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The fourth day of competition was hampered by a drizzle that continued for an hour after the afternoon session began. About ten thousand spectators had gathered at the stadium, the same number as on the three previous days.
Stade de Colombes, Paris, July 9, 1924
110 METRES HURDLES
Kinsey Takes Victory in High hurdles
110 METRES HURDLES
Kinsey Takes Victory in High hurdles
The fourth day of the competition kicked off with a high hurdles event. The winner was the burly and somewhat clumsy Daniel Kinsey, second in the US trials. He got lucky. South Africa's stylistic runner, Sid Atkinson, held a slight lead at the tenth hurdle but clipped it, causing him to stumble and lose the advantage on the run-in. Meanwhile, Kinsey's compatriot, Karl Anderson, tumbled, ironically mirroring his fall at the country's Olympic trials.
Sten Pettersson of Sweden surprisingly grabbed the bronze. America's trials winner George Guthrie had a cold reception: he crossed the finish line third, but the judges showed him a red card because he had knocked down too many hurdles along the way.
The standard of the sprint hurdles had declined since the Antwerp winner Earl Thomson had hung up his spiked shoes. Kinsey, who later in life pursued a career as a university professor, clocked a winning time of 15.0, clearly falling short of Thomson's Olympic record of 14.8.
Audiovisuals
Audiovisuals
Film (IOC)
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
Kinsey (242) beats Atkinson (black) at the finish line. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
200 METRES
Scholz Lucky; Wins Fierce Duel Against Paddock
200 METRES
Scholz Lucky; Wins Fierce Duel Against Paddock
Scholz defeats Paddock. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Elevated to the USA's team by a cabinet decision, Charley Paddock and the trials winner Jackson Scholz charged side by side towards the finish line in the 200-metre final until Paddock's leg stumbled, and Scholz slid to a narrow victory. Thus, he was able to avenge his straight-line defeat to Harold Abrahams in the 100 metres. As for Paddock, the reigning Olympic champion in the 100 metres four years ago, he only managed to secure silver in the individual events of these games.
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
Online Stories
Online Stories
Jackson Scholz biography (IOC)
3000 METRES STEEPLECHASE
Ritola victorous despite bathing
3000 METRES STEEPLECHASE
Ritola victorous despite bathing
In the final race of the day, Ville Ritola of Finland claimed his second gold at the Paris Olympics. Before the steeplechase final, the "Wolf from Peräseinäjoki" had already raced three times on the Colombes track, but it seemed effortless for him. He led right from the gun and didn't relinquish his position before the finish line.
Ritola's performance was so dominant that he even had time to take a dip in the water pit during one lap. Elias Katz secured a one-two victory for Finland, while his countryman Karl Ebb finished fifth. Ritola's winning time of 9:33.6 set a new unofficial world record in the event. The bronze was taken by Paul Bontemps, who had the best mark on record, having run 9:33.4 a few weeks before in Paris.
A correspondent from a Finnish newspaper didn't appreciate the fact that athletes were diving headfirst into the water pit in this novel athletics event:
"It brought to mind cockfights and other such low-cost amusements."
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
Ritola leads the steeplechase. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Day 4 Newspaper Stories
Day 4 Newspaper Stories
Helsingin Sanomat, July 10, 1924 (in Finnish)
Uusi Suomi, July 10, 1924 (in Finnish)
Turun Sanomat, July 10, 1924 (in Finnish)
Aamulehti, July 10, 1924 (in Finnish)
Idrottsbladet, July 10, 1924 (in Swedish)
Hufvudstadsbladet, July 10, 1924 (in Swedish)
Helsingin Sanomat, July 16, 1924 (in Finnish)
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