Angling at the 1900 Summer Olympics

Angling
at the Games of the II Olympiad
The fisherman in the spotlight wears an outfit similar to that of the gymnasts of the time: white shirt and flannel belt; he is also shown in a sporty position. Angling is clearly shown there as a sport equal to others. The member of the jury, in full dark uniform with a top hat, adds to the seriousness of the situation. He conscientiously notes in his notebook the competitor's meager catch.
Angling at the 1900 Summer Olympics in La Vie au grand air. A Jury member, wearing a top hat, is noting in his notebook the catch of a contestant. August 19, 1900.[1]
VenueÎle aux Cygnes, Paris, France
DatesAugust 5, 1900 (1900-08-05)
August 8, 1900 (1900-08-08)
No. of events7
Competitors600 (560 French and 40 foreigners) from 6 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) M. Goethiers  France
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Hyacinthe Lalanne  France
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) N/A  France

Angling was contested at the 1900 Olympics in Paris.[2][3][4] At a series of competitions in August, some 600 fishermen, of whom 40 were from five countries other than France, participated in six separate events. These events have generally not been classified as official, although the IOC has never decided which events were "Olympic" and which were not.[5] There was no such designation at the time of the Games.[6] The angling events, officially named Concours international de pêche à la ligne ("International Angling Competition"), were organized as part of the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris.[7]

Six heats of 100 anglers took place: Sunday morning for foreigners, Sunday afternoon and two on Monday for non-Parisians, and two on Tuesday for the local fishermen. The first ten anglers of each heat, having taken the most fish, qualified for the "concours d'honneur" (final) on Wednesday.[8]

  1. ^ Drevon 2000, p. 142.
  2. ^ Owen, David (2023-04-04). "David Owen: The anglers of Swan Island - when fishing was an Olympic sport". www.insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  3. ^ Actes du ... Congrès national des sociétés savantes: Section d'histoire moderne et contemporaine (in French). Impr. nationale. 1991. p. 267. ISBN 978-2-7355-0246-2.
  4. ^ Pratiques sportives (in French). Editions du CTHS. 1992. p. 267.
  5. ^ Lennartz, Karl; Teutenberg, Walter (1995). Olympische Spiele 1900 in Paris. Kassel, Germany: Agon-Sportverlag. p. 147. ISBN 3-928562-20-7. In many works, it is read that the IOC later met to decide which events were Olympic and which were not. This is not correct and no decision has ever been made. No discussion of this item can be found in the account of any Session.
  6. ^ Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-0-7864-4064-1.
  7. ^ Drevon 2000, p. 30.
  8. ^ Mérillon 1901b, p. 75-76.