Baku 2015 Athlete Quotas; 1900 Olympics Mark Anniversary

Baku 2015 Confirms First Athlete Quota

The first athlete quota places for the inaugural European Games have been confirmed to each country’s national Olympic committee.

The Baku European Games Operation Committee has been in contact with 22 NOCs to allocate 120 aerobics and trampoline quota places. Athletes hoping to compete at the European Games will soon be offered competition places by their respective NOCs.

In a statement released Wednesday, chief operating officer of BEGOC Simon Clegg called the announcement an "important milestone" in the countdown to the European Games, and promised that "all the athletes selected can be assured of a generous and warm welcome in Baku next summer."

The Baku 2015 European Games will feature 34 medal events across five disciplines.More than 6,000 athletes are expected to compete.

1900 Summer Games Celebrate Anniversary

May 14 marks the 114th anniversary of the second Olympic Games ever.

Held in Paris at the 1900 World Fair, these games were drastically different than modern Olympic Games. They lasted 167 days, making them the longest Olympic Games in history, but they did not feature an opening or a closing ceremony.

Nine hundred ninety-seven athletes took part in nineteen sports, which included disciplines such as cricket, croquet, ballooning, and automobile racing. Most winners didn’t receive a medal, but rather a cup or trophy along with their prize money.

The 1900 Olympic Games also marked the first time women could take part in Olympic events. Twenty-two women competed, and sailor Hélène de Pourtalès became the first female Olympic champion.

Written by Andrew Murrell

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