Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres

Last updated

Men's 200 metres
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
1908 200 metre athletics final.JPG
Kerr winning the final
Venue White City Stadium
Dates21 July (quarterfinals)
22 July (semifinals)
23 July (final)
Competitors43 from 15 nations
Winning time22.6
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Robert Kerr
Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada
Silver medal icon.svg Robert Cloughen
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Nathaniel Cartmell
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
  1904
1912  

The men's 200 metre race was held for the third time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held from 21 to 23 July 1908. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. [1] 43 sprinters from 15 nations competed. The event was won by Robert Kerr of Canada, the first win by a nation other than the United States. Americans took silver (Robert Cloughen) and bronze (Nathaniel Cartmell), with Cartmell becoming the first person to win multiple 200 metres medals after taking earning silver in 1904.

Contents

Background

This was the third appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Olympics in 1896 but has been on the program ever since. Two of the five runners from the 1904 Games returned: silver medalist Nathaniel Cartmell of the United States and fifth-place finisher Robert Kerr of Canada (the only man not to reach the four-man final in 1904). Kerr had won three Canadian titles and the 1908 AAA title since the previous Games. [2]

Austria, Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden each made their debut in the event. The United States made its third appearance, the only nation to have competed at each edition of the 200 metres to date.

Competition format

There were three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. The quarterfinals consisted of 15 heats of between 1 and 5 athletes each; only the fastest man in each heat advanced to the semifinals. There were 4 semifinals, most with 4 runners but one with 3. Again, only the top athlete advanced. The final had 4 runners. [2]

The race was run on a 13-mile track. [2]

Records

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

World recordFlag of the United States.svg Jim Maybury (USA)*21.4 Chicago, United States 5 June 1897
Olympic recordFlag of the United States.svg  Archie Hahn  (USA)**21.6 St. Louis, United States 31 August 1904

* unofficial 220 yards (= 201.17 m)

** straight course

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Tuesday, 21 July 190811:00Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 22 July 190810:15Semifinals
Thursday, 23 July 190816:00Final

Results

Quarterfinals

The winner of each heat advanced, with all others eliminated. Heats were held on 21 July 1908.

Quarterfinal 1

George led by ten yards when he crossed the finish line.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 John George Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.4Q
2 Victor Henny Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 24.6

Quarterfinal 2

In a tight race, Huff beat Duffy by less than two yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Harold Huff US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.8Q
2 Edward Duffy Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  South Africa 23.2
3 Henk van der Wal Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown
4 Knut Stenborg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown

Quarterfinal 3

Roche won by a mere yard.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Patrick Roche Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.8Q
2 Lawson Robertson US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.0
3 Frank Lukeman Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada Unknown
4 Evert Koops Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 4

Cartmell won by about two yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Nathaniel Cartmell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.0Q
2 Vilmos Rácz Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 23.3
3 Ragnar Stenberg Flag of Russia.svg  Finland Unknown

Quarterfinal 5

Malfait had about a four-yard lead when he finished.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Georges Malfait Flag of France.svg  France 22.6Q
2 Robert Duncan Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.1

Quarterfinal 6

Laaftman won by two yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Sven Låftman Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 23.8Q
2 Frigyes Wiesner Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 24.0
3 Ernst Greven Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 7

There was no competition for Radóczy in the seventh heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Károly Radóczy Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 8

Cloughen had a comfortable six-yard lead when he crossed the finish line.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Robert Cloughen US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.4Q
2 Umberto Barrozzi Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 24.1

Quarterfinal 9

Hurdsfield led by a yard and a half at the finish.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Samuel Hurdsfield Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.6Q
2 Mikhail Paskalides Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece 24.0

Quarterfinal 10

Hamilton's margin of victory was three yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 William Hamilton US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.4Q
2 Louis Sebert Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.8
3 Henry Pankhurst Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown
4 Pál Simon Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown
5 Fernand Halbart Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown

