There were 22 separate events for the Sociétés de la Seine held during the 1900 Paris International Exposition in the gymnastics category, although not all were gymnastics events, as boxing, wrestling, and swimming were all contested. There were 3,357 competitors in the various events, representing 55 different Sociéties de Gymnastique de la Seine. This event had competitors from 18 societies. The event consisted of a 150 metre swim with a turn, with the swimmers required to swim with their bathing suits and jerseys in order to “better judge their resistance.”