1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 29 August to 3 September 1904, as part of an extended sports program lasting from 1 July to 23 November 1904, located at what is now known as Francis Olympic Field on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The 1904 Summer Olympics were the first time the Olympic Games were held outside Europe.
Advertisement for the 1904 Summer Olympics and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition | |
| Host city | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Nations | 12 |
| Athletes | 651 (645 men, 6 women) |
| Events | 95 in 16 sports (18 disciplines) |
| Opening | 1 July 1904 |
| Closing | 23 November 1904 |
| Opened by | |
| Stadium | Washington University in St. Louis Francis Olympic Field |
Due to European tensions caused by the Russo–Japanese War and difficulties in traveling to St. Louis, very few top-class athletes from outside the United States and Canada took part in the 1904 Olympics: only 69-74 of the 651 athletes who competed came from outside North America, with only 12-15 nations attending. Some events subsequently combined the U.S. national championship with the Olympic championship. The current three-medal format of gold, silver and bronze for first, second and third place was introduced at the 1904 Olympics.