Quarterfinal 11

Kerr's victory was by about three yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Robert Kerr Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.2Q
2 William W. May US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.7
3 James P. Stark Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown
4 Knut Lindberg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown
5 Emilio Brambilla Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown

Quarterfinal 12

Sherman led by two yards when he finished.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Nathaniel Sherman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.8Q
2 John W. Morton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.1
3 Eduard Schönecker Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg  Austria Unknown
4 Cornelis den Held Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 13

Reed won by two and a half yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Lionel Reed Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.2Q
2 Arthur Hoffmann Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany 23.5

Quarterfinal 14

Guttormsen was the second runner to win without competition.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Oscar Guttormsen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 15

The race was extremely tight until the final straightaway, where Hawkins pulled away to win.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 George Hawkins Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.8Q
2 Henri Meslot Flag of France.svg  France 23.2
3 Jacobus Hoogveld Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown

Semifinals

The semifinal round was held on 22 July 1908, a day after the heats. The winners of each semifinal advanced to the final, with the other runners being knocked out of competition.

Semifinal 1

The first semifinal featured both of the runners who had won via walkover in the heats. There was very little room separating the lead three runners, with Kerr about nine inches in front of Hamilton and twelve ahead of Radoczy.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Robert Kerr Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.6Q
2 William Hamilton US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.7
3 Károly Radóczy Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 22.8
4 Oscar Guttormsen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Unknown

Semifinal 2

This all-American heat was also close, but not as close as the first. Cartmell won by about five feet.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Nathaniel Cartmell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.6Q
2 Nathaniel Sherman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.9
3 Harold Huff US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.0

Semifinal 3

Cloughen finally pulled ahead of Reed three-quarters of the way into the race, holding onto the lead until the finish.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Robert Cloughen US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.6Q
2 Lionel Reed Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.8
3 John George Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown
4 Samuel Hurdsfield Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown

Semifinal 4

Låftman was forced to scratch due to an injury. The three runners broke apart in the last ten metres, with Hawkins winning by a foot.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 George Hawkins Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.6Q
2 Patrick Roche Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.6
3 Georges Malfait Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
Sven Låftman Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden DNS

Final

The final was held on 23 July 1908. The top three were within two feet of each other, as Kerr's early lead evaporated in the straight. He was able to hang onto nine inches, however, and defeated Cloughen by that small margin.

RankAthleteNationTime
Gold medal icon.svg Robert Kerr Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.6
Silver medal icon.svg Robert Cloughen US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.6
Bronze medal icon.svg Nathaniel Cartmell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.7
4 George Hawkins Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.9

Results summary

RankAthleteNationQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Robert Kerr Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.222.622.6
Silver medal icon.svg Robert Cloughen US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.422.622.6
Bronze medal icon.svg Nathaniel Cartmell US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.022.622.7
4 George Hawkins Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.822.622.9
5 Patrick Roche Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.822.6Did not advance
6 William Hamilton US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.422.7
7 Lionel Reed Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.222.8
Károly Radóczy Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Walkover22.8
9 Nathaniel Sherman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.822.9
10 Harold Huff US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.823.0
11 Georges Malfait Flag of France.svg  France 22.6Unknown3rd in semifinal
John George Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.4Unknown3rd in semifinal
13 Samuel Hurdsfield Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.6Unknown4th in semifinal
Oscar Guttormsen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway WalkoverUnknown4th in semifinal
15 Sven Låftman Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 23.8DNS
16 William W. May US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 22.7Did not advance
17 Louis Sebert Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 22.8
18 Lawson Robertson US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 23.0
19 Robert Duncan Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.1
John W. Morton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 23.1
21 Edward Duffy Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  South Africa 23.2
Henri Meslot Flag of France.svg  France 23.2
23 Vilmos Rácz Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 23.3
24 Arthur Hoffmann Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany 23.5
25 Mikhail Paskalides Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece 24.0
Frigyes Wiesner Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 24.0
27 Umberto Barrozzi Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 24.1
28 Victor Henny Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 24.6
29 Ernst Greven Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Jacobus Hoogveld Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Frank Lukeman Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Henry Pankhurst Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Eduard Schönecker Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg  Austria Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
James P. Stark Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Ragnar Stenberg Flag of Russia.svg  Finland Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
Henk van der Wal Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown3rd in quarterfinal
37 Cornelis den Held Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown4th in quarterfinal
Evert Koops Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown4th in quarterfinal
Knut Lindberg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown4th in quarterfinal
Pál Simon Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown4th in quarterfinal
Knut Stenborg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown4th in quarterfinal
42 Emilio Brambilla Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown5th in quarterfinal
Fernand Halbart Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown5th in quarterfinal

