Frank Keeping
Encyclopedia
Frederick Keeping was a British
racing cyclist. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens
.
Keeping competed in the 333 metres and 12 hours races. In the 12 hours race, Keeping was one of only two cyclists to finish, covering 314.664 kilometres. He was only one lap behind the winner, Adolf Schmal
, who covered 314.997 kilometres. Keeping tied with two others for fifth place in the 333m, with 27.0 seconds.
. There were objections that he and another rider, Edward Battell, worked for a living. That made them "not gentlemen so they could not possibly be amateurs." The historian Mike Price said: "Gentlemen were not paid so were true amateurs. Servants had to be paid and so lost any claims to being amateur. Such was the attitude of the day. Protests were overruled.
, and just two finished, "in total distress".
Richard D. Mandell, in his book The First Modern Olympics, wrote: "Neither had eaten and had only sipped liquid. They were squalid from excreta and delirious from fatigue... their legs swollen gruesomely... both could be heard weeping."
Adolf Schmal of Austria
completed 900 laps of the velodrome
to finish one lap ahead of Keeping. Rain and wind meant there were few spectators and those that there were lost interest because the race was "a montonous sight."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
racing cyclist. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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...
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...
.
Keeping competed in the 333 metres and 12 hours races. In the 12 hours race, Keeping was one of only two cyclists to finish, covering 314.664 kilometres. He was only one lap behind the winner, Adolf Schmal
Adolf Schmal
Felix Adolf Schmal was an Austrian fencer and racing cyclist. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens....
, who covered 314.997 kilometres. Keeping tied with two others for fifth place in the 333m, with 27.0 seconds.
Amateurism protests
Keeping worked as a servant at the British Embassy in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. There were objections that he and another rider, Edward Battell, worked for a living. That made them "not gentlemen so they could not possibly be amateurs." The historian Mike Price said: "Gentlemen were not paid so were true amateurs. Servants had to be paid and so lost any claims to being amateur. Such was the attitude of the day. Protests were overruled.
Olympic 12-hour race
Six riders started the 12-hour race at 5am, four of them from GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and just two finished, "in total distress".
Richard D. Mandell, in his book The First Modern Olympics, wrote: "Neither had eaten and had only sipped liquid. They were squalid from excreta and delirious from fatigue... their legs swollen gruesomely... both could be heard weeping."
Adolf Schmal of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
completed 900 laps of the velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
to finish one lap ahead of Keeping. Rain and wind meant there were few spectators and those that there were lost interest because the race was "a montonous sight."