| 8 |  Norway |
4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 |  Austria |
3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 10 |  Denmark |
3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 |  Sweden |
2 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| 12 |  Hungary |
2 | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 13 |  Belgium |
2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 |  FinlandGrand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :... |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 15 |  Canada |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 |  Netherlands |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 18 |  Australia |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 |  Bohemia |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 78 | 80 | 78 | 236 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The mixed team medal is for Belgian/Greek athletes in the Coxed Pairs 1 mile rowing event. The silver medal for the team from Smyrna
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
and the bronze medal for the team from Thessalonica
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in the football event were won by ethnic Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
competing for Greece, despite both cities being Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
possessions at the time.
See also
- Intercalated GamesIntercalated GamesThe Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what we now call Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international...
- International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
- IOC country codes