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

Last updated

Men's 400 metres hurdles
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
1908 Charles Bacon and Harry Hillman.JPG
Charles Bacon and Harry Hillman in the final.
Venue White City Stadium
DatesJuly 20 (quarterfinals)
July 21 (semifinals)
July 22 (final)
Competitors15 from 6 nations
Winning time55.0 WR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Charles Bacon
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg Harry Hillman
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Jimmy Tremeer
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
  1904
1920  

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. [1] NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. [2] 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.

Contents

Background

This was the third time the event was held. Introduced along with the men's 200 metres hurdles in 1900, the men's 400 metres hurdles was still on the program while the 200 was not. The 400 metres version would be held in 1900, 1904, and 1908 before being left off for one Games in 1912; when the Olympics returned after World War I, the men's 400 metres hurdles was back and would continue to be contested at every Games thereafter. One of the four hurdlers from the 1904 Games returned: gold medalist Harry Hillman of the United States. [3]

Australasia, Great Britain, Hungary, and the Netherlands each made their debut in the event. The United States made its third appearance, the only nation to have competed at every edition of the event to that point.

Competition format

The competition consisted of three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. Ten sets of hurdles were set on the course. The hurdles were 3 feet (= 91.5 centimetre) tall and were placed 35 metres apart beginning 45 metres from the starting line. [4]

There were 12 quarterfinal heats scheduled, but only 11 actually were contested as one heat had no starters. There were only one or two hurdlers in each quarterfinal heat. The winner advanced in the 4 heats that had two runners. The 11 men who advanced were divided into four semifinal heats of 2 or 3 hurdlers each; again, only the fastest man advanced. The final had 4 competitors. [3]

Records

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

World recordFlag of the United States.svg  Charles Bacon  (USA)55.8* Philadelphia, United States 6 July 1908
Olympic recordUS flag 45 stars.svg  Walter Tewksbury  (USA)57.6** Paris, France 15 July 1900

* unofficial

** This track was 500 metres in circumference.

Harry Hillman had run 53.0 seconds in 1904 but he knocked over a hurdle and the hurdles were only 30 inches (76 cm) high.

In the first round Charles Bacon set a new Olympic record with 57.0 seconds. In the second round Hillman set a new record with 56.4 seconds. In the final Bacon set a new world record with 55.0 seconds. This record became the first official world record for the 400 metres hurdles.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Monday, 20 July 190816:45Quarterfinals
Tuesday, 21 July 190816:00Semifinals
Wednesday, 22 July 190815:30Final

Results

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal 1

There was no competition for Koops in the first heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Evert Koops Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 2

A tight race from start to finish, Coe won by about a metre.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Harry Coe US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 58.8Q
2 John Densham Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 59.0

Quarterfinal 3

Bacon won easily, breaking Godfrey Shaw's 440 yards world record.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Charles Bacon US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 57.0Q, OR
2 Henry St Aubyn Murray Flag of Australasian team for Olympic games.svg  Australasia 59.8

Quarterfinal 4

There was no competition for Harmer in the fourth heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Frederick Harmer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 5

There was no competition for Burton in the fifth heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Geoffrey Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 6

Dubois pulled up lame three-quarters of the way through the race, leaving Hillman with the win.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Harry Hillman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 59.2Q
Georges Dubois Flag of France.svg  France DNF

Quarterfinal 7

There was no competition for Groenings in the seventh heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Oswald Groenings Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 8

There was no competition for Gould in the eighth heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Wyatt Gould Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 9

There was no competition for Kovacs in the ninth heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Nándor Kovács Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 10

There was no competition for Tremeer in the tenth heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Jimmy Tremeer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain walkoverQ

Quarterfinal 11

The eleventh heat was cancelled as there were no starters.

