Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics

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Athletics
at the Games of the XIV Olympiad
Wembley Stadium Twin Towers.jpg
Host stadium (shown in 2002)
No. of events33
Competitors745 from 53 nations
  1936
1952  

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. Three events made their Olympic debut at these Games: women's 200 metres, women's long jump and women's shot put. There were a total number of 745 participating athletes from 53 countries.

Medal summary

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1251027
2Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 53513
3Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4026
4Flag of France.svg  France 2338
5Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary 2013
6Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1326
7Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1315
8Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1203
Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica 1203
10Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina 1102
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1102
12Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1012
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1012
14Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 0617
15Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 0112
16Flag of Ceylon (1948-1951).svg  Ceylon 0101
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 0101
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia 0101
19Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 0022
20Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 0011
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 0011
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 0011
Totals (22 entries)33333399

Men

EventGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Harrison Dillard
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
10.3 Barney Ewell
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
10.4 Lloyd LaBeach
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
10.6
200 metres
details
Mel Patton
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
21.1 Barney Ewell
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
21.1 Lloyd LaBeach
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
21.2
400 metres
details
Arthur Wint
Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica
46.2 Herb McKenley
Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica
46.4 Mal Whitfield
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
46.8
800 metres
details
Mal Whitfield
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:49.2
(OR)
Arthur Wint
Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica
1:49.5 Marcel Hansenne
Flag of France.svg  France
1:49.8
1500 metres
details
Henry Eriksson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
3:49.8 Lennart Strand
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
3:50.4 Willem Slijkhuis
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
3:50.4
5000 metres
details
Gaston Reiff
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
14:17.6
(OR)
Emil Zátopek
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
14:17.8 Willem Slijkhuis
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
14:26.8
10,000 metres
details
Emil Zátopek
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
29:59.6
(OR)
Alain Mimoun
Flag of France.svg  France
30:47.4 Bertil Albertsson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
30:53.6
110 metres hurdles
details
William Porter
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
13.9
(OR)
Clyde Scott
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
14.1 Craig Dixon
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
14.1
400 metres hurdles
details
Roy Cochran
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
51.1
(OR)
Duncan White
Flag of Ceylon (1948-1951).svg  Ceylon
51.8 Rune Larsson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
52.2
3000 metres steeplechase
details
Tore Sjöstrand
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
9:04.6 Erik Elmsäter
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
9:08.2 Göte Hagström
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
9:11.8
4 × 100 metres relay
details
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Barney Ewell
Lorenzo Wright
Harrison Dillard
Mel Patton
40.6Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
Alastair McCorquodale
Jack Gregory
Ken Jones
Jack Archer
41.3Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)
Michele Tito
Enrico Perucconi
Carlo Monti
Antonio Siddi
41.5
4 × 400 metres relay
details
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Roy Cochran
Cliff Bourland
Arthur Harnden
Mal Whitfield
3:10.4Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)
Jean Kerebel
Francis Schewetta
Robert Chef d'Hôtel
Jacques Lunis
3:14.8Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)
Kurt Lundquist
Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt
Folke Alnevik
Rune Larsson
3:16.0
Marathon
details
Delfo Cabrera
Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina
2:34:51.6 Tom Richards
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:35:07.6 Étienne Gailly
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:35:33.6
10 kilometres walk
details
John Mikaelsson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
45:13.2
(OR)
Ingemar Johansson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
45:43.8 Fritz Schwab
Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
46:00.2
50 kilometres walk
details
John Ljunggren
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
4:41:52 Gaston Godel
Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
4:48:17 Tebbs Lloyd Johnson
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
4:48:31
High jump
details
John Winter
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1.98 m Bjørn Paulson
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
1.95 m George Stanich
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1.95 m
Pole vault
details
Guinn Smith
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
4.30 m Erkki Kataja
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
4.20 m Bob Richards
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
4.20 m
Long jump
details
Willie Steele
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7.825 m Bill Bruce
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
7.55 m Herb Douglas
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7.54 m
Triple jump
details
Arne Åhman
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
15.40 m George Avery
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
15.36 m Ruhi Sarıalp
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
15.02 m
Shot put
details
Wilbur Thompson
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
17.12 m
(OR)
Jim Delaney
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
16.68 m Jim Fuchs
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
16.42 m
Discus throw
details
Adolfo Consolini
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
52.78 m
(OR)
Giuseppe Tosi
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
51.78 m Fortune Gordien
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
50.77 m
Hammer throw
details
Imre Németh
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
56.07 m Ivan Gubijan
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia
54.27 m Robert Bennett
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
53.73 m
Javelin throw
details
Tapio Rautavaara
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
69.77 m Steve Seymour
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
67.56 m József Várszegi
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
67.03 m
Decathlon
details
Bob Mathias
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7139 Ignace Heinrich
Flag of France.svg  France
6974 Floyd Simmons
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
6950

