Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Men's 110 metre hurdles
Encyclopedia
The men's 110 metres hurdles was the shorter of two hurdling events at the 1908 Summer Olympics
in London
. It was dominated by the American
runners. The competition was held from Thursday, July 23, 1908 to Saturday, July 25, 1908.
25 hurdlers from ten nations competed.
Ten sets of hurdles were set on the course. The hurdles were 3 feet, 6 inches (1.07m) tall and were placed ten yards (9.144m) apart beginning fifteen yards (13.716m) from the starting line.
(*) unofficial 120 yards (= 109.73 m)
At first Forrest Smithson
equalized the standing Olympic record when he ran 15.4 seconds in the semifinal. In the final he set the first official world record in this event with 15.0 seconds.
Heat 1
Healey won by four yards after leading from the start.
Heat 2
Garrels won by seven yards.
Heat 3
Groenings led by five yards at the finish.
Heat 4
Kiely had no competition in the first round.
Heat 5
Rand and Powell were even for most of the race. Powell hit the ninth hurdle, slowing him just enough for Rand to take the lead and win.
Heat 6
Lemming fell during the race, allowing Walters to win while easing up.
Heat 7
The seventh heat was another in which there was no competition.
Heat 8
Halbart won without competition.
Heat 9
Ahearne was the fourth runner to win without a contest.
Heat 10
Smithson won by ten yards.
Heat 11
Blijstad fell, allowing Hussey to win with a jog.
Heat 12
Kinahan had an easy win by ten yards.
Heat 13
Howe and Leader were even over the hurdles, but Howe edged out Leader in the straight.
Heat 14
Shaw won without a contest.
Semifinal 1
Shaw took the lead at the first set of hurdles, finishing about five metres ahead of Hussey.
Semifinal 2
Smithson had no trouble winning this heat, tying the Olympic record as he did so.
Semifinal 3
Healey led for most of the race, with Rand close behind, but Healey was unable to clear the ninth hurdle cleanly, allowing Rand to pass him and win by a foot.
Semifinal 4
Halbert pulled up lame, and Garrels won by 15 yards.
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was dominated by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
runners. The competition was held from Thursday, July 23, 1908 to Saturday, July 25, 1908.
25 hurdlers from ten nations competed.
Ten sets of hurdles were set on the course. The hurdles were 3 feet, 6 inches (1.07m) tall and were placed ten yards (9.144m) apart beginning fifteen yards (13.716m) from the starting line.
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.World Record | 15.0(*) | Thaddeus Shideler Thaddeus Shideler Thaddeus "Tad" Rutter Shideler was an American hurdler who competed in the early twentieth century. He competed in athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the 110 meters hurdles... |
St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... (USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
June 11, 1904 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Olympic Record | 15.4 | Alvin Kraenzlein Alvin Kraenzlein Alvin Christian Kraenzlein was an American athlete. He was the first sportsman to win four Olympic titles in a single Olympic Games... |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... (FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
July 14, 1900 |
(*) unofficial 120 yards (= 109.73 m)
At first Forrest Smithson
Forrest Smithson
Forrest Custer Smithson was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics....
equalized the standing Olympic record when he ran 15.4 seconds in the semifinal. In the final he set the first official world record in this event with 15.0 seconds.
