The men's sprint was one of the five track cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 events on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

At the 1896 Summer Olympics, six cycling events were contested at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome. They were organized and prepared by the Sub-Committee for Cycling. Events were held on 8 April, 11 April, 12 April and 13 April 1896...

 programme. It was held on 11 April as the second event on the schedule. It was held over the distance of 2 kilometres, or six laps of the track.

Results

Place	Athlete	Time
1		4:58.2
2		5:00.2
3		Unknown
–		DNF

Four athletes entered the race. Rosemeyer of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 had mechanical problems during the race and left the course without finishing. The French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 cyclists took 1st and 3rd places, while Nikolopoulos of Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

finished second.