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.
Men's 200 metres at the Games of the IV Olympiad | |||||||||||||
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Venue | White City Stadium | ||||||||||||
Dates | 21 July (quarterfinals) 22 July (semifinals) 23 July (final) | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 43 from 15 nations | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
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Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics | |
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Track events | |
100 m | men |
200 m | men |
400 m | men |
800 m | men |
1500 m | men |
5 miles | men |
110 m hurdles | men |
400 m hurdles | men |
3200 m steeplechase | men |
Medley relay | men |
3 mile team race | men |
Road events | |
Marathon | men |
3500 m walk | men |
10 mile walk | men |
Field events | |
Long jump | men |
Triple jump | men |
High jump | men |
Pole vault | men |
Standing long jump | men |
Standing high jump | men |
Shot put | men |
Discus throw | men |
Hammer throw | men |
Javelin throw | men |
Greek discus | men |
Freestyle javelin | men |
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.
World Record | 21.4(*) | Chicago (USA) | 5 June 1897 | |
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Olympic Record | 21.6(**) | St. Louis (USA) | 31 August 1904 |
(*) unofficial 220 yards (= 201.17 m)
(**) straight course
Results
Heats
The winner of each heat advanced, with all others eliminated. Heats were held on 21 July 1908.
Heat 1
George led by ten yards when he crossed the finish line.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John George | 23.4 seconds | |
2 | Victor Henny | (24.6 seconds) |
Heat 2
In a tight race, Huff barely beat Duffy, crossing the line with a lead of less than two yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Harold Huff | 22.8 seconds | |
2 | Edward Duffy | (23.2 seconds) | |
3 | Henk van der Wal | Unknown | |
4 | Knut Stenborg | Unknown |
Heat 3
Roche won by a mere yard.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Patrick Roche | 22.8 seconds | |
2 | Lawson Robertson | (23.0 seconds) | |
3 | Frank Lukeman | Unknown | |
4 | Evert Koops | Unknown |
Heat 4
Cartmell won by about two yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nate Cartmell | 23.0 seconds | |
2 | Vilmos Rácz | (23.3 seconds) | |
3 | Ragnar Stenberg | Unknown |
Heat 5
Malfait had about a four-yard lead when he finished.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Georges Malfait | 22.6 seconds | |
2 | Robert Duncan | (23.1 seconds) |
Heat 6
Laaftman won by two yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sven Låftman | 23.8 seconds | |
2 | Frigyes Wiesner | (24.0 seconds) | |
3 | Ernst Greven | Unknown |
Heat 7
There was no competition for Radóczy in the seventh heat.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Károly Radóczy | walkover |
Heat 8
Cloughen had a comfortable six-yard lead when he crossed the finish line.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Robert Cloughen | 23.4 seconds | |
2 | Umberto Barrozzi | (24.1 seconds) |
Heat 9
Hurdsfield led by a yard and a half at the finish.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Samuel Hurdsfield | 23.6 seconds | |
2 | Mikhail Paskalides | (24.0 seconds) |
Heat 10
Hamilton's margin of victory was three yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Hamilton | 22.4 seconds | |
2 | Louis Sebert | (22.8 seconds) | |
3 | Henry Pankhurst | Unknown | |
4 | Pál Simon | Unknown | |
5 | Fernand Halbart | Unknown |
Heat 11
Kerr's victory was by about three yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Robert Kerr | 22.2 seconds | |
2 | William W. May | (22.7 seconds) | |
3 | James P. Stark | Unknown | |
4 | Knut Lindberg | Unknown | |
5 | Emilio Brambilla | Unknown |
Heat 12
Sherman led by two yards when he finished.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nathaniel Sherman | 22.8 seconds | |
2 | John W. Morton | (23.1 seconds) | |
3 | Eduard Schönecker | Unknown | |
4 | Cornelis den Held | Unknown |
Heat 13
Reed won by two and a half yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lionel Reed | 23.2 seconds | |
2 | Arthur Hoffmann | (23.5 seconds) |
Heat 14
Guttormsen was the second runner to win without competition.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Oscar Guttormsen | walkover |
Heat 15
The race was extremely tight until the final straightaway, where Hawkins pulled away to win.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | George Hawkins | 22.8 seconds | |
2 | Henri Meslot | (23.2 seconds) | |
3 | Jacobus Hoogveld | Unknown |
Semifinals
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
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.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Robert Kerr | 22.6 seconds | |
2 | William Hamilton | (22.7 seconds) | |
3 | Károly Radóczy | (22.8 seconds) | |
4 | Oscar Guttormsen | Unknown |
Semifinal 2
This all-American heat was also close, but not as close as the first. Cartmell won by about five feet.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nate Cartmell | 22.6 seconds | |
2 | Nathaniel Sherman | (22.9 seconds) | |
3 | Harold Huff | (23.0 seconds) |
Semifinal 3
Cloughen finally pulled ahead of Reed three-quarters of the way into the race, holding onto the lead until the finish.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Robert Cloughen | 22.6 seconds | |
2 | Lionel Reed | (22.8 seconds) | |
3 | John George | Unknown | |
4 | Samuel Hurdsfield | Unknown |
Semifinal 4
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.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | George Hawkins | 22.6 seconds | |
2 | Patrick Roche | (22.6 seconds) | |
3 | Georges Malfait | Unknown | |
— | Sven Låftman | Did not start |
Final
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 | 22.6 seconds | ||
Robert Cloughen | (22.6 seconds) | ||
Nate Cartmell | (22.7 seconds) | ||
4 | George Hawkins | (22.9 seconds) |
References
- Official report, p. 32.
- 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. Retrieved 23 July 2006.
- Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2006.