The event was won by Mikhail Ignatiev of Russia, the nation's first victory in the men's points race.

Guido Fulst of Germany took bronze, the first medal in the event for that nation since 1900.

The format changed slightly from previous incarnations of the Olympic points race.

Cyclists could also score points by lapping the main body of riders, known as the peloton.

This gave him a total of 22 sprint points, most in the field and 9 more than Ignatiev, but the lap difference kept the Spaniard in second place.