HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games (), held from 22 April 1906 to 2 May 1906, was an international
multi-sport event A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of intern ...
that was celebrated in
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
,
Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece (, Romanization, romanized: ''Vasíleion tis Elládos'', pronounced ) was the Greece, Greek Nation state, nation-state established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally ...
. They were at the time considered to be
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
(IOC).Journal of Olympic History, Volume 10, December 2001/January 2002, ''The 2nd International Olympic Games in Athens 1906'', by Karl Lennartz
However, the medals that were distributed to the participants during these games were later not officially recognised by the IOC and are not displayed with the collection of Olympic medals at the
Olympic Museum The Olympic Museum () in Lausanne, Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic movement. With more than 10,000 artifacts, the museum is the largest archive of Olympic Games memorabilia in the world and on ...
in
Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
, Switzerland. The 1906 games are noted for their influence on the Olympic tradition and the records broken during these games are recorded in history, but are no longer considered part of the Olympic records. 894 athletes from 20 nations competed in this competition. The idea behind the Intercalated games was to have an Olympics in Greece every four years, but this would be the first and last. The idea was not pursued further and is sometimes called the "forgotten games" in the context of the Olympics. The next Olympic Games would be the
1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...
in London, and the next time the Olympic Games would return to Greece was 98 years later in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
also in Athens.


Intercalated Games

The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of ''International Olympic Games'' halfway between what is now known as the Games of the
Olympiad An olympiad (, ''Olympiás'') is a period of four years, particularly those associated with the Ancient Olympic Games, ancient and Olympic Games, modern Olympic Games. Although the ancient Olympics were established during Archaic Greece, Greece ...
. This proposed series of Games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was always to be held in
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
and was to have equal status with the international Games. However, the only such Games were held in 1906. One reason for the games in 1906 was to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the 1896 games. The first Intercalated Games had been scheduled by the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
in 1901 as part of a new schedule, where every four years, in between the internationally organised Games, there would be Intermediate Games held in Athens. This was a compromise; after the successful Games of Athens 1896, the Greeks suggested they could organise the games every four years. Since they had the accommodation and had proven they could hold well-organised games, they received substantial public support. However,
Pierre de Coubertin Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; 1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937), also known as Pierre de Coubertin and Baron de Coubertin, was a French educator and historian, co-founder of the International Olympic ...
, the founder of the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
, opposed this, as he had intended for the first Games to be in Paris in 1900. After Paris had lost the première Olympics, De Coubertin did not want the games to be permanently hosted elsewhere. The 1900 Games were overshadowed by the Exposition Universelle, whose organising committee disagreed with De Coubertin's ideas to such an extent that he resigned. The organisation of the 1900 Games was haphazard by today's standards, and although some events, such as archery, drew widespread attention, many others were poorly attended. Historians' opinions still differ over which events should be considered "Olympic". Consequently, the IOC supported the Greek idea by granting them a second series of quadrennial games in between the first series. All of the games would be International Olympic Games: the difference was that half of them would follow De Coubertin's idea of "organisation internationale", while the other half would follow the Greeks' idea of a permanent home with the Committee of the Olympic Games, as it was then known, as experienced organisers. This was a departure from the ancient schedule, but it was expected that, if the ancient Greeks could keep a four-year schedule, the modern Olympic Movement could keep a two-year schedule. As 1902 was now too close to be logistically workable, and Greece was experiencing political and economic difficulties, the 2nd Olympic Games in Athens were scheduled for 1906, and the IOC as a whole gave Greece full support for the organisation. The
1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 1 July to 23 November 1904. Many events were conducted ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
were overshadowed by the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federa ...
, and their organisation was even worse than that of Paris 1900, while travel difficulties meant that only 20% of the athletes were non-American; of these, half were Canadian. It was clear the
Olympic Movement The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based in L ...
was in a dire situation and desperately needed to recapture the spirit of Athens 1896. It also needed to do so quickly, as to those who did not participate in St. Louis, 1908 was a gap of eight years, by which time there would be little, if any, goodwill left for the Games. To make matters worse, Rome, the proposed host for 1908, was also planning an
exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...
at the same time as the Games, which had been responsible for the failures of Paris and St. Louis. To the IOC, the 1906 Athens Games being just around the corner would have been a lifeline. While De Coubertin still opposed the idea and did not do anything more than his function required of him, the IOC as a whole gave the Greek organising committee full support for the organisation.


