Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres

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Men's 400 metres
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
VenueWhite City Stadium
DatesJuly 21 (quarterfinals)
July 22 (semifinals)
July 23 (final)
Competitors37 from 11 nations
Winning time50.0
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain
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Athletics at the
1908 Summer Olympics
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The men's 400 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held from July 21, 1908, to July 23, 1908. The rerun of the final was held on July 25, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=1⁄3 mile in circumference.

37 runners from 11 nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.[1]

It was the most controversial event of the London Games: the final resulted in the disqualification of American runner John Carpenter who was accused by the British officials of a manoeuvre that was legal under American rules (under which Carpenter normally competed) but prohibited by the British rules under which the race was run.

As part of the disqualification of Carpenter, a second final race was ordered, with Halswelle to face the other two finalists again. These athletes, William Robbins and John Taylor, were both Americans, and they boycotted the re-run final to protest the judges' decision.

Thus, Halswelle was the only medallist in the 400 metres.

Background[edit]

This was the fourth time the event was held. Only one of the runners from 1904, Paul Pilgrim of the United States, returned. Defending gold medalist Harry Hillman, also American, was in London but competed only in the hurdles. The favorite was British runner Wyndham Halswelle, the 1905, 1906, and 1908 AAA champion.[2]

Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands appeared in the event for the first time. The United States made its fourth appearance in the event, the only nation to compete in it at the first four Olympic Games.

Competition format[edit]

The competition consisted of three rounds. The first round had 16 heats, ranging from 0 to 4 runners (the second heat was cancelled because no athletes started). Only the top runner in each heat advanced to the semifinals. The semifinal was to consist of 4 heats of 4 runners each, but the final heat had only 3 runners due to the cancellation of the second heat in the first round. Again, only the top runner in each semifinal heat advanced, making a four-man final.[2][3]

Records[edit]

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.

World record  Maxie Long (USA) 47.8(*) New York, United States 29 September 1900
Olympic record  Harry Hillman (USA) 49.2(**) St. Louis, United States 29 August 1904

(*) 440 yards (= 402.34 m)

(**) This track was 536.45 metres=1⁄3 mile in circumference.

In the semi-finals Wyndham Halswelle set a new Olympic record with 48.4 seconds.

Schedule[edit]

Date Time Round
Tuesday, 21 July 1908 Round 1
Wednesday, 22 July 1908 17:30 Semifinals
Thursday, 23 July 1908 17:30 Final (original)
Saturday, 25 July 1908 12:00 Final (rerun)

Results[edit]

Heats[edit]

The heats were run on July 21, 1908. The winner of each advanced to the semifinals, with all other runners eliminated.

Heat 1[edit]

Montague led by twelve yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Edwin Montague  Great Britain 50.2 Q
2 Paul Pilgrim  United States 51.4

Heat 2[edit]

The second heat was scratched as there were no starters.

Heat 3[edit]

Ryle had no competition in the third heat.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Edward Ryle  Great Britain walkover Q

Heat 4[edit]

Taylor won by twelve yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Taylor  United States 50.8 Q
2 Roberto Penna  Italy 52.4
3 Sven Låftman  Sweden Unknown

Heat 5[edit]

Nicol won easily, holding a twelve-yard lead over Guttormsen as he crossed the finish line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 George Nicol  Great Britain 50.8 Q
2 Oscar Guttormsen  Norway 52.4

Heat 6[edit]

Eight yards separated the two runners when Malfait crossed the line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Georges Malfait  France 50.0 Q
2 Donald Buddo  Canada 51.2

Heat 7[edit]

Robbins had no difficulty in this race, leading from start to finish to win by six yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William Robbins  United States 50.4 Q
2 József Nagy  Hungary 51.1
3 Noel Godfrey Chavasse  Great Britain Unknown
4 Victor Henny  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 8[edit]

Prout's lead was only two yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William C. Prout  United States 50.4 Q
2 Christopher Maude Chavasse  Great Britain 50.7

Heat 9[edit]

Ramey's victory was one of the closest of the first round, with only a yard and a half separating him from Astley.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Horace Ramey  United States 51.0 Q
2 Arthur Astley  Great Britain Unknown