Women

GamesGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
11.9 Dorothy Manley
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
12.2 Shirley Strickland
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
12.2
200 metres
details
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
24.4
(OR)
Audrey Williamson
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
25.1 Audrey Patterson
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
25.2
80 metres hurdles
details
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
11.2
(OR)
Maureen Gardner
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
11.2 Shirley Strickland
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
11.4
4 × 100 metres relay
details
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)
Xenia Stad-de Jong
Netty Witziers-Timmer
Gerda van der Kade-Koudijs
Fanny Blankers-Koen
47.5Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Shirley Strickland
June Maston
Betty McKinnon
Joyce King
47.6Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada  (CAN)
Viola Myers
Nancy Mackay
Diane Foster
Patricia Jones
47.8
High jump
details
Alice Coachman
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1.68 m
(OR)
Dorothy Tyler
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
1.68 m
(OR)
Micheline Ostermeyer
Flag of France.svg  France
1.61 m
Long jump
details
Olga Gyarmati
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
5.695 m
(OR)
Noemí Simonetto
Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina
5.60 m Ann-Britt Leyman
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
5.575 m
Shot put
details
Micheline Ostermeyer
Flag of France.svg  France
13.75 m
(OR)
Amelia Piccinini
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
13.09 m Ine Schäffer
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
13.08 m
Discus throw
details
Micheline Ostermeyer
Flag of France.svg  France
41.92 m Edera Cordiale
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
41.17 m Jacqueline Mazéas
Flag of France.svg  France
40.47 m
Javelin throw
details
Herma Bauma
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
45.57 m
(OR)
Kaisa Parviainen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
43.79 m Lily Carlstedt
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
42.08 m

Records broken

14 new Olympic records were set in the athletics events. No new world records were set.

Men's Olympic records

EventDateRoundNameNationalityResult
800 metres 2 AugustFinal Mal Whitfield US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:49.2
5000 metres 2 AugustFinal Gaston Reiff Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 14:17.6
10,000 metres 30 JulyFinal Emil Zátopek Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 29:59.6
110 metres hurdles 4 AugustFinal William Porter US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 13.9
400 metres hurdles 31 JulyFinal Roy Cochran US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 51.1
10 kilometres walk 7 AugustFinal John Mikaelsson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 45:13.2
Shot put 3 AugustFinal Wilbur Thompson US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 17.12 m
Discus throw 2 AugustFinal Adolfo Consolini Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 52.78 m

Women's Olympic records

EventDateRoundNameNationalityResult
200 metres 6 AugustFinal Fanny Blankers-Koen Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 24.4
80 metres hurdles 4 AugustFinal Fanny Blankers-Koen
Maureen Gardner
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
11.2
High jump 7 AugustFinal Alice Coachman
Dorothy Tyler
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
1.68 m
Long jump 4 AugustFinal Olga Gyarmati Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary 5.695 m
Shot put 4 AugustFinal Micheline Ostermeyer Flag of France.svg  France 13.75 m
Javelin throw 31 JulyFinal Herma Bauma Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 45.57 m

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References

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