Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres

The men's 200 metre race was held for the third time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held from 21 to 23 July 1908. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.[1] 43 sprinters from 15 nations competed. The event was won by Robert Kerr of Canada, the first win by a nation other than the United States. Americans took silver (Robert Cloughen) and bronze (Nathaniel Cartmell), with Cartmell becoming the first person to win multiple 200 metres medals after taking earning silver in 1904.

Men's 200 metres
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
Kerr winning the final
VenueWhite City Stadium
Dates21 July (quarterfinals)
22 July (semifinals)
23 July (final)
Competitors43 from 15 nations
Winning time22.6
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Robert Kerr
 Canada
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Robert Cloughen
 United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Nathaniel Cartmell
 United States
← 1904
1912 →

Background

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This was the third appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Olympics in 1896 but has been on the program ever since. Two of the five runners from the 1904 Games returned: silver medalist Nathaniel Cartmell of the United States and fifth-place finisher Robert Kerr of Canada (the only man not to reach the four-man final in 1904). Kerr had won three Canadian titles and the 1908 AAA title since the previous Games.[2]

Austria, Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden each made their debut in the event. The United States made its third appearance, the only nation to have competed at each edition of the 200 metres to date.

Competition format

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There were three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. The quarterfinals consisted of 15 heats of between 1 and 5 athletes each; only the fastest man in each heat advanced to the semifinals. There were 4 semifinals, most with 4 runners but one with 3. Again, only the top athlete advanced. The final had 4 runners.[2]

The race was run on a 13-mile track.[2]

Records

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

World record   Jim Maybury (USA)* 21.4 Chicago, United States 5 June 1897
Olympic record   Archie Hahn (USA)** 21.6 St. Louis, United States 31 August 1904

* unofficial 220 yards (= 201.17 m)

** straight course

Schedule

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Date Time Round
Tuesday, 21 July 1908 11:00 Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 22 July 1908 10:15 Semifinals
Thursday, 23 July 1908 16:00 Final

Results

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Quarterfinals

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The winner of each heat advanced, with all others eliminated. Heats were held on 21 July 1908.

Quarterfinal 1

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George led by ten yards when he crossed the finish line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John George   Great Britain 23.4 Q
2 Victor Henny   Netherlands 24.6

Quarterfinal 2

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In a tight race, Huff beat Duffy by less than two yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Harold Huff   United States 22.8 Q
2 Edward Duffy   South Africa 23.2
3 Henk van der Wal   Netherlands Unknown
4 Knut Stenborg   Sweden Unknown

Quarterfinal 3

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Roche won by a mere yard.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Patrick Roche   Great Britain 22.8 Q
2 Lawson Robertson   United States 23.0
3 Frank Lukeman   Canada Unknown
4 Evert Koops   Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 4

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Cartmell won by about two yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nathaniel Cartmell   United States 23.0 Q
2 Vilmos Rácz   Hungary 23.3
3 Ragnar Stenberg   Finland Unknown

Quarterfinal 5

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Malfait had about a four-yard lead when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Georges Malfait   France 22.6 Q
2 Robert Duncan   Great Britain 23.1

Quarterfinal 6

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Laaftman won by two yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Sven Låftman   Sweden 23.8 Q
2 Frigyes Wiesner   Hungary 24.0
3 Ernst Greven   Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 7

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There was no competition for Radóczy in the seventh heat.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Károly Radóczy   Hungary walkover Q

Quarterfinal 8

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Cloughen had a comfortable six-yard lead when he crossed the finish line.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Cloughen   United States 23.4 Q
2 Umberto Barrozzi   Italy 24.1

Quarterfinal 9

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Hurdsfield led by a yard and a half at the finish.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Samuel Hurdsfield   Great Britain 23.6 Q
2 Mikhail Paskalides   Greece 24.0

Quarterfinal 10

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Hamilton's margin of victory was three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William Hamilton   United States 22.4 Q
2 Louis Sebert   Canada 22.8
3 Henry Pankhurst   Great Britain Unknown
4 Pál Simon   Hungary Unknown
5 Fernand Halbart   Belgium Unknown

Quarterfinal 11

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Kerr's victory was by about three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Kerr   Canada 22.2 Q
2 William W. May   United States 22.7
3 James P. Stark   Great Britain Unknown
4 Knut Lindberg   Sweden Unknown
5 Emilio Brambilla   Italy Unknown

Quarterfinal 12

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Sherman led by two yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nathaniel Sherman   United States 22.8 Q
2 John W. Morton   Great Britain 23.1
3 Eduard Schönecker   Austria Unknown
4 Cornelis den Held   Netherlands Unknown

Quarterfinal 13

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Reed won by two and a half yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Lionel Reed   Great Britain 23.2 Q
2 Arthur Hoffmann   Germany 23.5

Quarterfinal 14

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Guttormsen was the second runner to win without competition.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Oscar Guttormsen   Norway walkover Q

Quarterfinal 15

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The race was extremely tight until the final straightaway, where Hawkins pulled away to win.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 George Hawkins   Great Britain 22.8 Q
2 Henri Meslot   France 23.2
3 Jacobus Hoogveld   Netherlands Unknown

Semifinals

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The semifinal round was held on 22 July 1908, a day after the heats. The winners of each semifinal advanced to the final, with the other runners being knocked out of competition.

