 Advertisement for the 1904 Summer Olympics and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition | |
| Location | St. Louis, United States |
|---|---|
| Nations | 12 |
| Athletes | 648 (642 men, 6 women) |
| Events | 95 in 16 sports (18 disciplines) |
| Opening | 1 July 1904 |
| Closing | 23 November 1904 |
| Opened by | |
| Stadium | Washington University in St. Louis Francis Olympic Field |
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 at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. This was the first time that the Olympic Games were held outside Europe.
Tensions caused by the Russo–Japanese War and difficulties in traveling to St. Louis resulted in very few top-class athletes from outside the United States and Canada taking part in the 1904 Games. Only 69–74 of the 651 athletes who competed came from outside North America, and only between 12 and 15 nations were represented in all. Some events subsequently combined the U.S. national championship with the Olympic championship.[2] The current three-medal format of gold, silver and bronze for first, second and third place was introduced at the 1904 Olympics.
- ^ "Factsheet – Opening Ceremony of the Games f the Olympiad" (PDF) (Press release). International Olympic Committee. 13 September 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "The Olympic Summer Games Factsheet" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 5 August 2012.