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

Event:Men's 400 metres
Games:1908 Summer
Venue:White City Stadium
Dates:21 July (quarterfinals)
22 July (semifinals)
23 July (final)
Competitors:37
Nations:11
Win Value:50.0
Gold:Wyndham Halswelle
Goldnoc:GBR
Prev:1904
Next:1912

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 21 July 1908, to 23 July 1908. The rerun of the final was held on 25 July 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres= mile in circumference.

37 runners from 11 nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.[1]

It was the most controversial event of the London Games: the final resulted in the disqualification of American runner John Carpenter who was accused by the British officials of a manoeuvre that was legal under American rules (under which Carpenter normally competed) but prohibited by the British rules under which the race was run.

As part of the disqualification of Carpenter, a second final race was ordered, with Halswelle to face the other two finalists again. These athletes, William Robbins and John Taylor, were both Americans, and they boycotted the re-run final to protest the judges' decision.

Thus, Halswelle was the only medallist in the 400 metres.

Background

This was the fourth time the event was held. Only one of the runners from 1904, Paul Pilgrim of the United States, returned. Defending gold medalist Harry Hillman, also American, was in London but competed only in the hurdles. The favorite was British runner Wyndham Halswelle, the 1905, 1906, and 1908 AAA champion.[2]

Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands appeared in the event for the first time. The United States made its fourth appearance in the event, the only nation to compete in it at the first four Olympic Games.

Competition format

The competition consisted of three rounds. The first round had 16 heats, ranging from 0 to 4 runners (the second heat was cancelled because no athletes started). Only the top runner in each heat advanced to the semifinals. The semifinal was to consist of 4 heats of 4 runners each, but the final heat had only 3 runners due to the cancellation of the second heat in the first round. Again, only the top runner in each semifinal heat advanced, making a four-man final.[2] [3]

Records

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

(*) 440 yards (= 402.34 m)

(**) This track was 536.45 metres= mile in circumference.

In the semi-finals Wyndham Halswelle set a new Olympic record with 48.4 seconds.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Tuesday, 21 July 1908 Round 1
Wednesday, 22 July 1908 17:30 Semifinals
Thursday, 23 July 1908 17:30 Final (original)
style=background:lemonchiffonSaturday, 25 July 1908 style=background:lemonchiffon12:00 style=background:lemonchiffonFinal (rerun)

Results

Heats

The heats were run on 21 July 1908. The winner of each advanced to the semifinals, with all other runners eliminated.

Heat 1

Montague led by twelve yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Montague, Edwin"50.2
2 align=left data-sort-value="Pilgrim, Paul"51.4

Heat 2

The second heat was scratched as there were no starters.

Heat 3

Ryle had no competition in the third heat.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Ryle, Edward"walkover

Heat 4

Taylor won by twelve yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Taylor, John"50.8
2 align=left data-sort-value="Penna, Roberto"52.4
3 align=left data-sort-value="Låftman, Sven"Unknown

Heat 5

Nicol won easily, holding a twelve-yard lead over Guttormsen as he crossed the finish line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Nicol, George"50.8
2 align=left data-sort-value="Guttormsen, Oscar"52.4

Heat 6

Eight yards separated the two runners when Malfait crossed the line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Malfait, Georges"50.0
2 align=left data-sort-value="Buddo, Donald"51.2

Heat 7

Robbins had no difficulty in this race, leading from start to finish to win by six yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Robbins, William"50.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Nagy, József"51.1
3 align=left data-sort-value="Chavasse, Noel Godfrey"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Henny, Victor"Victor HennyUnknown

Heat 8

Prout's lead was only two yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Prout, William C."50.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Chavasse, Christopher Maude"50.7

Heat 9

Ramey's victory was one of the closest of the first round, with only a yard and a half separating him from Astley.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Ramey, Horace"51.0
2 align=left data-sort-value="Astley, Arthur"Unknown

