Australia competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Most Olympic historians keep Australian records at early Olympics separate from those of the United Kingdom, although the British colonies in Australia did not federate until 1901.
Australia was officially represented only by two athletes, both of whom won a medal in each event in which they competed. Frederick Lane won two gold medals in swimming and Stan Rowley won a gold medal (as part of a mixed team with Great Britain) and three bronze medals in athletics.
Professional shooter Donald Mackintosh competed in two pigeon-shooting events, which are now regarded as non-Olympic. Additionally, John Howard Taylor, a former member of the parliament of Western Australia, won a sailing gold medal, but is classed by Olympedia as a representative of Great Britain.
Disputed country attribution
Frederick Lane's nationality at the 1900 Paris Olympics is disputed. He was an Australian national although represented the Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain and also swam for a British club, the Blackpool Swimming Club.
Since 2024, participation and medals have been attributed according to the national affiliation of the club or team represented by the athlete, reinstating the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) original policy for the early Olympics (1896–1904). As a representative of a British club, Lane's participation and medals were attributed to Great Britain.
Medalists
The following competitors won medals at the games. In the discipline sections below, the medalists' names are bolded.
Medals awarded to participants of mixed-NOC teams are represented in italics. These medals are not counted towards the individual NOC medal tally.
MedalNameSportEventDateReallocated toAthletics5000 m team raceGreat BritainSwimming200 m freestyleGreat BritainSwimming200 m obstacle eventGreat BritainAthletics60 mno reallocationAthletics100 mno reallocationAthletics200 mno reallocation Since 2024, teams representing a club have been attributed to the club's country. Therefore, the gold medal has been attributed to Great Britain by the IOC.
Medals by sportSportTotalAthletics0033Swimming2002Total2035
Multiple medalists The following competitors won multiple medals at the 1900 Olympic Games. Name Medal Sport Event Swimming 200 metre freestyle200 metre obstacle event Athletics 60 metres100 metres200 metres
Competitors
The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.
SportMenWomenTotalAthletics 1 0 1Swimming 1 0 1 Total 2 0 2
Swimming
One swimmer, (Frederick Lane) represented Australia in 1900. It was the nation's debut appearance in the sport. Lane won the 200 metre freestyle and obstacle races, both on the same day. He did not receive gold medals, but instead received bronze sculptures of a horse and peasant girl respectively. He was also the favourite for the 100 metre freestyle, but this event was cancelled.
AthleteEventSemi-finalFinalTimeRankTimeRankFrederick Lane200 m freestyle2:59.01 Q2:25.2200 m obstacle event3:04.01 Q2:38.4
Athletics
Rowley was Australia's only competitor in athletics. It was Australia's second appearance in the sport. He entered the three sprint events, taking the bronze medal in each of the three. Rowley also joined the Great Britain team in the 5-man team race, as the British squad had only 4 members. The 5 kilometres of the race was much further than Rowley was used to racing. After the first lap of the track, he injured his foot and began to walk. When the last of the other nine competitors (the United Kingdom and France were the only nations to send teams) finished, Rowley was still 1500 metres from the finish; officials allowed him to retire and claim 10th place at that point.
Rowley's three individual medals put him, and Australia, in ninth place on the athletics leaderboard.
AthleteEventHeat SemifinalRepechageFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankStan Rowley60 m7.32 Qcolspan=4 7.2Stan Rowley100 m10.92 Q11.22 R11.0211.2Stan Rowley200 m25.01 Qcolspan=4 22.9Stan Rowley400 mcolspan=4 Did not advance5000 m team racecolspan=6 26 points
Non-Olympic events Shooting
Donald Mackintosh was a professional shooter from Melbourne. He was travelling through Europe competing in a series of traditional competitions. He won the live game shooting (Prix Centenaire de Paris) with 22 consecutive kills of live pigeons, one more than Marquis de Villancosa of Spain. He finished in the joint third position alongside Crittenden Robinson of the United States in the live pigeon shooting (Grand Prix d'Exposition) with 18, behind the winner Leon de Lunden, who scored 21. Mackintosh' status has often been confused, as some historians were under the impression that game-shooting was an archery contest. The IOC does not consider either event Olympic.
Notes
References
De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "1900 Olympians from Australia". Accessed 11 March 2006. Available electronically at .