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Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres

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Men's 100 metres
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
VenueWhite City Stadium
DatesJuly 20 (quarterfinals)
July 21 (semifinals)
July 22 (final)
Competitors60 from 16 nations
Winning time10.8
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Reggie Walker  South Africa
2nd place, silver medalist(s) James Rector  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Robert Kerr  Canada
← 1904 (1906)
1912 →

The men's 100 metres was the shortest of the sprint races at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held over the course of three days. The first round was held on 20 July, the semifinals on 21 July, and the final on 22 July. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes,[1] The event was won by Reggie Walker of South Africa, the first time the gold medal went to a nation other than the United States. The Americans did stay on the podium with James Rector's silver medal. Canada won its first medal in the event, a bronze by Robert Kerr.

Background

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This was the fourth time the event was held. Nathaniel Cartmell, the 1904 silver medalist, competed again in 1908, but gold medalist Archie Hahn did not. Other notable entrants included John W. Morton of Great Britain, the four-time AAA Championships winner; Reggie Walker, the 1907 South African champion; and Knut Lindberg of Sweden, the unofficial world record holder.[2]

Austria, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and South Africa were represented in the event for the first time. The United States and Hungary were the only two nations to have appeared at each of the first four Olympic men's 100 metres events.

Competition format

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With a larger field than in 1904, the event expanded from two rounds to three: heats, semifinals, and a final. Only the top runner in each heat, of which there were 17, advanced to the semifinals. These 17 semifinalists were divided into 4 semifinal heats; again, only the top runner advanced to the final.

Records

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

World Record 10.6(*) Sweden Knut Lindberg Gothenburg (SWE) August 26, 1906
Olympic Record 10.8 United States Frank Jarvis Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900
10.8 United States Walter Tewksbury Paris (FRA) July 14, 1900

(*) unofficial

James Rector (in the 15th heat and the third semi-final) and Reggie Walker (in the first semi-final and final) both equalized the standing Olympic record. Reggie Walker's actual time in the first semi-final was 10.7, but was rounded up to the nearest fifth in accordance with rules in force at the time, so his time was given as 1045.

Results

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Heats

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Times were kept for the winning runner in each heat only. They were measured to the closest 15 second. The fastest runner advanced to the second round. The competition began at 3 p.m. on 20 July, the seventh day of the Games. A break was taken after the first nine heats to allow for four heats of the 800 metres to be run at 3:30 p.m., with the final eight heats of the 100 metres commencing at 4 p.m.

Heat 1

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Duffy won this heat by three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Edward Duffy  South Africa 11.6 Q
2 Georgios Skoutarides  Greece (11.9)
3 Victor Henny  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 2

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George was ahead of Guttormsen by three yards when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John George  Great Britain 11.6 Q
2 Oscar Guttormsen  Norway (12.0)

Heat 3

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Cartmell crossed the finish line two yards ahead of Malfait.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nate Cartmell  United States 11.0 Q
2 Georges Malfait  France (11.2)
3 Arthur Hoffmann  Germany (11.4)
4 Evert Koops  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 4

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Walker was four yards ahead of the field when he finished. Records do not indicate which of the final two runners took which place.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Reggie Walker  South Africa 11.0 Q
2 Jean Konings  Belgium (11.6)
3 Denis Murray  Great Britain Unknown
4–5 Edgar Kiralfy  United States Unknown
Ernestus Greven  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 5

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Harmer pulled up lame. Cloughen won by five yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Cloughen  United States 11.0 Q
2 John Johansen  Norway (11.7)
3 David Beland  Canada Unknown
Henry Harmer  Great Britain DNF

Heat 6

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May won by about three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William W. May  United States 11.2 Q
2 Victor Jacquemin  Belgium (11.5)
3 Louis Lesca (or Lescat)  France Unknown
4 Mikhail Paskalides  Greece Unknown

Heat 7

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Duncan won by a yard.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Duncan  Great Britain 11.4 Q
2 Knut Stenborg  Sweden (11.5)
3 Hans Eicke  Germany (11.6)
4 Umberto Barrozzi  Italy Unknown
5 Ragnar Stenberg  Finland Unknown

Heat 8

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Stevens beat world record holder Lindberg by inches.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Lester Stevens  United States 11.2 Q
2 Knut Lindberg  Sweden (11.2)
3 Heinrich Rehder  Germany (11.8)
4 William Murray  Great Britain Unknown

