Basque pelota at the 1900 Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basque pelotaat the Games of the II Olympiad
|
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
During the pelota contest
|
|||||||||
| Venue | Neuilly-sur-Seine | ||||||||
| Date | 14 June | ||||||||
| Competitors | 4 from 2 nations | ||||||||
| Medalists | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, featured a unique sport: Basque pelota. This exciting game, similar to squash or handball, was an official Olympic event only once. It was a very small competition, with only two teams signing up to play. One team even pulled out before the games began! The Spanish team ended up winning the gold medal.
Basque pelota has appeared in the Olympics a few other times, but only as a demonstration sport. This means it was shown to the public but didn't count for official medals. It was a demonstration sport in 1924, 1968, and 1992.
Contents
Basque Pelota at the 1900 Olympics
What is Basque Pelota?
Basque pelota is a traditional sport from the Basque Country, a region in Spain and France. The name "pelota" means "ball" in Spanish. Players use their hands, a racket, or a wooden bat to hit a ball against a wall. The game is played on a special court called a "fronton." It's a fast-paced and skillful sport that needs quick reflexes.
The 1900 Competition
The Basque pelota tournament at the 1900 Paris Olympics was held on June 14. The venue for the event was in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a town near Paris. Only two countries, Spain and France, were set to compete. Each country had one team of two players.
Sadly, the French team decided to withdraw from the competition. This meant that the Spanish team won the gold medal by default. They were the only team left to compete. This made the 1900 Basque pelota event one of the shortest in Olympic history.
Olympic History of Basque Pelota
As mentioned, 1900 was the only time Basque pelota was an official medal sport. This means that the medals won in 1900 are the only official Olympic medals for this sport. In later years, it was included as a demonstration sport. This allowed people to see the sport and learn about it. However, no official Olympic medals were given out during those times.
Medal Winners
Even though only one match was scheduled and the French team withdrew, the Spanish team was awarded the gold medal.
| Gold | Silver |
|---|---|
 Spain (ESP)José de Amézola |
 France (FRA)Maurice Durquetty |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Pelota vasca en los Juegos Olímpicos de París 1900 para niños
