Stockholm 1912 Summer Olympics

The fifth Summer Olympic Games were held in Stockholm from 6 to 15 July 1912.

The years leading up to the Games in Stockholm were a period of optimism. There had been widespread continuous peace in Europe since 1871, and everyone had high expectations for the future. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had just decided that the next Olympic Games would be held in Berlin in 1916, and in the German capital, plans were well underway for the construction of a new Olympic stadium. No one could foresee that two years after the sports festival in Stockholm, the nations of the world would be involved in a world war.

The Games in Stockholm were the greatest success to date for the Olympic movement. With a well-organized event, careful preparation and a good atmosphere at all competitions, the Swedes set standards in several areas for later Olympic Games [1].

Stockholm built a brand new stadium for the Games, designed by architect Torsten Grut, with space for 31,000 spectators and a running track with a somewhat unusual length of 383 m. For the first time at the Olympic Games, experiments with photo-finishes and electric timing were carried out. The opening ceremony took place on 6 July, when the Swedish king, Gustav V Adolf, officially opened the Games.

Participation in the Games in Stockholm was greater than at previous Olympic events. A total of approximately 2400 athletes from 28 countries participated in the Games. The Olympic movement could now rightly call itself worldwide, as athletes from all continents were present at the Games for the first time. Japan, Portugal and Egypt were among the nations that participated in the Olympics for the first time.

The American Avery Brundage participated in athletics, where he competed in both the decathlon and the pentathlon. He did not complete the decathlon and finished sixth in the pentathlon. Brundage later became the fifth president of the IOC from 1952 to 1972.

The Stockholm Olympics were the first Games to feature art competitions alongside the sports competitions. This was a request from the IOC president, the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, but the Swedish organizers opposed the request, and the result was that participating artists had to send their works to Coubertin's address in Paris. At subsequent Summer Games, art competitions were also held alongside the sports competitions, the last time being at the London Games in 1948 [2].

The Jim Thorpe phenomenon

The American Jim Thorpe was considered the best track and field athlete of his time, and as expected, he won gold in both the pentathlon and the decathlon, two new disciplines in track and field at the Stockholm Games. Thorpe was half Native American, born on a reservation in Oklahoma and known by his Native American name “Wa tho huck”, which means Shining Path. He was a natural talent of exceptional size, and in addition to his track and field career he became a star in both baseball and American football. Jim Thorpe is a serious contender for the unofficial title of the best athlete at the early Olympic Games.

In Stockholm, Jim Thorpe participated in a decathlon for the first – and only – time. He was overwhelmingly superior, and his world record stood for 16 years before it was broken. Thorpe was so far ahead of his time that his achievements could have earned him a silver medal at the 1948 Olympics, 36 years later.

Unfortunately, the story of Jim Thorpe does not end with his impressive Olympic performance in Stockholm. In 1913, it was revealed that Thorpe had participated in baseball games in a professional league in 1910. When this came to the attention of the IOC, Thorpe, although he was probably not aware of having broken any rules, was declared a professional at the Stockholm Olympics and had to surrender his two gold medals.

The gold medals were instead awarded to the Swede Hugo Wieslander in the decathlon and the Norwegian Ferdinand Bie in the pentathlon. They were not satisfied with the decision and have both stated that they considered Thorpe to be the rightful Olympic champion. Years later, both of them surrendered their medals to sports museums in their respective countries.

In the years following the disqualification, many sides attempted to overturn the IOC's decision, but it was not until 1982, 70 years after the Stockholm Olympics and 30 years after Jim Thorpe's death, that the IOC was convinced that an injustice had been committed against one of the great figures in sports history. On 18 January 1983, Jim Thorpe's children were presented with two new gold medals at an IOC meeting in Los Angeles. An injustice had been righted – but not completely, because the IOC decided that there should be a shared Olympic championship between Thorpe and Wieslander in the decathlon and Bie in the pentathlon. The official results lists for the Stockholm Olympics therefore show two gold medalists in each of the two disciplines [3].