Quarterfinal 12

In only the fourth actual race of the first round, and the third in which both runners finished, Burton won in the straight.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Leslie Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:00.4Q
2 Henri Meslot Flag of France.svg  France 1:01.0

Semifinals

Semifinal 1

Koops fell; Hillman won easily, breaking Bacon's record that was set in the first round.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Harry Hillman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 56.4Q, OR
2 Harry Coe US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 57.0
Evert Koops Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands DNF

Semifinal 2

Bacon started off fast, and the other two runners dropped out at 200m.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Charles Bacon US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 58.8Q
Oswald Groenings Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain DNF
Nándor Kovács Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary DNF

Semifinal 3

Burton led after the hurdles, and won despite losing ground in the straight.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Leslie Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 59.8Q
2 Frederick Harmer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:00.3
3 Wyatt Gould Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown

Semifinal 4

Burton retired, allowing Tremeer to win with a jog.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Jimmy Tremeer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:00.6Q
Geoffrey Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain DNF

Final

The final was held on Wednesday, July 22, 1908. Halfway into the race, it was clear that the only question was which American would win. Bacon and Hillman were even all the way until the straight, with Bacon just barely pulling ahead to win by two yards, as both of the Americans came in under the world record set by Hillman in the second round.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Charles Bacon US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 55.0 WR
Silver medal icon.svg Harry Hillman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 55.3
Bronze medal icon.svg Jimmy Tremeer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 57.0
4 Leslie Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 58.0

Results summary

RankAthleteNationQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Charles Bacon US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 57.058.855.0 WR
Silver medal icon.svg Harry Hillman US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 59.256.455.3
Bronze medal icon.svg Jimmy Tremeer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Bye1:00.657.0
4 Leslie Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:00.459.858.0
5 Harry Coe US flag 45 stars.svg  United States 58.857.0Did not advance
6 Frederick Harmer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Bye1:00.3
7 Wyatt Gould Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain ByeUnknown
8 Geoffrey Burton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain ByeDNF
Oswald Groenings Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain ByeDNF
Evert Koops Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands ByeDNF
Nándor Kovács Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary ByeDNF
12 John Densham Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 59.0Did not advance
13 Henry St Aubyn Murray Flag of Australasian team for Olympic games.svg  Australasia 59.8
14 Henri Meslot Flag of France.svg  France 1:01.0
15 Georges Dubois Flag of France.svg  France DNF

Related Research Articles

Harry Hillman American athletics competitor

Harry Livingston Hillman Jr. was an American athlete and winner of three gold medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics.

Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Mens 110 metres hurdles

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 originally scheduled 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.

Leonard Francis Tremeer, known as Jimmy Tremeer, was an Olympic bronze medallist in the men's 400 metres hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics. He competed on the Great Britain and Ireland team.

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.

Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres sprint event at the 1932 Summer Olympics took place on August 2 and August 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There were 25 athletes from 13 nations. The 1930 Olympic Congress in Berlin had reduced the limit from 4 athletes per NOC to 3 athletes. After missing the podium entirely in 1928, the United States swept the medals in the event in 1932. It was the second medal sweep in the event by the United States (1904) as well as the nation's sixth victory in eight Games. Eddie Tolan was the winner, with George Simpson second and Ralph Metcalfe third.

The men's 400 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Thursday, August 19, 1920, and on Friday, August 20, 1920. 37 runners from 16 nations competed. No nation had more than 4 runners, suggesting the limit had been reduced from the 12 maximum in force in 1908 and 1912. The event was won by Bevil Rudd of South Africa, the nation's first title in the event. Nils Engdahl's bronze was Sweden's first medal in the 400 metres.

Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles Olympic athletics event

The men's 400 metres hurdles event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Sunday, August 15, 1920, and on Monday, August 16, 1920. 19 runners from 9 nations competed. Nations were limited to 4 hurdlers each. The event was won by Frank Loomis of the United States, the fourth consecutive victory by an American. The United States secured its second sweep in the event, and first with other nations competing, with John Norton taking silver and August Desch bronze.

Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was an event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There were 79 participating athletes from 65 nations, with eleven qualifying heats. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Michael Marsh of the United States, the nation's third consecutive and 15th overall victory in the event. The Americans would take a second medal for the third consecutive Games as well, this time with Michael Bates earning bronze. The silver medal went to Frankie Fredericks, taking Namibia's first medal in the men's 200 metres.

The men's 100 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. This race was depicted in the film Chariots of Fire. The first two rounds were held on 6 July, with the semifinals and final on 7 July. Eighty-six sprinters from 34 countries competed. The event was won by Harold Abrahams of Great Britain—Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the men's 100 metres and only the second time that the United States failed to win. Jackson Scholz kept the Americans on the podium with a silver. Arthur Porritt won the bronze, New Zealand's first medal in the event.

Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres

The men's 400 metres was an event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. It was held from August 4 to August 8. Eighty athletes from 56 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Alonzo Babers, returning the United States to the top of the podium for the first time since 1972. Gabriel Tiacoh won the Ivory Coast's first Olympic medal in any event, with a silver.

Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles Olympic athletics event

The men's 400 metres hurdles event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Sunday, July 6, 1924 and on Monday, July 7, 1924. Twenty-three hurdlers from 13 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation was 4. The event was won by Morgan Taylor of the United States, the fifth consecutive victory by an American in the event. Erik Wilén received silver, Finland's first medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles. Another American, Ivan Riley, took bronze.

The men's 400 metres event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. This race was depicted in the film Chariots of Fire. The competition was held on Thursday, July 10, 1924 and on Friday, July 11, 1924.

Athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres was held on 2 September and 3 September as part of the athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics, which were held in Rome. 74 athletes from 54 nations entered, but only 62 athletes from 47 nations ultimately competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Livio Berruti of Italy, the first victory in the event by a nation outside of North America and snapping a five-Games winning streak by the United States. The Americans finished with a silver medal, by Lester Carney, to extend their medal streak to six Games. Abdoulaye Seye of France took bronze. Berruti's gold and Seye's bronze were the first medal for their nations in the men's 200 metres.

Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Mens 400 metres hurdles

The men's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1928 Olympic Games took place between July 29 & July 30. There were 25 athletes from 13 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation was 4. The event was won by David Burghley of Great Britain, the first time a hurdler not from the United States had won. Americans Frank Cuhel and Morgan Taylor took silver and bronze. Taylor, who had been the defending champion, was the second man to win multiple medals in the 400 metres hurdles.

Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres sprint event at the 1936 Olympic Games took place between August 4 and August 5. There were 44 athletes from 22 nations competing. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by African American Jesse Owens, with silver going to Mack Robinson. Owens thus reached 3 gold medals in 1936, with the sprint relay still to come. The Netherlands earned its first medal in the men's 200 metres with Tinus Osendarp's bronze.

Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Mens 200 metres Olympic athletics event

The men's 200 metres sprint event at the 1952 Olympic Games took place between July 22 and July 23. There were 71 competitors from 35 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by American Andy Stanfield. Americans also took silver and bronze as the United States swept the medals in the event for the third time.

Sprint hurdles at the Olympics

The sprint hurdles at the Summer Olympics have been contested over a variety of distances at the multi-sport event. The men's 110 metres hurdles has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first edition in 1896. A men's 200 metres hurdles was also briefly held, from 1900 to 1904. The first women's sprint hurdling event was added to the programme at the 1932 Olympics in the form of the 80 metres hurdles. At the 1972 Games the women's distance was extended to the 100 metres hurdles, which is the current international standard.

Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Mens 110 metres hurdles

The men's 110 metre hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 24 to 27. Forty-seven athletes from 34 nations competed. The event was won by Liu Xiang of China, the nation's first medal in the event. Terrence Trammell and Anier García became the 11th and 12th men to win multiple medals in the 110 metres hurdles.

References

  1. "Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 400 metres Hurdles". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. Official report, p. 32.
  3. 1 2 "400 metres Hurdles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  4. Official Report, p. 62.