Semifinal 1

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The first semifinal featured both of the runners who had won via walkover in the heats. There was very little room separating the lead three runners, with Kerr about nine inches in front of Hamilton and twelve ahead of Radoczy.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Kerr   Canada 22.6 Q
2 William Hamilton   United States 22.7
3 Károly Radóczy   Hungary 22.8
4 Oscar Guttormsen   Norway Unknown

Semifinal 2

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This all-American heat was also close, but not as close as the first. Cartmell won by about five feet.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nathaniel Cartmell   United States 22.6 Q
2 Nathaniel Sherman   United States 22.9
3 Harold Huff   United States 23.0

Semifinal 3

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Cloughen finally pulled ahead of Reed three-quarters of the way into the race, holding onto the lead until the finish.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Cloughen   United States 22.6 Q
2 Lionel Reed   Great Britain 22.8
3 John George   Great Britain Unknown
4 Samuel Hurdsfield   Great Britain Unknown

Semifinal 4

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Låftman was forced to scratch due to an injury. The three runners broke apart in the last ten metres, with Hawkins winning by a foot.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 George Hawkins   Great Britain 22.6 Q
2 Patrick Roche   Great Britain 22.6
3 Georges Malfait   France Unknown
Sven Låftman   Sweden DNS

Final

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The final was held on 23 July 1908. The top three were within two feet of each other, as Kerr's early lead evaporated in the straight. He was able to hang onto nine inches, however, and defeated Cloughen by that small margin.

Rank Athlete Nation Time
  Robert Kerr   Canada 22.6
  Robert Cloughen   United States 22.6
  Nathaniel Cartmell   United States 22.7
4 George Hawkins   Great Britain 22.9

Results summary

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Rank Athlete Nation Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Notes
  Robert Kerr   Canada 22.2 22.6 22.6
  Robert Cloughen   United States 23.4 22.6 22.6
  Nathaniel Cartmell   United States 23.0 22.6 22.7
4 George Hawkins   Great Britain 22.8 22.6 22.9
5 Patrick Roche   Great Britain 22.8 22.6 Did not advance
6 William Hamilton   United States 22.4 22.7
7 Lionel Reed   Great Britain 23.2 22.8
Károly Radóczy   Hungary Walkover 22.8
9 Nathaniel Sherman   United States 22.8 22.9
10 Harold Huff   United States 22.8 23.0
11 Georges Malfait   France 22.6 Unknown 3rd in semifinal
John George   Great Britain 23.4 Unknown 3rd in semifinal
13 Samuel Hurdsfield   Great Britain 23.6 Unknown 4th in semifinal
Oscar Guttormsen   Norway Walkover Unknown 4th in semifinal
15 Sven Låftman   Sweden 23.8 DNS
16 William W. May   United States 22.7 Did not advance
17 Louis Sebert   Canada 22.8
18 Lawson Robertson   United States 23.0
19 Robert Duncan   Great Britain 23.1
John W. Morton   Great Britain 23.1
21 Edward Duffy   South Africa 23.2
Henri Meslot   France 23.2
23 Vilmos Rácz   Hungary 23.3
24 Arthur Hoffmann   Germany 23.5
25 Mikhail Paskalides   Greece 24.0
Frigyes Wiesner   Hungary 24.0
27 Umberto Barrozzi   Italy 24.1
28 Victor Henny   Netherlands 24.6
29 Ernst Greven   Netherlands Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Jacobus Hoogveld   Netherlands Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Frank Lukeman   Canada Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Henry Pankhurst   Great Britain Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Eduard Schönecker   Austria Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
James P. Stark   Great Britain Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Ragnar Stenberg   Finland Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
Henk van der Wal   Netherlands Unknown 3rd in quarterfinal
37 Cornelis den Held   Netherlands Unknown 4th in quarterfinal
Evert Koops   Netherlands Unknown 4th in quarterfinal
Knut Lindberg   Sweden Unknown 4th in quarterfinal
Pál Simon   Hungary Unknown 4th in quarterfinal
Knut Stenborg   Sweden Unknown 4th in quarterfinal
42 Emilio Brambilla   Italy Unknown 5th in quarterfinal
Fernand Halbart   Belgium Unknown 5th in quarterfinal

References

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  1. ^ Official report, p. 32.
  2. ^ a b c "200 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  • Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
  • De Wael, Herman (2001). "Athletics 1908". Herman's Full Olympians. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2006.
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2006.