When Pistol Duels were Fought at the Olympic Games

The decline of duelling coincided with the rise of modern mass spectator sport. For some enterprising Edwardians, the opportunity to combine the two was simply too tempting to resist

England’s last fatal duel, fought purely as a matter of honour, was contested on the 19th October 1852. The duellists, Frenchmen both, had developed an enmity while living in exile from the Second Republic of Napoleon III. More proximately, and perhaps more relatable to modern readers, Duellist 1, Emmanuel Barthélemy, had heard that Duellist 2, Frederic Cournet, had made unpleasant remarks about his, Barthélemy’s, ex-girlfriend. Barthélemy duly sought satisfaction.

Now this was, on the face of it, definitely a Bad Idea. Barthélemy may have been ‘a murder-loving revolutionary’, but Cournet was a professional soldier, calm and cool-headed, and had survived no fewer than fourteen duels, hitting his opponent on each occasion.[1] On the chosen day, Barthélemy could be forgiven for electing to wear pantalon marron, he fully expected to die in a battle that was likely to be closer to an execution than a contest. Luck, however, had different ideas. Cournet, who as the challenged party, had the right both to select the weapons (pistols) and to shoot first, found that his weapon misfired on the first attempt and the bullet skied off harmlessly into the air. Barthélemy, finding himself with the the chivalric…