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Winner's medal issued for the Paris 1900 Olympics. Silvered bronze, 42 mm x 60 mm, 57 gm, by Frederic Vernon, Paris. The front, inscribed "Republique Francaise, Exposition Universelle, Paris 1900," features a winged goddess scattering laurels over the grounds of the Exposition; the reverse identifies the event as pigeon shooting, "Concours de Tir aux Pigeons," and depicts a victorious athlete upon a podium. Stamped "Bronze" on the edge.
From 'The Evolution of the Early Olympics' by Robin Voigt, published by the International Society of Olympic Historians: 'One of the most questionable sports was live pigeon shooting. It took place only once in Olympic history in the 1900 Summer Games in Paris, although the IOC denies it was ever an official event. Birds were released from cages into the air and the participants had to shoot down as many as possible. When the shooter missed two birds he was eliminated. The winner was the participant who shot down the most birds by the end of the competition. More than 300 defenseless pigeons were killed that day—blood and feathers showered over the spectators, and dead and injured birds lay on the ground, a testament to the carnage that had taken place. This was the first and only time in Olympic history when animals were deliberately killed in the name of sport. Not surprisingly the event was discontinued.'