Heat 10[edit]

Jacquemin took an early lead, but pulled up lame, allowing Sebert to win by 20 yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Louis Sebert  Canada 50.2 Q
2 Massimo Cartasegna  Italy 52.7
— Victor Jacquemin  Belgium DNF

Heat 11[edit]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Atlee  United States 50.4 Q
2 Alan Patterson  Great Britain 50.6
3 Giuseppe Tarella  Italy Unknown

Heat 12[edit]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Charles Davies  Great Britain 50.4 Q
2 Cornelis den Held  Netherlands 51.0

Heat 13[edit]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Ned Merriam  United States 52.2 Q
2 Robert Robb  Great Britain 52.5

Heat 14[edit]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Carpenter  United States 49.8 Q
2 Otto Trieloff  Germany 50.9
3 Arvid Ringstrand  Sweden Unknown
4 Henk van der Wal  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 15[edit]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain 49.4 Q
2 Frederick de Selding  United States 50.8
3 Bram Evers  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 16[edit]

Young won by 30 yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 George Young  Great Britain 52.4 Q
2 Jacobus Hoogveld  Netherlands 54.3

Semifinals[edit]

The semifinals were held on July 22, 1908. Winners advanced, all others were eliminated.

Semifinal 1[edit]

Carpenter led throughout, with Davies challenging him at the end. Carpenter was "slowing fast in the last thirty yards" but managed to hold off Davies and win "by three yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Carpenter  United States 49.4 Q
2 Charles Davies  Great Britain 49.8
3 Ned Merriam  United States Unknown
4 G. W. Young  Great Britain Unknown

Semifinal 2[edit]

Halswelle broke the Olympic record in this semifinal. He took the lead early and "was right away at the half distance," ultimately winning "by 12 yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain 48.4 Q, OR
2 Edwin Montague  Great Britain 49.8
3 George Nicol  Great Britain Unknown
4 William C. Prout  United States Unknown

Semifinal 3[edit]

Malfait took the lead at the start. Taylor caught him at 300 yards.[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John Taylor  United States 49.8 Q
2 Horace Ramey  United States 50.5
3 Edward Ryle  Great Britain Unknown
4 Georges Malfait  France Unknown

Semifinal 4[edit]

Sebert started slow, but then lengthened his stride to pass Atlee and nearly catch Robbins, who held him off to win "by 3 yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William Robbins  United States 49.0 Q
2 Louis Sebert  Canada 49.5
3 John Atlee  United States Unknown

Final[edit]

The final was initially held on July 23, 1908. After the disqualification of Carpenter, a re-run of the final was scheduled for July 25.

First running

The first final ended with Carpenter winning ahead of Halswelle with Robbins in third, and Taylor last.

Roscoe Badger, one of the British umpires of the event, noticed Carpenter had maneuvered so as to prevent Halswelle from passing him; this was legal at the time under the American rules under which Carpenter normally competed, but prohibited by the British rules that were in effect for the Olympics.

Badger therefore signalled to the judges to declare the race null and void: his decision led to a thirty-minute argument between British and American team members.

At the official inquiry later that day, the judges upheld Badger's complaint, and Carpenter was disqualified. It was also ordered that the final be re-run with Carpenter excluded.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
1 John Carpenter  United States 47.8
2 Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain Unknown
3 William Robbins  United States Unknown
4 John Taylor  United States Unknown
Second running

After the judges ruled that Carpenter was disqualified and barred from starting in the re-run, Robbins and Taylor withdrew in disgust.

Halswelle, now assured of the gold medal, won in the only walkover in Olympic track and field history.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
1st place, gold medalist(s) Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain 50.0
— William Robbins  United States DNS
John Taylor  United States DNS
John Carpenter  United States DSQ

References[edit]

  1. ^ Official report, p. 32.
  2. ^ a b "400 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. ^ Official Report, pp. 53–57.
  4. ^ a b c d Official Report, p. 54.
  • Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
  • De Wael, Herman (2001). "Athletics 1908". Herman's Full Olympians. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 24 July 2006.
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 24 July 2006.
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