The 1908 Games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, but were relocated to London on financial grounds following the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, which claimed over 100 lives.
These were the fourth chronological modern Summer Olympics in keeping with the now-accepted four-year cycle. The IOC president for these Games was Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Lasting a total of 187 days (or six months and four days), these Games were the longest in modern Olympics history.
The most famous incident of the games came at the end of the marathon. Dorando Pietri, Italy, began his race at a rather slow pace, but in the second half of the course began a powerful surge moving him into second position by the 32 km (20 mi) mark, 4 minutes behind South African Charles Hefferon. When he knew that Hefferon was in crisis, Pietri further increased his pace, overtaking him at the 39 km (24 mi) mark.
The effort took its toll and with only two kilometres to go, Pietri began to feel the effects of extreme fatigue and dehydration. When he entered the stadium, he took the wrong path and when umpires redirected him, he fell down for the first time. He got up with their help, in front of 75,000 spectators.
He fell four more times, and each time the umpires helped him up. In the end, though totally exhausted, he managed to finish the race in first place. Of his total time of 2h 54min 46s, ten minutes were needed for that last 340 metres. Second was American Johnny Hayes. The American team immediately lodged a complaint against the help Pietri received from the umpires. The complaint was accepted and Pietri was disqualified and removed from the final standings of the race. Since he had not been responsible for his disqualification, Queen Alexandra awarded him a gilded silver cup the next day. [1]
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
100 metres, Men
| Reggie Walker
|
| South Africa
| James Rector
|
| USA
| Robert (Bobby) Kerr
|
| Canada
|
200 metres, Men
| Robert (Bobby) Kerr
|
| Canada
| Bobby Cloughen
|
| USA
| Nate Cartmell
|
| USA
|
400 metres, Men
| Wyndham Halswelle
|
| Great Britain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
800 metres, Men
| Mel Sheppard
|
| USA
| Emilio Lunghi
|
| Italy
| Hanns Braun
|
| Germany
|
1,500 metres, Men
| Mel Sheppard
|
| USA
| Harold Wilson
|
| Great Britain
| Norman Hallows
|
| Great Britain
|
5 miles, Men
| Emil Voigt
|
| Great Britain
| Eddie Owen
|
| Great Britain
| John Svanberg
|
| Sweden
|
Marathon, Men
| Johnny Hayes
|
| USA
| Charles Hefferon
|
| South Africa
| Joe Forshaw
|
| USA
|
110 metres Hurdles, Men
| Forrest Smithson
|
| USA
| Johnny Garrels
|
| USA
| Art Shaw
|
| USA
|
400 metres Hurdles, Men
| Charles Bacon
|
| USA
| Harry Hillman
|
| USA
| Jimmy Tremeer
|
| Great Britain
|
3,200 metres Steeplechase, Men
| Arthur Russell
|
| Great Brtain
| Arthur Robertson
|
| Great Britain
| John Eisele
|
| USA
|
1,600 metres Medley Relay, Men
| Frank Hamilton • Nate Cartmell • John B. Taylor • Mel Sheppard
|
| USA
| Arthur Hoffmann • Hans Eicke • Otto Trieloff • Hanns Braun
|
| Germany
| Pál Simon • Frigyes Wiesner-Mezei • József Nagy • Ödön Bodor • Vilmos Rácz
|
| Hungary