Heat 10

Jacquemin took an early lead, but pulled up lame, allowing Sebert to win by 20 yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Sebert, Louis"50.2
2 align=left data-sort-value="Cartasegna, Massimo"52.7
data-sort-value=3align=left data-sort-value="Jacquemin, Victor"

Heat 11

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Atlee, John"50.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Patterson, Alan"50.6
3 align=left data-sort-value="Tarella, Giuseppe"Unknown

Heat 12

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Davies, Charles"50.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Held, Cornelis den"51.0

Heat 13

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Merriam, Ned"52.2
2 align=left data-sort-value="Robb, Robert"52.5

Heat 14

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Carpenter, John"49.8
2 align=left data-sort-value="Trieloff, Otto"50.9
3 align=left data-sort-value="Ringstrand, Arvid"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Wal, Henk van der"Unknown

Heat 15

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Halswelle, Wyndham"49.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Selding, Frederick de"50.8
3 align=left data-sort-value="Evers, Bram"Unknown

Heat 16

Young won by 30 yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Young, G. W."52.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Hoogveld, Jacobus"54.3

Semifinals

The semifinals were held on 22 July 1908. Winners advanced, all others were eliminated.

Semifinal 1

Carpenter led throughout, with Davies challenging him at the end. Carpenter was "slowing fast in the last thirty yards" but managed to hold off Davies and win "by three yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Carpenter, John"49.4
2 align=left data-sort-value="Davies, Charles"49.8
3 align=left data-sort-value="Merriam, Ned"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Young, G. W."Unknown

Semifinal 2

Halswelle broke the Olympic record in this semifinal. He took the lead early and "was right away at the half distance," ultimately winning "by 12 yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Halswelle, Wyndham"48.4 ,
2 align=left data-sort-value="Montague, Edwin"49.8
3 align=left data-sort-value="Nicol, George"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Prout, William C."Unknown

Semifinal 3

Malfait took the lead at the start. Taylor caught him at 300 yards.[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Taylor, John"49.8
2 align=left data-sort-value="Ramey, Horace"50.5
3 align=left data-sort-value="Ryle, Edward"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Malfait, Georges"Unknown

Semifinal 4

Sebert started slow, but then lengthened his stride to pass Atlee and nearly catch Robbins, who held him off to win "by 3 yards."[4]

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 align=left data-sort-value="Robbins, William"49.0
2 align=left data-sort-value="Sebert, Louis"49.5
3 align=left data-sort-value="Atlee, John"Unknown

Final

The final was initially held on 23 July 1908. After the disqualification of Carpenter, a re-run of the final was scheduled for 25 July.

First running

The first final ended with Carpenter winning ahead of Halswelle with Robbins in third, and Taylor last.

Roscoe Badger, one of the British umpires of the event, noticed Carpenter had maneuvered so as to prevent Halswelle from passing him; this was legal at the time under the American rules under which Carpenter normally competed, but prohibited by the British rules that were in effect for the Olympics.

Badger therefore signalled to the judges to declare the race null and void: his decision led to a thirty-minute argument between British and American team members.

At the official inquiry later that day, the judges upheld Badger's complaint, and Carpenter was disqualified. It was also ordered that the final be re-run with Carpenter excluded.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
1 align=left data-sort-value="Carpenter, John"47.8
2 align=left data-sort-value="Halswelle, Wyndham"Unknown
3 align=left data-sort-value="Robbins, William"Unknown
4 align=left data-sort-value="Taylor, John"Unknown
Second running

After the judges ruled that Carpenter was disqualified and barred from starting in the re-run, Robbins and Taylor withdrew in disgust.

Halswelle, now assured of the gold medal, won in the only walkover in Olympic track and field history.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
align=left data-sort-value="Halswelle, Wyndham"50.0
align=left data-sort-value="Robbins, William"
align=left data-sort-value="Taylor, John"
align=left data-sort-value="Carpenter, John"

References

Notes and References

  1. Official report, p. 32.
  2. Web site: 400 metres, Men . Olympedia . 30 July 2020.
  3. Official Report, pp. 53–57.
  4. Official Report, p. 54.