1913 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

1913 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Location Paris, France

The 6th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Paris, France, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the "Union des Societes des Gymnastique de France", on November 16, 1913.[1][2][3][4] The tournament was held at the Voltaire gymnasium on Rue Japy.[5]

The championships were purely team events without any individual awards. Individual all-round scores were only introduced in 1922, with the first all-round individual men's champion being recognised in that year. Individual apparatus scores were introduced subsequently.[6] As such no actual individual medals were awarded at these games, the below rankings were conferred retrospectively.[7]

Conversely, please note that contemporaneous, detailed coverage, beyond merely team totals, of select World Championships prior to World War I exists both in the pages of “Slovenski Sokol” magazine (via the Digital Library of Slovenia) and in reproductions of apparently original and contemporaneous Czech source materials (via Gymnastics-History.com) for both the 3rd (1907)[8][9] and 6th (1913)[10][11] editions of the World Championships. In the Czech versions of those sources, reproduced by Gymnastics-History.com, both individual all-around scores and apparatus scores are presented for every competitor, and in the Slovenian versions of those sources, individual all-around scores and rankings are reproduced for the top 14 and very last-place competitor for the 1907 Worlds and for every competitor at the 1913 Worlds. Additionally, all of the data that is presented in each of those sources completely matches the data that both the FIG[12] and USAG[13] (the official governing body of the sport of Artistic gymnastics within the USA) present in their respective treatments on the results of these pre-WWI World Championships, with the sole two exceptions of the horizontal bar placing of French Gymnast Francois Vidal and the parallel bars placement of Belgian gymnast Paul Mangin, both at the 1907 World Championships.[14][12]: 62  (In any event, all of these data sources - the Slovenian records, the Gymnastics-History.com's reproduced Czech records, the FIG's records, and the USAG's records - have continually failed to recognize the apparent original human error with respect to the discrepancy between Vidal's and Mangin's scores and rankings. In light of that, all of these data sources remain completely consistent, in terms of the data that they do present, with respect to the results of the pre-WWI editions of these World Championships.)

Additionally, please note that in lieu of an article published in the 10 June 2024 issue of The International Journal of the History of Sport (a peer-reviewed journal) claiming that the BFEG’s (the FIG’s predecessor) archives from before 1950 appear to have been lost,[15] a brief biographical treatment containing a photograph of multiple medals belonging to 1911 World All-Around Champion Ferdinand Steiner on the website of an alma mater of his, the Jiří Wolkera Gymnasium, shows multiple medals with the words "Concorso Ginnastico Internazionale 1911 Torino" embossed onto them.[16] This brief biographical treatment was published at least as far back as 14 January 2017 on the official[17] Facebook website of his alma mater in a photograph album, begun on 29 November 2016, containing other such brief biographical treatments of its notable alumni.[18] That pictoral presentation of Steiner’s medals helps suggest that individual medals were awarded for those 1911 World Championships as they were from the same locale and year as the 1911 Worlds, and with the original title of the competition being printed on those medals, this further helps suggest that these individual medals were awarded contemporaneously.

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Italy (ITA)5128
2 France (FRA)4307
3 Bohemia (BOH)2125
4 Belgium (BEL)0011
 Luxembourg (LUX)0011
Totals (5 entries)115622
Note

Official FIG documents credit medals earned by athletes from Bohemia as medals for Czechoslovakia.[4]