First Finnish long-distance gold

The Finnish long-distance runner Hannes Kolehmainen became another big name at the athletics competitions in Stockholm. With three gold medals and one silver medal, Kolehmainen was able to start the string of Finnish long-distance runners, the “flying Finns”, who, led by Paavo Nurmi, would come to dominate the Olympic athletics competitions in the 1920s and 1930s. Kolehmainen’s match against the Frenchman Jean Bouin in the 5000 m is one of the famous clashes in Olympic history.

Kolehmainen’s performance at the Games in Stockholm was impressive. On 8 July he won the 10.000 m race, two days later he won gold and set a world record in the 5000 m, three days later he set a world record in the 3000 m in a preliminary heat in the team race, and finally on 15 July he won the cross-country race over 12.000 m.

In the 5000 m final, Kolehmainen faced another of the great runners of the time, the Frenchman Jean Bouin. After a few laps, the two pulled away from the field, and for the rest of the race, the Frenchman led at a furious pace, with Kolehmainen constantly close to him. Every time the Finn tried to get to the front, he was rejected, until he managed to pass Bouin a few meters from the finish.

Results Men’s 5000 m Athletics ⮞

Another highlight of the athletics in Stockholm was the 800 m final. In a close and exciting race, the first four runners crossed the finish line in a time better than the current world record. The time of the gold medal winner, James ”Ted” Meredith of the United States, stood as a world record for 14 years.

As so often before and since, the United States dominated the sprint races. In Stockholm, it was 22-year-old Ralph Craig who impressed by winning both the 100 m and 200 m.

Another American, Howard Drew, was initially considered the favourite for the 100m Olympic title. In the six heats of the second round, only the winners advanced to the final. This proved to be an unfair arrangement, as two of the eliminated sprinters had equalled the existing Olympic record. Unfortunately, Drew was injured after winning his heat and was unable to take part in the final. In the final, the runners seemed very nervous, and it took eight attempts to get the race started – remarkably, without anyone being disqualified. Once the race started, Craig was untouchable with his strong finish, and he won safely ahead of two compatriots.

Results Men’s 100 m Athletics ⮞

As had been the case in London four years earlier, the marathon was held on an extremely hot day, which meant that only half of the runners completed the race. South Africa won a surprising double victory with gold for Kenneth McArthur and silver for Christopher Gitsham. The race was unfortunately struck by tragedy when Lazaro from Portugal collapsed with heart problems in the final part of the race. He was taken to hospital but died the next day.

Results Men’s Marathon Athletics ⮞

There were 30 disciplines on the athletics programme, all for men. For the first time, the 5000 m and 10.000 m races were held at the Olympics. For the first time, apart from a run in 1904, there were also competitions in the all-around, both the pentathlon and the decathlon, as well as in cross-country running. On the other hand, it was the last time that the standing jump and the two-handed throw were on the Olympic athletics programme [4].

Women’s swimming

At the Stockholm Olympics, women competed for the first time in swimming on the Olympic program. In the 1900-08 Games, women had participated in several other sports (golf, tennis, etc.), but in 1912 it was the first time that women were allowed to compete in one of the sports with a big number of events.

The decision to allow women to compete was made by the IOC in 1910 at its 11th session in Luxembourg. It was a decision that gave rise to discussion and resistance. For example, women from the United States did not participate in the swimming competitions, and the two Australian participants, Sarah ”Fanny” Durack and Wilhelmina Wylie, were only allowed to participate on condition that the costs were paid for by their families and through fundraising. The participation of the two Australians was a success. They won gold and silver in the 100 m freestyle, and Fanny Durack thus became the first female Olympic champion in swimming.

Already in her opening heat, Durack improved the world record of the British Daisy Curwens by 8/100 of a second. In the semifinals, Durack and Curwen met in the first heat, and here Durack again achieved a time below Curwen's world record. Curwen came second in the heat, but had to be taken to the hospital immediately after the race with appendicitis. In Curwen's absence, Fanny Durack was untouchable in the final.

Results Women’s 100 m freestyle Swimming ⮞

The swimming competitions were held in Djurgårdsbrunnsviken in an area of ​​Stockholm's harbor close to the city center. Here, a temporary 100 m long track had been built, bordered by land on one side. There were nine disciplines on the program, seven for men and two for women - in addition to the 100 m freestyle also the 4x100 m freestyle relay [5].

