The 1923 Women's Olympiad (, and ) was the fourth international event in women's sports, the tournament was held 4 to 7 April 1923 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The tournament was formally called "Les Jeux Athlétiques Féminins à Monté Carlo". The games were a runner-up to the 1921 Women's Olympiad and 1922 Women's Olympiad.
Events The multi-sport event was as previous years organised by Fédération des Sociétés Féminines Sportives de France (FSFSF) under chairwoman Alice Milliat and Camille Blanc, director of the "International Sporting Club de Monaco" as a response to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision not to include women's events in the 1924 Olympic Games.
The games were attended by participants from 8 nations: Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The tournament was a huge promotion for women's sports.
TeamNationParticipants 1 ? 2 ? 3 ? 4 ? 5 ? 6 ? 7 ? 8 ?
The athletes competed in 11 events: running (60 metres, 250 metres, 800 metres, 4 x 75 metres relay, 4 x 175 metres relay and hurdling 65 metres), high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put and Athletics pentathlon. The tournament also held exhibition events in basketball, gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics.
The tournament was held at the "Tir aux Pigeons" in the gardens Les jardins du Casino of the Monte Carlo Casino in the ward of Monte Carlo. Among the spectators were Prince Louis II, Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre.
Prior to the tournament a gymnastics event ("La Quatrième Fête Fédérale de Gymnastique et d'Éducation Physique Féminines" in the ward of Fontvieille with about 1200 participants from 71 gymnastic clubs (this event is sometimes confused with the athletic event).
Results Almost all medals went to athletes from France and the United Kingdom, medalists for each event:
60 metre Nora Callebout 7,9 secIvy Lowman ? Georgette Gagneux ?250 metre Nora Callebout 41,0 sec Marie Mejzlíková I Monnet800 metre Marcelle Neveu 2.35,6 min Mary Lines Hilda Hatt 4 x 75 m relay Team England Team France Team Czechoslovakia4 x 175 m relay Team England Team France Team BelgiumHurdles 65 metre Ivy Lowman 11,3 sec Hermance Maes Thérèse Brulé High jump Ivy Lowman 1,47 m Elise van Truyen 1,44 m Sophie Eliott-Lynn 1,40 mLong jump Sylvia Stone 4,85 m Marie Mejzlíková I 4,71 m Elise van Truyen 4,61 mJavelin, two-handed Louise Groslimond 44,94 m Francesca Pianzola 44,88 m Sophie Eliott-Lynn 43,56 mShot put, two-handed 3,628 kg Marie Mejzlíková I 17,05 m Florence Hurren 16,60 m Františka Vlachová 16,11 mPentathlon Simone Chapoteau Ivy Lowman shared Sophie Eliott-Lynn Elise van Truyen
Each athlete in the shot put and javelin throw events threw using their right hand, then their left. Their final mark was the total of the best mark with their right-handed throw and the best mark with their left-handed throw.
Sophie Eliott-Lynn later also competed at the 1926 Women's World Games in Gothenburg where she finished fourth in the javelin event.
Marie Janderová competed in the javelin event, her result of 25,50 metres was a world record, however she finished fifth in the totals with 42,11 metres.
World record holder in 800 metres Georgette Lenoir and world record holder in shot put Violette Morris also competed at the games but without gaining any medals.
The basketball tournament was won by Team France after a win in the final against Team England with 19-1.
A special commemorative medal was issued for the participants.
Legacy The tournament was a huge promotion for women's sports. However it was the last of three Women's Olympiads. The event continued as Women's World Games with the first event already being held in Paris in 1922.
References
External links picture high jump Ivy Lowman (L'Équipe.fr) picture running event (L'Équipe.fr) picture hurdles event (Getty Images) newspaper Le Petit Journal Illustré cover (22 April 1923) newspaper Le Petit Journal Illustré in french (22 April 1923) (Bibliothèque nationale de France – BnF) pictures (Národní muzeum Česka /National museum Czech Republic) film gymnastics event (British Pathé) film gymnastics event (YouTube) Participation medal