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The men's 400 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

It was the most controversial event of the London Games. The final resulted in the disqualification of American runner John C. Carpenter, who had blocked British athlete Wyndham Halswelle in a maneuver that was legal under American rules 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. Halswelle was to face the other two finalists again. These men, William Robbins and John Taylor, were both Americans and decided not to contest the repeat of the final to protest the judges' decision. Halswelle was thus the only medallist in the 400 metres.

Contents 1 Medallists 2 Results 2.1 Heats 2.1.1 Heat 1 2.1.2 Heat 2 2.1.3 Heat 3 2.1.4 Heat 4 2.1.5 Heat 5 2.1.6 Heat 6 2.1.7 Heat 7 2.1.8 Heat 8 2.1.9 Heat 9 2.1.10 Heat 10 2.1.11 Heat 11 2.1.12 Heat 12 2.1.13 Heat 13 2.1.14 Heat 14 2.1.15 Heat 15 2.1.16 Heat 16 2.2 Semifinals 2.2.1 Semifinal 1 2.2.2 Semifinal 2 2.2.3 Semifinal 3 2.2.4 Semifinal 4 2.3 Final 2.3.1 First running 2.3.2 Second running 3 References

[edit] Medallists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wyndham Halswelle Great Britain	None	None

[edit] Results

[edit] Heats

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

[edit] Heat 1

Montague led by twelve yards when he finished.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Edwin Montague	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.2 seconds
2	Paul Pilgrim	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	51.4 seconds

[edit] Heat 2

There were no starters for the second heat.

Place	Name	Nation	Time

[edit] Heat 3

Ryle had no competition in the third heat.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Edward Ryle	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	walkover

[edit] Heat 4

Taylor won handily, with a twelve yard margin.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	John Taylor	United States	50.8 seconds
2	Roberto Penna	Image:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy	52.4 seconds
3	Sven Låftman	Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden	Unknown

[edit] Heat 5

Nicol won with a twelve yard lead.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	George Nicol	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.8 seconds
2	Oscar Guttormsen	Image:Flag of Norway.svg Norway	52.4 seconds

[edit] Heat 6

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

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Georges Malfait	Image:Flag of France.svg France	50.0 seconds
2	Donald Buddo	Image:Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg Canada	51.2 seconds

[edit] Heat 7

Robbins had no difficulty in this race, winning with a substantial lead.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	William Robbins	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	50.4 seconds
2	József Nagy	Hungary	Unknown
3	Noel Godfrey Chavasse	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	Unknown
4	Victor Henny	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	Unknown

[edit] Heat 8

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

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	William C. Prout	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	50.4 seconds
2	Christopher Maude Chavasse	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.7 seconds

[edit] 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.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Horace Ramey	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	51.0 seconds
2	Arthur Astley	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	Unknown

[edit] Heat 10

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Louis Sebert	Image:Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg Canada	50.2 seconds
2	Massimo Cartasegna	Image:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy	52.7 seconds
—	Victor Jacquemin	Image:Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium	Did not finish

[edit] Heat 11

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	John Atlee	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	50.4 seconds
2	Alan Patterson	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.6 seconds
3	Giuseppe Tarella	Image:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy	Unknown

[edit] Heat 12

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Charles Davies	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.4 seconds
2	Cornelius den Held	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	51.0 seconds

[edit] Heat 13

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Ned Merriam	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	52.2 seconds
2	R. C. Robb	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	52.5 seconds

[edit] Heat 14

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	John C. Carpenter	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	49.8 seconds
2	Otto Trieloff	Image:Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany	50.9 seconds
3	Arvid Ringstrand	Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden	Unknown
4	Hendrik van der Wal	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	Unknown

[edit] Heat 15

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Wyndham Halswelle	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	49.4 seconds
2	Frederick de Selding	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	50.8 seconds
3	Brand Evers	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	Unknown

[edit] Heat 16

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	G. W. Young	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	52.4 seconds
2	Jacobus Hoogveld	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	Unknown

[edit] Semifinals

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

[edit] Semifinal 1

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	John C. Carpenter	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	49.4 seconds
2	Charles Davies	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	49.8 seconds
3	Ned Merriam	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Unknown
4	G. W. Young	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	Unknown

[edit] Semifinal 2

Halswelle broke the Olympic record in the semifinal.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Wyndham Halswelle	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	48.4 seconds OR
2	Edwin Montague	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	49.8 seconds
3	George Nicol	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	Unknown
4	William Prout	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Unknown

[edit] Semifinal 3

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	John Taylor	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	49.8 seconds
2	Horace Ramey	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	50.5 seconds
3	Edward Ryle	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	Unknown
4	Georges Malfait	Image:Flag of France.svg France	Unknown

[edit] Semifinal 4

Rank	Name	Nation	Time
1	William Robbins	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	49.0 seconds
2	Louis Sebert	Image:Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg Canada	49.5 seconds
3	John Atlee	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Unknown

[edit] Final

The final was initially held on 23 July 1908. After the disqualification of a runner, the second running of the final was scheduled for 25 July.

[edit] First running

The first final ended with Robbins finishing first, Carpenter following him, Halswelle in third, and Taylor at the back. Roscoe Badger, one of the British umpires of the event, noticed Carpenter maneuvering so as to prevent Halswelle from passing the two leading Americans. 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 signalled to the judges to declare the race void. At the official inquiry later that day, the judges upheld the disqualification of Carpenter and ordered a second final to be run with Carpenter excluded.

[edit] Second running

Robbins and Taylor refused to run the second final, protesting the decision by the judges. Halswelle ran the 400 metres by himself, finishing in 50 seconds.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Wyndham Halswelle	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain	50.0 seconds
—	William Robbins	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Did not start
	John Taylor	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Did not start
	John C. Carpenter	Image:US 46 Star Flag.svg United States of America	Disqualified

[edit] References

• 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 on 24 July, 2006.
• Wudarski, Pawel (1999). Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich. Retrieved on 24 July, 2006. (Polish)

The 1908 Summer Olympics in London

Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics

100 m | 200 m | 400 m | 800 m | 1500 m | 110 m hurdles | 400 m hurdles | 3200 m steeplechase | medley relay | 3 mile team race | 5 miles | marathon | 3500 m walk | 10 mile walk high jump | long jump | triple jump | pole vault | standing high jump | standing long jump shot put | discus | hammer | javelin | Greek discus | freestyle javelin

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