The men's 100 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. 11 athletes from 3 nations participated. The competition was held on September 3, 1904. The event was won by Archie Hahn of the United States, completing his sprint trifecta (having already won the 60 metres and 200 metres) and marking the third straight gold medal in the event by an American. Hahn would later repeat his win in the now-unofficial 1906 Intercalated Games. The United States swept the medals.

Background

This was the third time the event was held. None of the previous runners competed in 1904. American Archie Hahn, had won the 1903 U.S. and Canadian championships; he had also taken the 60 metres and 200 metres titles earlier in the 1904 Olympics. He was heavily favored.

The 1904 competition was one of only two Olympic Games (along with 1900) where the men's 100 metres was not the shortest sprint, with the 60 metres being held in those two years.

Canada was represented in the event for the first time. Hungary was the only other country, aside from the host, to send a runner; this made the United States and Hungary the only two nations to have appeared at each of the first three Olympic men's 100 metres events.

Competition format

With fewer entrants than in 1900, the event was reduced from four rounds to two: heats and a final. The top two runners in each heat advanced to the final.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1904 Summer Olympics.

World Record 10.8(*) Luther Cary Paris (FRA) July 4, 1891 10.8(*) Cecil Lee Brussels (BEL) September 25, 1892 10.8(*) Etienne De Re Brussels (BEL) August 4, 1893 10.8(*) L. Atcherley Frankfurt/Main (GER) April 13, 1895 10.8(*) Harry Beaton Rotterdam (NED) August 28, 1895 10.8(*) Harald Anderson-Arbin Helsingborg (SWE) August 9, 1896 10.8(*) Isaac Westergren Gävle (SWE) September 11, 1898 10.8(*) Isaac Westergren Gävle (SWE) September 10, 1899 10.8(*) Frank Jarvis Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900 10.8(*) Walter Tewksbury Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900 10.8(*) Carl Ljung Stockholm (SWE) September 23, 1900 10.8(*) Walter Tewksbury Philadelphia (USA) October 6, 1900 10.8(*) André Passat Bordeaux (FRA) June 14, 1903 10.8(*) Louis Kuhn Bordeaux (FRA) June 14, 1903 10.8(*) Harald Grønfeldt Aarhus (DEN) July 5, 1903 10.8(*) Eric Frick Jönköping (SWE) August 9, 1903 Olympic Record 10.8 Frank Jarvis Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900 10.8 Walter Tewksbury Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900

(*) unofficial

Results

Heats

The top two finishers in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat 1

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes1 Archie Hahn 11.4 2 Lawson Robertson 3 Béla Mező

Heat 2

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes1 William Hogenson 11.6 2 Frederick Heckwolf 3 Robert Kerr 4 Myer Prinstein

Heat 3

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes1 Nathaniel Cartmell 11.4 2 Fay Moulton 3 Clyde Blair 4 Frank Castleman

Final

Hahn opened quickly, reaching a sizable lead within the first 20 metres. Cartmell started slowly and was in last place at 40 metres, almost halfway through the race, before finishing well and placing second.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Archie Hahn 11.0 Nathaniel Cartmell 11.2 William Hogenson 11.24 Fay Moulton 5 Frederick Heckwolf 6 Lawson Robertson

Results summary

Rank Athlete Nation Heats Final Archie Hahn 11.4 11.0 Nathaniel Cartmell 11.4 11.2 William Hogenson 11.6 11.24 Fay Moulton Unknown Unknown5 Frederick Heckwolf Unknown Unknown6 Lawson Robertson Unknown Unknown Clyde Blair Unknown rowspan=13 Frank Castleman Unknown Robert Kerr Unknown Béla Mező Unknown Myer Prinstein Unknown — E. F. Annis William Hunter William Marshall Dodge Peters George Poage Ollie Snedigar Joseph Stadler Lee Vernon

Sources