Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's hammer throw
The men's hammer throw was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, the sport's first Olympic appearance. It was held on July 16, 1900. Five hammer throwers from two nations competed. The event was won by John Flanagan of the United States, the first of his three consecutive victories in the hammer throw. The American team swept the medals, with Truxtun Hare finishing second and Josiah McCracken third. Background. This was the first appearance of the event, which has been held at every  Summer Olympics except 1896. Two nations competed: the United States and Sweden. The Americans were familiar with the event; the Swedes were not. Competition format. The format of the competition is unclear. The throwing area was a nine-foot circle. Records. These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics. John Flanagan set the first Olympic record for this event with 51.01 metres.