Team Competition

Rank Nation Gymnast Preliminaries Events Gymnastics Events Athletics Events Individual Grand Totals Team Scores
Preliminaries Gymnastics Events Totals Gymnastics Events Totals Rank Long Jump Rope climb Weight Lifting 100 meters Athletics Totals Athletics Totals Rank Grand Totals Grand Totals Rank Team Exercise Grand Totals Team Behavior Final Grand Totals
 Bohemia Karel Starý 28.5 18 19.25 19 17.75 74 6 10 10 10 9 39 1 141.5 2 794.75 9.75 804.50
Josef Sýkora 29.5 18.25 19.5 18.25 16.25 72.25 11 9 10 9.75 5.5 34.25 4 136 3
Josef Čada 26 19 20 18 14.5 71.5 13 9 10 10 6 35 3 132.5 6
Ferdinand Steiner 28.5 17.25 18.75 18 16 70 17 7 10 10 5.5 32.5 7 131 9
Robert Pražák 29 17.5 18.25 16.5 17.75 70 17 7 10 9 3.5 29.5 15 128.5 11
Václav Douda 28.5 18.75 19.25 18.5 17.55 74 6 6.25 3 9.5 3.5 22.25 25 124.75 14
Totals: 170 108.75 115 108.75 99.75 - - 48.25 53 58.25 33 - - 794.75 -
 France Marco Torrès 29.75 19.25 20 19.25 19.75 78.25 1 7 10 10 7 34 5 142 1 768.25 9.5 777.75
?? Marquelet 29.75 17.75 17 18.25 17.75 70.75 15 9 10 8.5 6 33.5 6 131.25 8
Laurent Grech 26.5 18.5 18 18.25 19.75 74.5 5 6.25 8 10 5.5 29.75 14 130.75 10
?? Ben-Sadoun 25.25 17 18.25 15.5 16.25 67 26 10 4 10 7 31 10 123.25 16
?? Aubry 28 18.75 15.25 19.25 16.25 69.5 21 6.25 3.5 10 3.5 23.25 21 120.75 19
Louis Ségura 25 18.5 18.5 18.25 18 73.25 9 3.5 5.5 9.5 3.5 22 26 120.25 20
Totals: 161.50 109.75 107 108.75 107.75 - - 42 41 58 32.5 - - 768.25 -
 Italy Giorgio Zampori 30 20 16.5 19.75 19.75 76 2 9 6.5 10 4 29.5 15 135.5 4 762.75 9.25 772.25
Guido Romano 27.75 19.25 18.25 17 19.5 74 6 9 5.5 10 5.5 30 12 131.75 7
Pietro Bianchi (gymnast) 23 18.75 19 18.25 19.5 75.5 3 8 6.5 10 5.5 30 12 128.5 11
Osvaldo Palazzi 21 18.5 19.5 19.25 18.25 75.5 3 10 6.5 10 5 31.5 9 128 13
Guido Boni 25.5 20 6.5 18.5 19.75 64.75 31 9 6.5 10 7 32.5 7 122.75 17
Paolo Salvi 24.5 19.25 18 17.5 17.5 72.25 11 5.5 0 10 4 19.5 30 116.25 26
Totals: 151.75 115.75 97.75 110.25 114.252 - - 50.50 31.50 60 31 - - 762.75 -
4  Belgium Julianus Wagemans 28.75 16 19 17.75 15.25 68 25 7 6.5 10 4 27.5 15 124.25 15 714 9.25 723.25
?? Patteson 25.25 17 18.75 17.75 16 69.5 21 2 10 10 3.5 25.5 18 120.25 20
?? Kempeneers 25.5 16.5 19.5 15.5 18.25 69.75 19 4.75 5.5 9.5 4.5 24.25 20 119.5 22
?? Dumont 27 16.5 17.5 17.75 18 69.75 19 6.25 2.5 10 4 22.75 24 119.5 23
?? Labeen 27 17 18 18.5 17.5 71 14 3.5 2 10 2 17.5 32 115.5 28
?? De Mol 25.25 17.25 17.5 14 18 66.75 27 2 8 10 3 23 22 115 29
Totals: 158.75 100.25 110.25 101.25 103 - - 25.5 34.5 59.5 21 - - 714 -
5  Slovenia Stane Vidmar 27.25 17 18.25 19 16.5 70.75 15 10 10 10 5.5 35.5 2 133.5 5 696.74 9.75 706.5
?? Jerin 28.25 15 18 10 15.25 58.25 34 7 10 9.5 4 30.5 11 117 25
Fran Míklavc 29 16.25 18.5 15 14.5 64.25 33 3.5 6.5 10 1.5 21.5 27 114.75 30
?? Rabic 30 16.75 18.25 13 16.25 64.25 32 4 5.5 10 1 20.5 28 114.75 30
?? Jezeršek 27 14.5 17.75 15.5 17.75 65.5 30 4.75 2 10 0.5 17.25 33 109.75 33
?? Sever 27.5 16.5 17.25 17.5 14.75 66 29 2 2.25 9 0 13.25 35 106.75 34
Totals: 169 96 108 90 95 - - 31.25 30.5 58.5 12.5 - - 696.75 -
6  Luxembourg Pierre Hentges 26 19.5 18 16.25 19.25 73 10 5.5 4 10 3.5 23 22 122 18 659.25 9 668.25
Emile Lanners 25.5 17.5 16.75 16 19.25 69.5 21 3.5 5.5 10 1.5 20.5 28 119.5 24
Jean-Pierre Thommes 24.25 18.5 17 13.5 17.5 66.5 28 8 1.5 10 5.5 25 19 115.75 27
Jean-Baptiste Horn 26 18.75 16.25 16 18 69 24 4 1 10 3.5 18.5 31 113.5 32
Nicolas Adam 24 18 13.75 13.5 12.5 57.75 35 2 0.5 9.75 0.5 12.75 36 94.5 35
André Bordang 21.75 17 14 9 15.5 55.5 36 4.75 0 10 2 16.75 34 94 36
Totals: 151.50 109.25 95.75 84.25 102 - - 27.75 12.5 59.75 16.5 - - 659.25 -