Related Research Articles

Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 24 to 26. There were 54 competitors from 41 nations. The event was won by Shawn Crawford of the United States, the nation's 17th victory in the men's 200 metres. His teammates Bernard Williams (silver) and Justin Gatlin (bronze) completed the sixth American sweep in the event and first since 1984.

Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles Olympic athletics event

The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 23 to 26. There were 35 competitors from 24 nations. The event was won by Félix Sánchez of the Dominican Republic, the nation's first medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles. Silver went to Danny McFarlane of Jamaica, returning to the podium in the event for the first time since 1992. Naman Keïta's bronze was France's first medal in the event in over 100 years; the last Frenchman to medal in the long hurdles was Henri Tauzin in 1900. The United States' five-Games gold medal streak ended; for only the second time in the history of the event, Americans competed but won no medals.

The men's 800 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 25 to 28. Seventy-two athletes from 58 nations competed. The event was won by Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia, the first medal for the nation in the event. Wilson Kipketer of Denmark became the 10th man to win a second medal in the 800 metres.

The men's 100 metres was the shortest of the sprint races at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held over the course of three days. The first round was held on 20 July, the semifinals on 21 July, and the final on 22 July. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes, The event was won by Reggie Walker of South Africa, the first time the gold medal went to a nation other than the United States. The Americans did stay on the podium with James Rector's silver medal. Canada won its first medal in the event, a bronze by Robert Kerr.

Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Mens 110 metres hurdles Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 110 metres hurdles was the shorter of two hurdling events at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. It was dominated by the American runners. The competition was held from Thursday, July 23, 1908, to Saturday, July 25, 1908. 25 hurdlers from ten nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. The event was won by Forrest Smithson of the United States, the fourth of five consecutive victories for the nation in the first five Olympic Games. It was also the third of four consecutive podium sweeps for the Americans in the event.

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=13 mile in circumference.

The men's 800 metres made its fourth Olympic appearance at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 20, 1908, and on July 21, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=13 mile in circumference. It was run in two rounds, with the winners of the eight heats of the first round competing in the final.

The men's 1500 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 13, 1908, and on July 14, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=13 mile in circumference. The event was won by Mel Sheppard of the United States, the second consecutive Games an American had won the event. Sheppard, like Jim Lightbody in 1904, would also win the 800 metres for a middle-distance double.

Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles Olympic athletics event

The men's 400 metres hurdles was the longer of two hurdling events at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. It was the third time the event had been featured at the Olympics. The Olympic record was beat three times in the course of the Games. The competition was held from Monday, July 20, 1908, to Wednesday, July 22, 1908. 15 runners from six nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. The event was won by Charles Bacon of the United States, defeating teammate and defending champion Harry Hillman by 0.3 seconds in the final. It was the third gold medal in three Games for the American team in the event. Hillman was the first man to earn multiple medals in the 400 metres hurdles. Jimmy Tremeer of Great Britain earned bronze, the first medal for the nation in the men's 400 metres hurdles.