Improvements

The 1906 Games were quite successful: unlike the Games of
1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
,
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
or 1908, they were not stretched out over several months, and unlike 1900 and 1904, they were not overshadowed by an international exposition. Their crisp implementation was most likely instrumental in the continued existence of the Games. Contemporary publications praised the Games: These Games were the first to have: * All athlete registration going through their NOCs. * The Opening of the Games as a separate event: an event at which the athletes marched into the stadium in national teams, each following its national flag. * An
Olympic Village An Olympic Village is a residential complex built or reassigned for the Olympic Games in or nearby the List of Olympic Games host cities, host city for the purpose of accommodating all of the delegations. Olympic Villages are usually located clos ...
(at the
Zappeion The Zappeion (, ) is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private and is one of the city's most renowned modern land ...
). * A formal Closing Ceremony. * The raising of national flags for the medalists. These, along with various other changes, are now accepted as tradition.


Games

The Games were held from 22 April to 2 May 1906, in Athens, Greece. They took place in the
Panathenaic Stadium The Panathenaic Stadium (, ) or ''Kallimarmaro'' ( , ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. A stadium was built on the site o ...
, which had already hosted the 1896 Games and the earlier Zappas Olympics of 1870 and 1875. The games excluded several disciplines that had occurred during the past two games; it was unclear whether they ought to have been part of the Olympic Games. Added to the program were the
javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...
and the
pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek language, Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) (). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Anci ...
. The 1906 games are noted for their opening and closing ceremonies, which initiated this tradition.Lattipongpun, Wichian. (2010). The Origins of the Olympic Games' Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Journal of Intercultural Communication Studies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251572997_The_Origins_of_the_Olympic_Games%27_Opening_and_Closing_Ceremonies The official Olympic website notes there was no opening ceremony with parade of athletes, in the 1896, 1900, and 1904 games, and notes the 1906 games as the genesis of the idea, but the 1908 Summer games is the first still recognized Olympics with the opening parade of athletes which was more organized. The 1908 games introduced the tradition of the host coming in as the last in the parade also.


Opening

These were the first games to include an opening ceremony with athletes marching into the stadium as national teams behind their flags. King George I officially opened the games. File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Royal Entry 1.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Royal Entry 2.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 King of England.jpg,


Highlights

* There were only two standing jump events in Athens, but
Ray Ewry Raymond Clarence Ewry (October 14, 1873 – September 29, 1937) was an American track and field athlete who won eight gold medals at the Olympic Games and two gold medals at the Intercalated Games (1906 in Athens). This puts him among the most ...
successfully defended his titles in both of them, bringing his total up to 8 gold medals. In 1908 he would successfully defend them one last time for a total of 10 Olympic titles, a feat unparalleled until
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
when
Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold me ...
pushed his Olympic gold medal total to 14. * Paul Pilgrim won both the 400 and 800 metres, a feat that was first repeated during Montreal 1976 by
Alberto Juantorena Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950) is a Cuban former runner. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976. He was ranked as the world's best runner in the 400 m in 1974 and 1976–19 ...
. *
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
Billy Sherring lived in Greece for two months, to adjust to the local conditions. His efforts paid off as he unexpectedly won the
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
. Prince George accompanied him on the final lap. * Finland made its Olympic debut, and immediately won a gold medal, as Verner Järvinen won the Discus (Greek style) event. * Peter O'Connor of Ireland won gold in the hop, step and jump (triple jump) and silver in the
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
. In protest at being put on the British team, O'Connor scaled the flagpole and hoisted the Irish flag, while the pole was guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters. *
Martin Sheridan Martin John Sheridan (March 28, 1881 – March 27, 1918) was an Irish Americans, Irish-American athlete and three time Olympic Games gold medallist in discus throw. Born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland, he was a participant of both the 190 ...
of the Irish American Athletic Club, competing for the U.S. team, won gold in the 16-pound
Shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
and the Freestyle
Discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...
and silver in the
Standing high jump The standing high jump is an athletics event that was featured in the Olympics from 1900 to 1912. It is performed in the same way as high jump, with the difference being that the athlete has no run-up and must stand still and jump with both feet t ...
,
Standing long jump The standing long jump, also known as the standing broad jump, is an athletics event. It was an Olympic event until 1912. It is one of three standing variants of track and field jumping events, which also include the standing high jump an ...
and Stone throw. He scored the greatest number of points of any athlete at the Games. For his accomplishments he was presented with a ceremonial javelin by King Georgios I. This javelin is still on display in a local pub near Sheridan's hometown in Bohola,
County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.


Closing ceremony

Six thousand schoolchildren took part in the first ever Olympic closing ceremony.