Heat 9

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Morton won by about three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 John W. Morton  Great Britain 11.2 Q
2 Axel Petersen  Denmark (11.5)
3 Jacobus Hoogveld  Netherlands Unknown

Heat 10

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Fischer pulled up lame, leaving Kerr to defeat Chapman by three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Kerr  Canada 11.0 Q
2 Meyrick Chapman  Great Britain (11.3)
Paul Fischer  Germany DNF

Heat 11

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Phillips pulled up lame, allowing Hamilton to win by about three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 William Hamilton  United States 11.2 Q
2 Pál Simon  Hungary (11.5)
3 G. Lamotte  France Unknown
Herbert Phillips  South Africa DNF

Heat 12

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Huff was only about a yard ahead of Pankhurst when he finished.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Harold Huff  United States 11.4 Q
2 Henry Pankhurst  Great Britain (11.5)
3 Karl Fryksdal  Sweden Unknown

Heat 13

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Robertson won by about three yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Lawson Robertson  United States 11.4 Q
2 Frank Lukeman  Canada (11.7)
3 Henri Meslot  France Unknown
4 Eduard Schönecker  Austria Unknown

Heat 14

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Sherman's lead of four yards at the finish was one of the larger leads in the first round.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nathaniel Sherman  United States 11.2 Q
2 Louis Sebert  Canada (11.7)
3 Harold Watson  Great Britain Unknown
4 Frigyes Wiesner  Hungary Unknown
5 Hermann von Bönninghausen  Germany (12.0)

Heat 15

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Rector's Olympic record-tying time gave him a relatively easy victory in the first round.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 James Rector  United States 10.8 Q, =OR
2 Vilmos Rácz  Hungary (11.4)
3 Willy Kohlmey  Germany (12.0)

Heat 16

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In one of the slowest of the first round heads, Stark won by about two yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 James P. Stark  Great Britain 11.8 Q
2 Gaspare Torretta  Italy (12.0)

Heat 17

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Roche won by about two yards.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Patrick Roche  Great Britain 11.4 Q
2 Carl Bechler  Germany (11.4)

Semifinals

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The fastest runner in each semifinal advanced to the final. The semifinals were begun at 3:35 p.m. on 21 July.

Semifinal 1

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Cloughen withdrew to prepare for the 200m heats. Walker took the lead after about 50 metres and crossed the line about a yard in front of May to become the second sprinter to tie the Olympic record at the London Games. His actual time was 10.7, rounded up to the nearest fifth, in accordance with rules in force at the time; therefore, his time was given as 1045.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Reggie Walker  South Africa 10.8 Q, =OR
2 William W. May  United States (11.0)
3 Patrick Roche  Great Britain Unknown
4 Lester Stevens  United States Unknown
Robert Cloughen  United States DNS

Semifinal 2

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Hamilton withdrew to prepare for the 200m heats. Kerr had little difficulty winning this heat, leading by three yards at the finish.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Robert Kerr  Canada 11.0 Q
2 Nathaniel Sherman  United States (11.3)
3 John W. Morton  Great Britain Unknown
William Hamilton  United States DNS

Semifinal 3

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Rector again won easily, tying the Olympic record for the second time.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 James Rector  United States 10.8 Q, =OR
2 Harold Huff  United States (11.1)
3 Edward Duffy  South Africa Unknown
4 Robert Duncan  Great Britain Unknown

Semifinal 4

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Cartmell and Robertson ran a tight race, with Cartmell winning by about a foot.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Nate Cartmell  United States 11.2 Q
2 Lawson Robertson  United States (11.2)
3 James P. Stark  Great Britain Unknown
4 John George  Great Britain Unknown

Final

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The Final of the 100 metres began at 4:15 p.m. on 22 July.

With Walker and Rector having already equalled the Olympic record before the final, it was widely expected that the final race of the 100 metres would be an exciting match between those two runners.

Walker got off to a quick lead, but Rector caught him about midway through the race and passed him. Walker responded with a great effort, pulling level with Rector, and the two ran side-by-side before Walker finally pulled ahead to win by half a yard.

Rector finished six inches ahead of Kerr, who finished two yards ahead of Cartmell for third place.

London 1908 Olympics-Walker wins 100 metres
Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) Reggie Walker  South Africa 10.8 =OR
2nd place, silver medalist(s) James Rector  United States (10.9)
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Robert Kerr  Canada (11.0)
4 Nate Cartmell  United States (11.2)

References

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  1. ^ Official report, p. 32.
  2. ^ "100 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 July 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 15 July 2006.
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.