Stan Rowley facts for kids
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing a  Mixed team |
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| Gold | 1900 Paris | 5000 metre team race |
Representing  Australia |
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| Bronze | 1900 Paris | 60 metres |
| Bronze | 1900 Paris | 100 metres |
| Bronze | 1900 Paris | 200 metres |
Stanley Rupert Rowley (born September 11, 1876 – died April 1, 1924) was a super-fast Australian runner. He was known as a sprinter. Sprinters are athletes who run very short distances as fast as they can. Stanley won four medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was born in Young, New South Wales and passed away in Manly, New South Wales.
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Early Life of Stanley Rowley
Stanley Rowley was born on September 11, 1876, in Young, New South Wales. His parents were Tempest Jane and William Rowley. His dad worked as a confectioner, making sweets, and also ran a hotel. Sadly, Stanley became an orphan in 1884. After that, he lived with his aunt in Croydon, along with his brother and sister. He went to Sydney Boys' High School.
Stanley Rowley's Olympic Journey
In 1900, Stanley Rowley competed in the Olympic Games. He won three medals for Australia. He also won one gold medal as part of a mixed team. For this mixed team event, he ran with four athletes from Great Britain and Ireland.
Sprint Medals for Australia
Stanley started his Olympic journey in the short sprint races. He won three bronze medals for Australia. These were in the 60 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres events.
His first race was the 100 metres on July 14. He came second in his semi-final race. This meant he had to run in a special "repechage" race. He won the repechage with a time of 11.0 seconds. He was just a few inches ahead of Norman Pritchard from India. In the final race, Stanley ran a bit slower, finishing in 11.2 seconds. He won a bronze medal. Walter Tewksbury won the silver medal.
The 60 metres race was on July 15. Stanley finished in 7.2 seconds. He was less than half a metre behind the gold medalist, Alvin Kraenzlein. Walter Tewksbury won another silver medal in this race.
Stanley and Walter Tewksbury raced again in the 200 metres on July 22. Stanley beat Walter in the early heats. But Walter won the final race by a clear distance. Stanley finished in 22.9 seconds. He also lost to Norman Pritchard in this race. This gave Stanley his third bronze medal.
The Unusual 5000 Metre Team Race
After his sprint races, Stanley was asked to join the British team. They were competing against the French team in the 5000 metre team race. This was allowed because Australia was part of the British Empire then. Also, mixed teams were allowed in the early Olympics.
The British team needed a fifth runner. They knew they could win even if the fifth runner didn't do well. So, Stanley, a sprinter who had never run long distances, joined them. After the first lap, Stanley started walking. He was far behind everyone else. When the ninth runner finished, Stanley was the only one still going. The race officials decided it was pointless for him to walk the last 1,500 metres. They gave him tenth place after his seventh lap. Even with Stanley's unusual run, the British team beat the French team. They won the gold medal by three points!
Other Achievements
Stanley Rowley was also a national champion. He won the 100 and 220 yards races in 1898 and 1900. He also won both these events at the Australasian Championships in 1897 and 1899. He attended Sydney Boys High School starting in 1890.