Participating nations

854 athletes, 848 men and 6 women, from 20 countries, competed at the 1906 Intercalated Games.


The Games

78 events in 14 disciplines, comprising 12 sports, were part of the 1906 Games. Pistol dueling was an unofficial event.


Medal count

These medals were distributed but are no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee.


Notes

*The mixed team medals are for two Belgians and one Greek in the Coxed Pairs 1 mile rowing event and for the football team of Smyrna (see below). * In the football tournament, the silver medal for the team from
Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...
was won by a mixed team of footballers from various nationalities (English, French and Armenian), while the bronze medal for the team from
Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...
was won by ethnic
Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
who competed for Greece, despite both cities being Ottoman possessions at the time. *
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and Turkey (Ottoman Empire) were the only countries that competed but did not win medals.


Decline of the Intercalated Games

The
Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
were, despite their best efforts, unable to keep the schedule for 1910. While there had been serious political tensions in the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
, the modern Greeks found out their ancient ancestors were right: a two-year interval was too short. There had been effectively a gap of six years before Athens 1906, due to the predominantly American nature of the 1904 St. Louis Games, but Athens 1910 would have left a gap of two years after the 1908 London Games, which would have made it virtually impossible to prepare. With Athens 1910 being a failure, the faith in the Intercalated Games diminished: as a result, plans for Athens 1914 got even less support before the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, meaning any further Intercalated Games had to wait until after the war, which ended in 1918. Since it had been twelve years since Athens 1906, and in any case, the next possible event would have been in 1922 – sixteen years after the first – the idea of Intercalated Games was given up entirely.


Downgrading

Since the 2nd International Olympic Games in Athens had become an exception, the personal views of various IOC chairmen caused the IOC to retroactively downgrade the 1906 Games, and their explanation for the Games became that they had been a 10th anniversary celebration. Also, more stress was placed on the continuing sequence of four-year Olympiads, and the Games of 1906 did not fit into this. Hence, the IOC currently does not recognise Athens 1906 as Olympic Games, and does not regard any events occurring there (such as the setting of new records or the winning of medals) as official. Despite this, the success of Athens 1906 may have been what kept the Olympics alive after the failures of 1900 and 1904. As the next Games are always built on the successes of the last, the innovations of Athens were used again in London, and eventually became Olympic tradition. In fact, the influence of the First Intercalated Games pervades the Olympics, with the holding of the Games concentrated in a small time period in a small area returning to the first games, while some later games lasted for months. (see also
1896 Summer Olympics The 1896 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad () and commonly known as Athens 1896 (), were the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), wh ...
, which lasted 11 days; see also
List of Olympic Games host cities The following is a list of host cities of the Olympic Games, both summer and winter, since the modern Olympics began in 1896. Since then, summer and winter games have usually celebrated a four-year period known as an Olympiad. From the inaugura ...
) In the 21st century the 1906 Olympics are sometimes called the "lost" or "forgotten" games. Despite its exclusion from other games, it was noted as a well organized, dignified event, full pageantry, and for introducing the almost theatrical opening and closing ceremonies, which was further refined by the 1908 games.


Postcards for the 1906 Olympics

A number of
postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard f ...
s, then at its peak, were published by various printhouses. The following were printed in
Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...
,
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, by the Aspiotis brothers. File:Aspiotis ιη.jpg, File:Aspiotis ιθ.jpg, File:Aspiotis κ.jpg, File:Aspiotis κα.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Javelin.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Pole Vault.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Rope.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Weight Lifting.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Danes 1.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Danes 2.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Danes 3.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Royal Stand.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Pole Vault Gonder.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 100 run.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 800 run.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 1000 run.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 1500 run.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Cyclists.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Vault.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Tennis.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Nautical.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Fencing 1.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Fencing 2.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Wrestling.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Oedipus 1.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Oedipus 2.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Long Jump 1.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Long Jump 2.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Royal Address.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Shooting.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Steinbach.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Shot Put Sheridan.jpg, File:Aspiotis Olympics 1906 Weight Lifting Tofalos.jpg,


See also

*
1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Albertville '92 (Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile '92''), were a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and aroun ...
*
1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...
* IOC country codes


Notes


References


Further reading


''The Olympic games at Athens, 1906''
– James Edward Sullivan, 1906. {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 1906 in Greek sport 1906 in multi-sport events Olympic Games in Greece Sports competitions in Athens 1900s in Athens George I of Greece April 1906 sports events in Europe May 1906 sports events in Europe