|
3 miles, Team, Men
| Joe Deakin • Arthur Robertson • William Coales • Harold Wilson • Norman Hallows
|
| Great Britain
| John Eisele • George Bonhag • Herb Trube • Gayle Dull • Harvey Cohn
|
| USA
| Louis Bonniot de Fleurac • Joseph Dréher • Paul Lizandier • Jean Bouin • Alexandre Fayollat
|
| France
|
3,500 metres Race Walk, Men
| George Larner
|
| Great Britain
| Ernie Webb
|
| Great Britain
| Harry Kerr
|
| Australasia
|
10 miles Race Walk, Men
| George Larner
|
| Great Britain
| Ernie Webb
|
| Great Britain
| Edward Spencer
|
| Great Britain
|
High Jump, Men
| Harry Porter
|
| USA
| Géo André / Con Leahy / István Somodi
|
| France Great Britain Hungary
|
|
|
|
Standing High Jump, Men
| Ray Ewry
|
| USA
| Kostas Tsiklitiras / John Biller
|
| Greece USA
|
|
|
|
Pole Vault, Men
| A. C. Gilbert / Ed Cook
|
| USA
|
|
|
| Ed Archibald / Bruno Söderström /Clare Jacobs
|
| Canada Sweden USA
|
Long Jump, Men
| Frank Irons
|
| USA
| Dan Kelly
|
| USA
| Cal Bricker
|
| Canada
|
Standing Long Jump, Men
| Ray Ewry
|
| USA
| Kostas Tsiklitiras
|
| Greece
| Martin Sheridan
|
| USA
|
Triple Jump, Men
| Tim Ahearne
|
| Great Britain
| Garfield MacDonald
|
| Canada
| Edvard Larsen
|
| Norway
|
Shot Put, Men
| Ralph Rose
|
| USA
| Denis Horgan
|
| Great Britain
| Johnny Garrels
|
| USA
|
Discus Throw, Men
| Martin Sheridan
|
| USA
| Merritt Giffin
|
| USA
| Bill Horr
|
| USA
|
Discus Throw, Greek Style, Men
| Martin Sheridan
|
| USA
| Bill Horr
|
| USA
| Verner Järvinen
|
| Finland
|
Hammer Throw, Men
| John Flanagan
|
| USA
| Matt McGrath
|
| USA
| Con Walsh
|
| Canada
|
Javelin Throw, Men
| Erik Lemming
|
| Sweden
| Arne Halse
|
| Norway
| Otto Nilsson
|
| Sweden
|
Javelin Throw, Freestyle, Men
| Erik Lemming
|
| Sweden
| Michail Dorizas
|
| Greece
| Arne Halse
|
| Norway
|
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
Sprint, Men
| Victor Johnson
|
| Great Britain
| Émile Demangel
|
| France
| Karl Neumer
|
| Germany
|
Tandem Sprint, 2,000 metres, Men
| Maurice Schillès • André Auffray
|
| France
| Frederick Hamlin • Thomas Johnson
|
| Germany
| Charlie Brooks • William Isaacs
|
| Great Britain
|
Team Pursuit, 1,980 yards, Men
| Leon Meredith • Ben Jones • Ernie Payne • Clarrie Kingsbury
|
| Great Britain
| Hermann Martens • Max Goetze • Karl Neumer • Richard Katzer
|
| Germany
| William Morton • Walt Andrews • Fred McCarthy • Will Anderson
|
| Canada
|
5,000 metres, Men
| Ben Jones
|
| Great Britain
| Maurice Schillès
|
| France
| André Auffray
|
| France
|
20 kilometres, Men
| Clarrie Kingsbury
|
| Great Britain
| Ben Jones
|
| Great Britain
| Joseph Werbrouck
|
| Belgium
|
100 kilometres, Men
| Charles Bartlett
|
| Great Britain
| Charlie Denny
|
| Great Britain
| Octave Lapize
|
| France
|
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
Single Sculls, Men
| Harry Blackstaffe
|
| Great Britain
| Alexander McCulloch
|
| Great Britain
| Bernhard von Gaza Károly Levitzky
|
| Germany Hungary
|
Coxless Pairs, Men
| John Fenning / Gordon Thomson
|
| Great Britain
| Eric Fairbairn / Philip Verdon
|
| Great Britain
| Frederick Toms / Norway Jackes, Martin Stahnke / Willy Düskow
|
| Canada Germany
|
Coxless Fours, Men
| Robert Cudmore • Angus Gillan • Duncan Mackinnon • Robert Somers-Smith
