Australia at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
One athlete from Victoria
, a British colony which later formed part of Australia
, competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, Greece
. Edwin Flack was born in England
and was resident in London
in 1896, but spent most of his life in Australia and so is considered an Australian athlete by the International Olympic Committee
.
The Union Flag
was used as the flag for the Australian colonies as well as Great Britain and Ireland at the 1896 Summer Olympics
.
Flack was the only competitor from an Australian colony. He entered five events, winning medals in three. The bronze medal in tennis, however, was part of a mixed team
and therefore is not counted for Australia.
Both of Flack's gold medals came in the athletics competitions as he won both of his track races
.
In the singles tournament, Flack lost both of the matches he competed in. His loss in the semifinals of the doubles competition, while carrying no prize at the time, earned him a retroactive bronze medal
from the International Olympic Committee
. This medal is counted for mixed team
rather than Australia, however.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, a British colony which later formed part of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 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...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Edwin Flack was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was resident in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1896, but spent most of his life in Australia and so is considered an Australian athlete 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...
.
The Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
was used as the flag for the Australian colonies as well as Great Britain and Ireland at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Great Britain and Ireland at the 1896 Summer Olympics
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 and tied for fifth in gold medals...
.
Flack was the only competitor from an Australian colony. He entered five events, winning medals in three. The bronze medal in tennis, however, was part of a mixed team
Mixed team at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Early Olympic Games allowed for individuals in a team to be from different nations. The International Olympic Committee now groups their results together under the mixed team designation...
and therefore is not counted for Australia.
Medalists
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin Flack | Athletics Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics At the 1896 Summer Olympics, twelve athletics events were contested. All of the events except the marathon were held in the Panathinaiko Stadium, which was also the finish for the marathon. Events were held on 6 April, 7 April, 9 April, and 10 April 1896 . 64 athletes, all men, from ten nations... |
800 m | |
| 1500 m |
Athletics
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
| Athlete | Events | Heat | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Edwin Flack | 800 m | 2:10.0 | 1 | 2:11.0 |  |
| 1500 m | N/A | 4:33.2 | |
||
| Marathon | N/A | DNF | - | ||
Tennis
In the singles tournament, Flack lost both of the matches he competed in. His loss in the semifinals of the doubles competition, while carrying no prize at the time, earned him a retroactive bronze medalBronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
from 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...
. This medal is counted for mixed team
Mixed team at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Early Olympic Games allowed for individuals in a team to be from different nations. The International Olympic Committee now groups their results together under the mixed team designation...
rather than Australia, however.
| Athlete | Event | First round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Rank | ||
| Edwin Flack | Singles | L |
Did not advance | 8 | ||
| Opponent nation | Wins | Losses | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | .000 | |
| Total | 0 | 2 | .000 |