The Olympic Games have a rich history dating back to antiquity, but their modern revival has been ongoing for over a century. While we may not have personal memories of the fifth Summer Olympics held in Stockholm in 1912, we can now access crisp footage of the competitions from that time and compare them with the current games in Paris using the technology of the twenty-first century.
One fascinating aspect is comparing the performances of Olympic athletes over the years. For example, looking at the men’s 100 meters, we see a remarkable improvement in the records. The 1912 winner, Ralph Craig from the USA, clocked in at 10.8 seconds, while in the Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) games, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs finished in 9.8 seconds.
Another significant evolution is evident in the javelin throw event. Eric Lemming of Sweden threw 60.64 meters in 1912, which pales in comparison to Neeraj Chopra’s 87.58 meters in 2020. It’s clear that records continue to be broken, as seen by the buzz surrounding Chopra in the current Olympics.
The sport of pole vaulting has also seen substantial progress. The 1912 record of 3.95 meters by Henry S. Babcock of the USA was surpassed by Armand “Mondo” Duplantis of Sweden in 2020, setting a new record at 6.02 meters. This advancement in performance is mirrored in the increasing diversity seen in athletes, reflecting changes in the global landscape.
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Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the Substack newsletter Books on Cities and the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook.