|
| Great Britain
| Philip Filleul • Harold Barker • John Fenning • Gordon Thomson
|
| Great Britain
| Gordon Balfour • Becher Gale • Charles Riddy • Geoffrey Taylor (Canada) /Hermannus Höfte • Albertus Wielsma • Johan Burk • Bernardus Croon (Netherlands)
|
| Canada Netherlands
|
Eights, Men
| Albert Gladstone • Frederick Kelly • Banner Johnstone • Guy Nickalls • Charles Burnell • Ronald Sanderson • Raymond Etherington-Smith • Henry Bucknall • Gilchrist Maclagan
|
| Great Britain
| Oscar Taelman • Marcel Morimont • Rémy Orban • Georges Mys • François Vergucht • Polydore Veirman • Oscar Dessomville • Rodolphe Poma • Alfred Van Landeghem
|
| Belgium
| Irvine Robertson • George Wright • Julius Thomson • Walter Lewis • Gordon Balfour • Becher Gale • Charles Riddy • Geoffrey Taylor • Douglas Kertland (Canada) / Frank Jerwood • Eric Powell • Waldo Carver • Edward Williams • Henry Goldsmith • Harold Kitching • John Burn • Douglas Stuart • Richard Boyle (Great Britain
|
| Canada Great Britain
|
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
Free Pistol, 50 yards, Men
| Paul Van Asbroeck
|
| Belgium
| Réginald Storms
|
| Belgium
| Jim Gorman
|
| USA
|
Free Pistol, 50 yards, Team, Men
| Jim Gorman / Irving Calkins / John Dietz / Charles Axtell
|
| USA
| Paul Van Asbroeck / Réginald Storms / Charles Paumier du Verger / René Englebert
|
| Belgium
| Jesse Wallingford /Geoffrey Coles/ Henry Lynch-Staunton / William Ellicott
|
| Great Britain
|
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Men
| Albert Helgerud
|
| Norway
| Harry Simon
|
| USA
| Ole Sæther
|
| Norway
|
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team, Men
| Albert Helgerud / Ole Sæther / Gudbrand Skatteboe /Olaf Sæther /Jul Braathe /Einar Liberg
|
| Norway
| Gustaf Adolf Jonsson /Per-Olof Arvidsson / Axel Jansson /Gustav-Adolf Sjöberg /Claës Rundberg /Janne Gustafsson
|
| Sweden
| Léon Johnson / Eugène Balme /André Parmentier /Albert Courquin /Maurice Lecoq /Raoul, Comte de Boigne
|
| France
|
Free Rifle, 1,000 yards, Men
| Joshua Millner
|
| Great Britain
| Kellogg Casey
|
| USA
| Maurice Blood
|
| Great Britain
|
Military Rifle, 200/500/600/800/900/1,000 yards, Team, Men
| Bill Leushner / William Martin /Charles Winder / Kellogg Casey /Ivan Eastman / Sumner Benedict
|
| USA
| Harcourt Ommundsen / Fleetwood Varley / Arthur Fulton /Philip Richardson /Walter Padgett / John Martin
|
| Great Britain
| William Smith / Charles Crowe /Bertram Williams /Dugald McInnes /William Eastcott /Harry Kerr
|
| Canada
|
Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 and 100 yards, Men
| Arthur Carnell
|
| Great Britain
| Harry Humby
|
| Great Britain
| George Barnes
|
| Great Britain
|
Small-Bore Rifle, 50 and 100 yards, Team, Men
| Maurice Matthews / Harry Humby / William Pimm / Edward Amoore
|
| Great Britain
| Vilhelm Carlberg / Frans-Albert Schartau / Hübner von Holst /Eric Carlberg
|
| Sweden
| Paul Colas / André Regaud / Léon Lécuyer /Henri Bonnefoy
|
| France
|
Small-Bore Rifle, Disappearing Target, 25 yards, Men
| William Styles
|
| Great Britain
| Harold Hawkins
|
| Great Britain
| Edward Amoore
|
| Great Britain
|
Small-Bore Rifle, Moving Target, 25 yards, Men
