France gets Olympic cycling medal 124 years late

The medal was won for Britain by Lloyd Hildebrand, who competed in two cycling events and came second in the men’s 25km, but the IOC Executive Board has re-awarded it to France.

Representative Image: Paris is also hosting this year’s Games, starting on July 26.  | Photo Credit: Getty Images

France has been awarded a medal from the 1900 Paris Olympics which was originally credited to Britain.

The medal was won for Britain by Lloyd Hildebrand, who competed in two cycling events and came second in the men’s 25km, but the IOC Executive Board has re-awarded it to France.

“Recent research has now concluded that, even though Hildebrand was a British citizen, he was born and brought up in France, and competed for a French club before and after Paris 1900,” the IOC said in a statement on Thursday.

Athletes at the time were registered under the national federation they were competing with, and National Olympic Committees were not yet part of the process.

“The medal won by Hildebrand will now be credited to France instead of Great Britain in the official records of the Olympic Games Paris 1900 and in the IOC’s database,” the IOC said.

Paris is also hosting this year’s Games, starting on July 26.