Great Britain and Ireland at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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Great Britain at the Olympic Games
Flag of the United Kingdom
IOC code:	GBR
NOC:	British Olympic Association external link
1896 Summer Olympics in Athens
Competitors	10 in 7 sports
Medals	Gold 2	Silver 3	Bronze 2	Total 7
Summer Olympic Games appearances
As Great Britain and Ireland: 1896 • 1900 • 1904 • 1908 • 1912 • 1920 • 1924 As Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004
Winter Olympic Games appearances
1924 • 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006

Ten athletes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed in seven sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The British and Irish athletes were the fifth most successful in terms of overall medals (7) and tied for fifth in gold medals (2). The 7 medals came on 23 entries in 14 events.

Two British tennis players also played in mixed team squads, contributing to a gold and a bronze medal. These medals are not counted as part of the British total.

Contents 1 Medals 1.1 Gold 1.2 Silver 1.3 Bronze 2 Results by event 2.1 Athletics 2.2 Cycling 2.3 Gymnastics 2.4 Shooting 2.5 Tennis 2.6 Weightlifting 2.7 Wrestling 3 References

[edit] Medals

[edit] Gold

• John Pius Boland - tennis, singles
• Launceston Elliot - weightlifting, one-handed

[edit] Silver

• Grantley Goulding - athletics, 110 metres hurdles
• Frank Keeping - cycling, 12 hour race
• Launceston Elliot - weightlifting, two-handed

[edit] Bronze

• Edward Battel - cycling, road race
• Charles Gmelin - athletics, 400 metres

[edit] Results by event

[edit] Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

The British athletes took two medals and a fourth-place finish in athletics. The 100 metres and the 800 metres were the two events in which they had little success.

Event	Place	Athlete	Heat	Final
100 metres	–	Launceston Elliot	Unknown	Did not advance
		Charles Gmelin	Unknown
		George Marshall	Unknown
400 metres	3rd	Charles Gmelin	Unknown	Unknown
800 metres	–	George Marshall	Unknown	Did not advance
110 metre hurdles	2nd	Grantley Goulding	18.4 seconds	17.6 seconds

Event	Place	Athlete	Best mark
Discus throw	4th	George S. Robertson	25.20 metres

[edit] Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Battel and Keeping each won a medal in the cycling program, earning a 4th place and a 5th place finish as well.

Event	Place	Cyclist	Time/Distance
333 metres	4th	Edward Battel	26.2 seconds
	5th	Frank Keeping	27.0 seconds
100 kilometres	–	Edward Battel	Did not finish
12 hour race	2nd	Frank Keeping	314.664 kilometres
Road race	3rd	Edward Battel	Unknown

[edit] Gymnastics

Main article: Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Elliot finished in last place in the rope climbing competition. He did not make it all the way up the 14-metre rope, retiring at some point below 12.5 metres (the distance of the bronze medallist).

Event	Place	Gymnast	Height
Rope climbing	5th	Launceston Elliot	Unknown

[edit] Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Merlin and Machonet were unable to win any medals in the shooting events.

Event	Place	Shooter	Score	Hits
Military rifle	10th	Sidney Merlin	1156	Unknown
	–	Machonet	Unknown
Free rifle	–	Sidney Merlin	Unknown
Military pistol	–	Sidney Merlin	Did not finish
Rapid fire pistol	–	Sidney Merlin	Did not finish

[edit] Tennis

Main article: Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Boland was by far the best player in the tennis competition, amassing a 6-0 record over both events and two gold medals, though one of them was as part of a mixed team. He defeated Traun in the first round of the singles competition, then teamed up with him for the doubles competition. Robertson was much less successful, losing both of the matches he played, though he was awarded a retroactive bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee as his bye in the doubles quarterfinals put him in third place in that event. Like Boland's doubles gold medal, Robertson's bronze is not counted as part of the British total because the two played on mixed teams.

Event	Place	Player	Round 1	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
Singles	1st	John Pius Boland	Won	Won	Won	Won 6-2, 6-2
	8th	George S. Robertson	Lost	Did not advance
Doubles	1st	John Pius Boland and  Friedrich Traun (GER)	–	Won	Bye	Won
	3rd	George S. Robertson and  Teddy Flack (AUS)	–	Bye	Lost	Did not advance

Opponent nation	Wins	Losses	Percent
Germany	1	0	1.000
Greece	5	2	.714
Total	6	2	.750

[edit] Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Elliot lifted the same amount as Viggo Jensen in the two handed lift, but was declared by Prince George of Greece to have taken second place based on lifting form. In the one handed lift, he easily defeated Jensen, who lifted only 57 kilograms.

Event	Place	Weightlifter	Best lift
One handed	1st	Launceston Elliot	71.0 kilograms
Two handed	2nd	Launceston Elliot	111.5 kilograms

[edit] Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Elliot was defeated by eventual champion Carl Schuhmann in the first round of the wrestling competition, tying for 4th and last place.

Event	Place	Wrestler	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
Greco-Roman	4th	Launceston Elliot	Lost	Did not advance

Opponent nation	Wins	Losses	Percent
Germany	0	1	.000
Total	0	1	.000

[edit] References

• Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J.; & Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck.  (Digitally available at [1])
• Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9.  (Excerpt available at [2])
• Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X. 

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