In the men's competitions, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku of the United States made his Olympic debut. Kahanamoku was the first of the great swimming names from Hawaii to compete for the United States in the years 1912-1924. When Kahanamoku appeared in Stockholm, he was not very well known outside the United States. He had obtained good times at home in Hawaii, but because of the distances, he had never participated in international competitions or championships in the United States. In Stockholm, he won a clear gold medal in the 100 m freestyle. It was the start of a great Olympic career that also brought him to the Olympics in 1920 and 1924 as an active participant. In 1928, he was a reserve on the American swimming team and in 1932, a reserve on the United States water polo team at the age of 41.

In Stockholm, Kahanamoku was close to having to leave the 100 m race already in the semifinals. In the first two rounds, he had won his heats in times that were significantly better than the other participants. Due to a misunderstanding about the starting times, the three American swimmers did not show up for the two semifinals, which were then swum without the Americans. However, the organizers found it completely unacceptable to hold an Olympic 100 m final without the swimmers from the United States, so a third semifinal was hastily arranged. Kahanamoku showed his class, and he won the extra semifinal in a time of 1:02.4, matching the German Kurt Brettings world record. In the final, Kahanamoku won easily.

Results Men’s 100 m freestyle Swimming ⮞

Canadian George Hodgson and German Walter Bathe both became double gold medalists in Stockholm. Hodgson won both the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle, and Bathe won both breaststroke events.

The women were also allowed to compete in the springboard with a single event. Here, 17-year-old Swede Margareta Johanson won a clear victory in a competition with 14 participants. There were three disciplines for men, two of which were won by the Swede Erik Adlerz.

Water polo was on the Olympic programme in Stockholm for the third time, and as in 1900 and 1908, the gold medals were won by Great Britain. Six teams participated, and the British won all their matches without difficulty.

Modern pentathlon - a sport developed specifically for the Olympics

Modern pentathlon is a sport that was developed specifically for the 1912 Olympic Games. The initiator was Pierre de Coubertin, the president of the IOC and the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and the idea was to develop a sport that could be compared to the pentathlon of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. The modern pentathlon was built on the actions that a military courier had to go through on his way through enemy lines. Coubertin's proposal was presented and adopted at the IOC session in Budapest in 1911, and the sport made its debut in Stockholm the following year.

32 athletes from ten nations participated in the modern pentathlon competition. The competition was held over five days and included shooting, 300 m freestyle swimming, epee fencing, cross-country riding and cross-country running. Participants were awarded points corresponding to their placement in each of the five elements.

The Swedish hosts wanted to do well in the new sport, and the special training of their athletes led to great Swedish success. All three medals were won by Swedes, with Gustaf Lilliehöök as Olympic champion, followed by Gösta Aasbrink and Georg de Laval in the next places.

Results Men’s Individual Modern Pentathlon ⮞

The best non-Swedish was a 26-year-old American officer, George Patton, in fifth place. He later achieved fame as a tank general during World War II. Ironically, he lost his chance for victory already in the shooting, which was the first element of the competition. Here Patton came in only 21st of the 32 participants.

Since its debut in 1912, modern pentathlon has been on the program at every Summer Games to date, in the early years as an individual competition for men. In the period 1952-92, a team competition for men was also held. Since 2000, the program has consisted of an individual competition for women and a similar one for men.

The first real football tournament and the longest cycling race in history

Thirteen nations had registered for the football tournament in Stockholm, all European. However, France and Belgium withdrew, so only eleven teams took part. The football tournament was held as an elimination tournament, and the matches were played at the Olympic Stadium and two other football pitches in Stockholm. It was the first time a major football tournament had been held, and one can reasonably speak of the first unofficial European Championship in the sport.

As at the London Games four years earlier, Great Britain and Denmark were in a class of their own. Great Britain won their first match 7-0 over Hungary and then 4-0 over Finland in the semi-final. The Briton Harold Walden scored five and three goals respectively in the two matches, and he reached a total of eleven goals throughout the tournament. With victories over Norway and the Netherlands, Denmark also reached the final.

In the final, Great Britain was a class better than Denmark. After 20 minutes of play, Walden and Gordon Hoare had put the British in the lead with 2-0. Just before the end of the first half, Denmark had a player injured and the Danes had to play the rest of the match with ten players. This effectively decided the final, and Great Britain won 4-2.

