At the second modern Olympics, held in Paris in 1900, women competed for the first time. Their participation, however, was hardly a test of 鈥渇aster, higher, stronger, 鈥� since the 21 women were entered in croquet and golf. Chicago socialite Margaret Abbott became the first US woman gold medalist when she shot a 47 in the final nine-hole round of the golf competition. Because of the less formal nature of the competition (some women played in high heels), Abbott never realized that her victory was considered part of the Olympics. Another reflection of the unique nature of these Olympics is that the swimming events were held in the Seine, where an obstacle race was on the program and the river current contributed to the fast times.