[19]

Individual all-around

Rank Nationality Athlete Total
1
 France Marco Torrès 142,000
2
 Bohemia Karel Stary 141,500
3
 Bohemia Josef Sykora 136,500

Pommel horse

Rank Nationality Athlete Total
1
 Italy Giorgio Zampori 19,750
2
 France Marco Torrès 19,250
 France N. Aubry 19,250
 Italy Osvaldo Palazzi 19,250

Rings

Rank Nationality Athlete Total
1
 France Laurent Grech 19,750
 France Marco Torrès 19,750
 Italy Giorgio Zampori 19,750
 Italy Guido Boni 19,750

Parallel bars

Rank Nationality Athlete Total
1
 Italy Giorgio Zampori 20,000
 Italy Guido Boni 20,000
3
 Luxembourg Pierre Hentges 19,500

Horizontal bar

Rank Nationality Athlete Total
1
 France Marco Torrès 20,000
 Bohemia Josef Cada 20,000
3
 Belgium ?? Kempeneers 19,500
 Italy Osvaldo Palazzi 19,500
 Bohemia Josef Sykora 19,500

References

  1. ^ Huguenin, Andre. 100 Years of the International Gymnastics Federation: 1881-1981 (PDF). Translated by Unger, Beatrice. International Gymnastics Federation. p. 82.
  2. ^ "Historical Medalists - Individual". Archived from the original on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  3. ^ "Historical Medalists - Team". Archived from the original on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  4. ^ a b Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (2005). 125th Anniversary - The story goes on... FIG. p. 63.
  5. ^ "Tournoi D'Gymnastique". La Depeche De Constantine (in French). 17 November 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  6. ^ 100 Years of the International Gymnastics Federation 1881-1981 (PDF). FIG. 1981. p. 76. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  7. ^ "1903: Men's Gymnastics at the First World Championships". Gymnastics History. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  8. ^ Murnik, Viktor (Dr.), ed. (25 March 1908). "Telovadba na zletu v Pragi" [Gymnastics on the runway in Prague]. Slovenski Sokol (in Slovenian). Vol. 5, no. 3. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  9. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1907: Perfect Scores Abound at the World Championships in Prague". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  10. ^ Murnik, Viktor (Dr.), ed. (25 December 1913). "Slovenci na mednarodni tekmi v Parizu" [Slovenians at an international competition in Paris]. Slovenski Sokol (in Slovenian). Vol. 10, no. 12. pp. 13–14. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  11. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1913: The Last World Championships before World War I". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  12. ^ a b Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (2005). 125th Anniversary - The story goes on... (PDF). FIG. pp. 61–63.
  13. ^ "Event History > World Championships – Men's Past Champions". usagym.org. Indianapolis, IN, USA: USA Gymnastics. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  14. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1907: Perfect Scores Abound at the World Championships in Prague". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Vonnard, Philippe; Mayencourt, Gil. "Building European Fraternity Through Gymnastics: The Establishment of the Bureau Des Fédérations Européennes de Gymnastiques, 1863–1913". Taylor and Francis Online. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Slavní absolventi naší školys" [Famous graduates of our school]. Gymnázium_Jiřího_Wolkera. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  17. ^ "Gymnázium Jiřího Wolkera Homepage". Gymnázium_Jiřího_Wolkera. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  18. ^ ""Ferdinand Steiner " (in Zapomenutí rodáci města Prostějova (Forgotten Natives of the City of Prostějov))". Official Facebook Account of Gymnázium Jiřího Wolkera Prostějov (in Czech). 14 January 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  19. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1913: The Last World Championships before World War I". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.