The Swedish organizers had not planned to hold cycling competitions in advance. The only cycle track in the city had been removed to make way for the new Olympic stadium, and the Swedes did not want to build a new cycle track. They also did not think they could organize road races, claiming that there were no suitable roads in good condition around Stockholm.

The IOC and several of the member states were not satisfied with this position, and at the IOC's 12th session in 1911 in Budapest, a compromise was reached that a road race should be run on the cycle route “Mälaren Rundt” as the basis for both an individual competition and a team competition.

The “Mälaren Rundt” was a traditional cycle race in Sweden. It was first run in 1892, and from 1901 it was an annual event. The “Mälaren Rundt” had a total length of just over 315 km, and the 1912 road race was therefore the longest cycling race in the history of the Olympic Games to date.

The race was held as a time trial with individual start. The first rider started at two o’clock in the morning, and the last rider was sent off at seven in the morning. The individual competition was won by Rudolph Lewis from South Africa after a cycle ride of almost eleven hours.

Each country could field up to twelve riders, and the team race was decided by the sum of the times of the team’s four best-placed riders. The team race was won by Sweden with a total time of almost 45 hours.

Two legendary wrestling matches

In wrestling, two legendary fights were experienced, where the decisions were largely a consequence of the rule of the time that a fight was not over until one of the wrestlers had both shoulders on the floor.

There were five classes on the program, all in the Greco-Roman style. The wrestling competitions were dominated by the Nordic wrestlers, with Finland as the best nation with gold medals in three classes.

In the light-heavyweight final, Anders Ahlgren from Sweden and Ivar Böhling from Finland met. Both had won their preliminary matches in convincing style and in relatively short matches, and they were now both ready for the decisive match for Olympic gold. The final was very even, hour after hour the two wrestlers fought without being able to reach a decision. After eleven hours of wrestling, the referees intervened and declared the match over as a draw.

After the match, the two wrestlers were both awarded a silver medal, as according to the rules of the time, it was a requirement that one had defeated their opponents in order to achieve first place. No gold medal was awarded in the light-heavyweight class.

The final between Ahlgren and Böhling was not, however, the longest fight in Stockholm. In a middleweight semi-final, Estonian-born Russian Martin Klein and Finn Alfred Asikainen met. Here too, the two wrestlers fought hour after hour under the hot sun at the Olympic Stadium, interrupted only by short drink breaks every half hour. Only after 11 hours and 40 minutes of wrestling did Klein manage to defeat his opponent. Unfortunately, Klein was so exhausted after the fight that he was unable to compete in the final. The gold medal in the class therefore went to Swede Claes Johanson without a fight.

Well-organized Olympic Games

The Stockholm Games featured 102 events in 15 sports. Compared to the London Games four years earlier, the Olympic program had been significantly revamped, partly at the request of IOC President Pierre de Coubertin, with ten sports being removed from the program. The Swedish organizers did not want boxing in their country, and the other nine sports that were dropped were archery, hockey, jeu de paume, figure skating, lacrosse, motorboating, polo, rackets and rugby. Modern pentathlon was added to the program as a new Olympic sport, and equestrian was also reinstated at the Olympics.

18 of the participating nations were able to return home from Stockholm with medals in their suitcases. It was also noted that four of the five continents managed to win gold medals. Only the athletes from Asia failed to win medals in Stockholm.

The USA and the host nation Sweden were the dominant nations at the Games. Together, the two countries won almost half of the 102 gold medals on offer in Stockholm.

The top 5 list of the most successful athletes in Stockholm is heavily dominated by shooters. The Swedish twin brothers Wilhelm Carlberg and Eric Carlberg, the American Alfred Lane and the Swede Johan von Holst all won their medals in shooting. Only the Finnish runner Hannes Kolehmainen managed to place himself on the list among the shooters.

After the Games, everyone could agree that the Games in Stockholm had been the best so far and that the organization of the Games had been excellent. After that, people could look forward with high expectations to the next Olympic Games in Berlin in 1916. Here, however, the nations would have to concentrate on completely different problems.