The Olympic Games have their oriÂgins in antiqÂuiÂty, but their modÂern revival has also been going on longer than any of us has been here. Even the fifth SumÂmer Olympics, which took place in StockÂholm in 1912, has passed out of livÂing memÂoÂry. But thanks to the techÂnolÂoÂgy of the twenÂty-first cenÂtuÂry, we can call up surÂprisÂingÂly crisp footage of its comÂpeÂtiÂtions any time we like, much as we’re doing with that of the curÂrentÂly ongoÂing thirÂty-third SumÂmer Olympics in Paris. One espeÂcialÂly fasÂciÂnatÂing use of these resources, for those investÂed in sportÂing hisÂtoÂry, is to comÂpare the perÂforÂmances of Olympic athÂletes over time: we know they’ve improved, but it’s one thing to see the numÂbers, and quite anothÂer to see a side-by-side comÂparÂiÂson.
Take the venÂerÂaÂble men’s 100 meters, whose 1912 and 2020 finals both appear in the video above. 112 years ago, the UnitÂed States of AmerÂiÂca’s Ralph Craig won the day (after sevÂen false starts, and arguably an eighth as well) with a time of 10.8 secÂonds. Three years ago (Tokyo 2020 havÂing been delayed by COVID-19 to 2021), the vicÂtor of that same event was Italy’s MarÂcell Jacobs, who crossed the finÂish line at 9.8 secÂonds.
An even greater evoÂluÂtion manÂiÂfests in the javelin throw, in which the Swedish Eric LemÂming’s 60.64 meters in 1912 becomes NeerÂaj Chopra’s 87.58 meters in 2020. (Nor has Chopra finÂished setÂting records, at least judgÂing by the media fanÂfare in his homeÂland that attendÂed his recent arrival in Paris’ Olympic vilÂlage.)
Pole vaultÂing, too, has underÂgone a great leap forÂward, or rather, upward. Just above, you can see the 1912 record of 3.95 meters set by HenÂry S. BabÂcock of the UnitÂed States, then the 2020 record of 6.02 meters set by Armand “MonÂdo” DuplanÂtis of SweÂden — or techÂniÂcalÂly, of both SweÂden and the U.S., havÂing been born and raised in the latÂter, but able to repÂreÂsent the forÂmer due to his mothÂer’s being Swedish. In recent decades, such casÂes of nationÂalÂly mixed parentÂage (the AmerÂiÂcan-born ItalÂian Jacobs being anothÂer) have become more comÂmon in the Olympics, which in that and othÂer respects has long reflectÂed changes in the wider world. And though whether humanÂiÂty is improvÂing on the whole remains a matÂter of heatÂed debate, we’ve undeÂniÂably been getÂting a lot betÂter at runÂning, throwÂing, and jumpÂing with the aid of big sticks.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The SciÂence of the Olympic Flame; Ancient Style Meets ModÂern TechÂnolÂoÂgy
The StoÂry Behind the IconÂic Black PowÂer Salute PhoÂto at the 1968 Olympics in MexÂiÂco City
Did Joe StrumÂmer, FrontÂman of The Clash, Run the Paris and LonÂdon Marathons?
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.