The men's medley relay was run for the first time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The event consisted of 1600 metres being run by four athletes per team. Unlike the later 4 × 400 metres relay, however, the athletes had different distances to run. In the medley, the first two runners each ran 200 metres. The third runner ran 400 and the fourth ran 800. The competition was held on July 24, 1908, and July 25, 1908. 28 runners from 7 nations competed. NOCs could enter one team of four, with four reserves.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 60 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 60 metres was the shortest of the track races at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, which was the first time the event was held. It was held on 15 July 1900. 10 athletes from 6 nations competed. Five preliminary heats were scheduled, though only two were actually held. The top two athletes from each of the heats advanced to the final, resulting in a final race that featured three United States runners and an Australian. Hurdle specialist Alvin Kraenzlein of the United States won the event, with his countryman Walter Tewksbury in second and Australian Stan Rowley earning bronze.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 100 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 100 metres was a sprinting event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14, 1900. 20 athletes from nine nations competed. The event was won by Frank Jarvis of the United States, the second of three straight gold medals by different Americans in the event. Australia medaled in the event for the first time, a bronze by Stan Rowley.

Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 400 metres hurdles was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. This event was held for the first time at the Olympics. The competition took part on July 14 and July 15, 1900. The race was held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Five athletes from four nations competed in the longest of the three hurdling events. The event was won by Walter Tewksbury of the United States. Henri Tauzin of France earned silver, while George Orton of Canada took bronze.

Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was the second-shortest of the men's track races in the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Tokyo. 63 athletes from 48 nations entered, with 6 not starting in the first round. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The first two rounds were held on 16 October, with the semifinals and the final on 17 October. The event was won by Henry Carr of the United States, the nation's 11th victory in the event. Fellow American Paul Drayton took silver; it was the fifth time in six Games that the United States had the top two finishers. Edwin Roberts gave Trinidad and Tobago its first medal in the men's 200 metres with his bronze.

Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Mens 100 metre freestyle Olympic swimming event

The men's 100 metre freestyle was one of six swimming events on the swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. It was the shortest of the three individual freestyle events, as the 50 yard freestyle had been dropped after its one appearance on the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. The 100 metre event was contested for the third time after it had been held at the 1896 and 1906 Olympics. The 1904 Olympics saw a 100-yard event. The competition was held on Friday 17 July 1908 and Monday 20 July 1908. Thirty-four swimmers from twelve nations competed. Each nation was limited to 12 swimmers.

Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which has appeared at every edition of the Summer Olympics since the 1900 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 10, 1912, and on July 11, 1912. 61 runners from 19 nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. The event was won by Ralph Craig of the United States, the nation's third victory in four Games. Another American, Donald Lippincott, took silver. Great Britain earned its first medal in the 200 metres with Willie Applegarth's bronze.

Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Mens 60 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 60 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second and last time the event was held at the Olympics. 12 athletes from 3 nations participated. The competition was held on August 29, 1904. The event was won by Archie Hahn of the United States, with William Hogenson second and Clyde Blair third as the host nation swept the medals. It was the first of three gold medals in the sprints won by Hahn in 1904.

Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Mens 100 metres Athletics at the Olympics

The men's 100 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. 11 athletes from 3 nations participated. The competition was held on September 3, 1904. The event was won by Archie Hahn of the United States, completing his sprint trifecta and marking the third straight gold medal in the event by an American. Hahn would later repeat his win in the now-unofficial 1906 Intercalated Games. The United States swept the medals.

Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second time the 200 metres was contested. All races of this competition was held on a straight course. 5 athletes from 2 nations participated. The competition was held on August 31, 1904. The United States swept the medals, with Archie Hahn earning the second of his three sprint medals in St. Louis. Nathaniel Cartmell took silver and William Hogenson earned bronze. It was the second consecutive American victory in the event.

Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was an event at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. It was held on 31 July and 1 August 1928 at the Olympic Stadium. There were 59 competitors from 29 nations. Nations had been limited to 4 athletes each since 1920. The event was won by Percy Williams of Canada, the nation's second victory in the event. The win broke a streak of three victories by the United States; with no Americans on the podium, the nation's six-Games medal streak was broken as well. Walter Rangeley of Great Britain took silver, giving Great Britain a four-Games medal streak in the event. Germany earned its first men's 200 metres medal with Helmut Körnig's bronze.

References

  1. Official report, p. 32.
  2. 1 2 3 "200 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 29 December 2020.