At the 1908 Summer Olympics, three motorboat racing events were contested. Various sources refer to the sport as "water motorsports", "motor boats", and "power boating". The 1900 and 1908 Summer Games were the only ones to feature motorised sports. The IOC has never decided which events were "Olympic" and which were not.
At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, nine wrestling events were contested, all for men. There were four weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and five weight classes in freestyle wrestling.
Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad. With the exception of the 1904 and the canceled 1916 Summer Olympics, sailing has always been included on the Olympic schedule. The Sailing program of 1908 was open for a total of five sailing classes (disciplines), but actually only four Sailing events were contested. The planned venue of all races, named matches, was Ryde, Isle of Wight.
France competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England.
The men's single sculls was one of four rowing events on the Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to 2 boats. Nine rowers from six nations competed. The host nation, Great Britain, earned the top two spots with Harry Blackstaffe taking gold and Alexander McCulloch silver. It was the first victory in the event for Great Britain, which had taken bronze in 1900. The two bronze medals went to semifinalists Bernhard von Gaza of Germany and Károly Levitzky of Hungary, both nations making their debut in the event.
The men's coxless pairs was one of four rowing events on the Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to 2 boats. Four pairs from three nations competed.
The men's coxless four was one of four rowing events on the Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to 2 boats. Four boats from three nations competed.
The men's eight was one of four rowing events on the Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to two boats. Six boats from five nations competed. The event was won by Leander Club, one of the two British boats. The silver medal went to the Belgian team from Royal Club Nautique de Gand. Bronze medals were awarded to the two semifinal losers; Argonaut Rowing Club of Canada had been defeated by Leander while Britain's second boat, from Cambridge University Boat Club, lost to the Belgians.
Sailing has been one of the Olympic sports since the Games of the I Olympiad, held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Despite being scheduled in the first Olympic program, the races were canceled due to severe weather conditions. Apart from the 1904 Summer Olympics, sailing has been present in every edition of the Olympic Games.
Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed as the host nation of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The British Olympic Association was the National Olympic Committee responsible for organising the United Kingdom's representation. At the time British athletes competed under the team name "United Kingdom". The British team comprised 676 competitors.
Italy competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England. It was the third appearance of the European nation, which had not competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was originally going to host the Games, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius meant the UK hosted them.
Australasia was the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the fourth appearance of Australia, which had not missed any edition of the Summer Olympic Games, and the first appearance of New Zealand. The two would compete together again as Australasia at the 1912 Summer Olympics before competing separately at every edition of the Summer Games since. In 1908 there were three New Zealanders, Harry Kerr, Henry Murray and Albert Rowland ; all other competitors were Australian. There were 30 competitors for Australasia who competed in 20 events in six sports. A further two competitors, who were to compete in tennis, did not play as their nominations failed to reach the organisers.
Denmark competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England. No Danish athletes had competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
John Charles Field-Richards was a British Army officer and motorboat racer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Bernard Boverton Redwood was a British motorboat racer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Isaac Thomas "Tom" Thornycroft was an English motorboat racer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics representing Great Britain.
Ernest Blakelock Thubron, also known as Émile Thubron was an Anglo-French motorboat racer and an olympic champion. He was born in The Boldons, United Kingdom. He died in Tokomaru, New Zealand on 22 May 1927
The Class A was one of three motorboating classes contested on the Water motorsports at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to 3 boats.
The Class B was one of three motorboating classes contested on the Water motorsports at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Nations could enter up to 3 boats. In addition to the 60 foot limit, boats were limited to "a total piston area not exceeding that represented by four cylinders each of 155 mm. bore."
Sophia Hope Gorham was a British motorboat racer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. She is the only woman in Olympic history to compete in a motorboat event.