| John Fleming
|
| Great Britain
| Maurice Matthews
|
| Great Britain
| William Marsden
|
| Great Britain
|
Running Target, Single Shot, Men
| Oscar Swahn
|
| Sweden
| Ted Ranken
|
| Great Britain
| Alexander Rogers
|
| Great Britain
|
Running Target, Single Shot, Team, Men
| Alf Swahn / Arvid Knöppel / Oscar Swahn / Ernst Rosell
|
| Sweden
| Charles Nix / William Lane-Joynt / William Ellicott / Ted Ranken
|
| Great Britain
|
|
|
|
Running Target, Double Shot, Men
| Walter Winans
|
| USA
| Ted Ranken
|
| Great Britain
| Oscar Swahn
|
| Sweden
|
Trap, Men
| Walter Ewing
|
| Canada
| George Beattie
|
| Canada
| Alexander Maunder / Anastasios Metaxas
|
| Great Britain Greece
|
Trap, Team, Men
| Alexander Maunder /John Pike / Charles Palmer / John Postans / Frederic Moore / Percy Easte
|
| Great Britain
| Walter Ewing / George Beattie / Arthur Westover / Mylie Fletcher / George Vivian / David McMackon
|
| Canada
| George Whitaker / George Skinner / John Butt / William Morris / Henry Creasey / Bob Hutton
|
| Great Britain
|
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
100 metres Freestyle, Men
| Charlie Daniels
|
| USA
| Zoltán Halmay
|
| Hungary
| Harald Julin
|
| Sweden
|
400 metres Freestyle, Men
| Henry Taylor
|
| Great Britain
| Frank Beaurepaire
|
| Australasia
| Otto Scheff
|
| Austria
|
1,500 metres Freestyle, Men
| Henry Taylor
|
| Great Britain
| Sydney Battersby
|
| Great Britain
| Frank Beaurepaire
|
| Australasia
|
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men
| Rob Derbyshire • Paul Radmilovic • Willie Foster • Henry Taylor
|
| Great Britain
| József Munk • Imre Zachár • Béla Las-Torres • Zoltán Halmay
|
| Hungary
| Harry Hebner • Budd Goodwin • Charlie Daniels • Leslie Rich
|
| USA
|
100 metres Backstroke, Men
| Arno Bieberstein
|
| Germany
| Ludvig Dam
|
| Denmark
| Bert Haresnape
|
| Great Britain
|
200 metres Breaststroke, Men
| Fred Holman
|
| Great Britain
| William Robinson
|
| Great Britain
| Pontus Hanson
|
| Sweden
|
Event
| Gold Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Silver Medal
| Flag
| Country
| Bronze Medal
| Flag
| Country
|
Lightweight, Greco-Roman, Men
| Enrico Porro
|
| Italy
| Nikolay Orlov
|
| Russia
| Arvo Lindén
|
| Finland
|
Middleweight, Greco-Roman, Men
| Frithiof Mårtensson
|
| Sweden
| Mauritz Andersson
|
| Sweden
| Anders Andersen
|
| Denmark
|
Light-Heavyweight, Greco-Roman, Men
| Verner Weckman
|
| Finland
| Yrjö Saarela
|
| Finland
| Carl Jensen
|
| Denmark
|
Heavyweight, Greco-Roman, Men
| Richárd Weisz
|
| Hungary
| Aleksandr Petrov
|
| Russia
| S. M. Jensen
|
| Denmark
|
Bantamweight, Freestyle, Men
| George Mehnert
|
| USA
| William Press
|
| Great Britain
| Aubert Côté
|
| Canada
|
Featherweight, Freestyle, Men
| George Dole
|
| USA
| Percy Slim
|
| Great Britain
| William McKie
|
| Great Britain
|
Lightweight, Freestyle, Men
| George de Relwyskow
|
| Great Britain
| Billy Wood
|
| Great Britain
| Arthur Gingell
|
| Great Britain
|
Middleweight, Freestyle, Men
| Stanley Bacon
|
| Great Britain
| George de Relwyskow
|
| Great Britain
| Fred Beck
|
| Great Britain
|
Heavyweight, Freestyle, Men
| Con O'Kelly, Sr.
|
| Great Britain
| Jacob Gundersen
|
| Norway
| Edmond Barrett
|
| Great Britain
|