Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke

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Men's 200 metre breaststroke
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
London 1908 Swimming.jpg
The start of the final
Venue White City Stadium
DatesJuly 15–18
Competitors27 from 10 nations
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Frederick Holman Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
Silver medal icon.svg William Robinson Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
Bronze medal icon.svg Pontus Hanson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
1912  

The men's 200 metre breaststroke was one of 6 swimming events on the Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. [1] It was the only breaststroke event on the schedule. 1908 was the first appearance of the 200 metre breaststroke, as 1904 had seen the introduction of the stroke to Olympic competition with the 440 yard event. Each nation could enter up to 12 swimmers. [2]

Competition format

With a much larger field than in 1904, the 1908 competition expanded to three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The 1908 Games also restored the wild-card system from 1900, allowing the fastest swimmers who did not win their heat to advance. The seven heats consisted of between 3 and 5 swimmers, with the winner of the heat advancing along with the fastest loser from across the heats (all tied swimmers advanced in the case of equal times). There were two semifinals, intended to be of 5 swimmers each but one of which actually had 6 due to a tie in the heats; the top 2 finishers in each semifinal (regardless of overall time) advanced to the 4-person final. [3]

Each race involved two lengths of the 100 metre pool. The rules required that "both hands of the competitor must be pushed forward and brought backwards simultaneously, the shoulders must be kept perfectly in line with the surface of the water, and when touching at the turn . . . the touch shall be made with both hands" and that "the touch at the finish shall be made with both hands." [4]

Results

First round

The fastest swimmer in each heat and the fastest loser advanced, qualifying 8 swimmers for the semifinals.

Heat 1

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 Frederick Holman Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:10.6
2Richard RöslerFlag of the German Empire.svg  Germany 3:18.0
3 Max Gumpel Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown

Heat 2

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 Wilhelm Persson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:17.6
2 András Baronyi Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 3:18.0
3 Augustus Goessling US flag 45 stars.svg  United States Unknown
4-5 Herman Cederberg Flag of Russia.svg  Finland Unknown
Frederick Naylor Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Unknown

Heat 3

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1Erich SeidelFlag of the German Empire.svg  Germany 3:17.2
2 Hjalmar Johansson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:21.2
3Alf DaviesFlag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Unknown
4Pierre StrauwenFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown

Heat 4

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1Ödön ToldiFlag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 3:14.4
2 Pontus Hanson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:15.0
3 Sydney Gooday Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Unknown
4 Amilcare Beretta Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown

Heat 5

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 William Robinson Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:13.0
2 Per Fjästad Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:31.4
3 John Henriksson Flag of Russia.svg  Finland Unknown
Edward CookeFlag of Australasian team for Olympic games.svg  Australasia Did not finish

Heat 6

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1József FabinyiFlag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 3:23.4
2 Torsten Kumfeldt Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:24.6
3 Harald Klem Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Unknown
Hugo Jonsson Flag of Russia.svg  Finland Did not finish

Heat 7

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 Félicien Courbet Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 3:16.4
2 Percy Courtman Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:18.4
3 Adolf Andersson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown

Semifinals

The fastest two swimmers from each semifinal advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 Frederick Holman Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:10.0
2Ödön ToldiFlag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 3:16.4
3Erich SeidelFlag of the German Empire.svg  Germany Unknown
4József FabinyiFlag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Unknown

Semifinal 2

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 William Robinson Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:11.8
2 Pontus Hanson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:13.0
3 Wilhelm Persson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown
4 Félicien Courbet Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown

Final

PlaceSwimmerNationTime
1 Frederick Holman Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:09.2
2 William Robinson Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 3:12.8
3 Pontus Hanson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3:14.6
4Ödön ToldiFlag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary 3:15.2

References

  1. "Swimming at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 200 metres Breaststroke". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  2. Official Report, p. 40.
  3. Official Report, p. 571.
  4. Official Report, p. 574.

Sources