Heats
The first round heats were held on July 23, 1908, making the short hurdles one of the last events to begin. The Americans won every race in which they competed. The British team also had a strong showing, winning any time that there was no American in the race.Heat 1
Healey won by four yards after leading from the start.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Alfred Healey Alfred Healey Alfred Hearn Healey was a British athlete in the 1906 and 1908 Summer Olympics.He competed for Great Britain in the 1906 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece in the 110 metre hurdles where he won the silver medal... |
15.8 seconds | |
2 | Henry Murray | (16.3 seconds) | |
3 | Doug Stupart Doug Stupart Douglas Annesley David Stupart was a South African track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
Unknown |
Heat 2
Garrels won by seven yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John Garrels John Garrels John Garrels was an American athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, shot put, and as a fullback and end in American football.... |
16.2 seconds | |
2 | Arthur Halligan | (17.1 seconds) |
Heat 3
Groenings led by five yards at the finish.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Oswald Groenings Oswald Groenings Oswald Jacob Groenings was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Middlesbrough and died in London.... |
16.4 seconds | |
2 | Georgios Skoutarides Georgios Skoutarides Georgios Skoutarides was a Greek athlete. He competed at the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens and at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.In 1906 he was eliminated in the first round of the 110 metre hurdles competition.... |
(17.0 seconds) |
Heat 4
Kiely had no competition in the first round.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Laurence Kiely | Walkover |
Heat 5
Rand and Powell were even for most of the race. Powell hit the ninth hurdle, slowing him just enough for Rand to take the lead and win.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Rand | 15.8 seconds | |
2 | Kenneth Powell | (16.2 seconds) | |
3 | Frank Savage | Unknown |
Heat 6
Lemming fell during the race, allowing Walters to win while easing up.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | David Walters | 17.8 seconds | |
— | Oscar Lemming | DNF |
Heat 7
The seventh heat was another in which there was no competition.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Knyvett William Knyvett (athlete) William Alexander Knyvett was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Jessore, British Raj, modern-day Bangladesh. He was the son of A. V... |
Walkover |
Heat 8
Halbart won without competition.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Fernand Halbart | Walkover |
Heat 9
Ahearne was the fourth runner to win without a contest.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tim Ahearne Tim Ahearne Tim Ahearne was an Irish athlete who competed for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
Walkover |
Heat 10
Smithson won by ten yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Forrest Smithson Forrest Smithson Forrest Custer Smithson was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
15.8 seconds | |
2 | Nándor Kovács Nándor Kovács Nándor Kováts was a Hungarian track and field athlete and gymnast who competed in the 1906 Summer Olympics and in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Budapest.... |
(17.2 seconds) |
Heat 11
Blijstad fell, allowing Hussey to win with a jog.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Eric Hussey Eric Hussey Eric Robert James Hussey was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Blandford Forum and died in Cuckfield.... |
16.8 seconds | |
— | Wilhelm Blijstad | DNF |
Heat 12
Kinahan had an easy win by ten yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cecil Kinahan Cecil Kinahan Cecil Edward Kinahan was an Irish track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.He was born in Ireland and died in Sudan.... |
16.8 seconds | |
2 | Oscar Guttormsen Oscar Guttormsen Oscar Guttormsen was a Norwegian athlete who specialized in the sprints, jumps and hurdles. He represented the sports club Ørnulf IF in Oslo.... |
(18.2 seconds) |
Heat 13
Howe and Leader were even over the hurdles, but Howe edged out Leader in the straight.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Leonard Howe Leonard Howe Leonard Vernon Howe was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He died in Waterbury, Connecticut.... |
15.8 seconds | |
2 | Edward Leader | (16.1 seconds) |
Heat 14
Shaw won without a contest.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Arthur Shaw | Walkover |
Semifinals
The semifinal round was held on July 24, 1908. Each of the four heats of the second round were won by American runners.Semifinal 1
Shaw took the lead at the first set of hurdles, finishing about five metres ahead of Hussey.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Arthur Shaw | 15.6 seconds | |
2 | Eric Hussey Eric Hussey Eric Robert James Hussey was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Blandford Forum and died in Cuckfield.... |
(16.5 seconds) | |
3 | David Walters | (16.9 seconds) | |
4 | Oswald Groenings Oswald Groenings Oswald Jacob Groenings was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Middlesbrough and died in London.... |
Unknown |
Semifinal 2
Smithson had no trouble winning this heat, tying the Olympic record as he did so.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Forrest Smithson Forrest Smithson Forrest Custer Smithson was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
15.4 seconds =OR | |
2 | William Knyvett William Knyvett (athlete) William Alexander Knyvett was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Jessore, British Raj, modern-day Bangladesh. He was the son of A. V... |
(15.6 seconds) | |
3 | Leonard Howe Leonard Howe Leonard Vernon Howe was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He died in Waterbury, Connecticut.... |
(15.8 seconds) |
Semifinal 3
Healey led for most of the race, with Rand close behind, but Healey was unable to clear the ninth hurdle cleanly, allowing Rand to pass him and win by a foot.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Rand | 15.8 seconds | |
2 | Alfred Healey Alfred Healey Alfred Hearn Healey was a British athlete in the 1906 and 1908 Summer Olympics.He competed for Great Britain in the 1906 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece in the 110 metre hurdles where he won the silver medal... |
(15.9 seconds) | |
3 | Laurence Kiely | Unknown | |
4 | Tim Ahearne Tim Ahearne Tim Ahearne was an Irish athlete who competed for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
Unknown |
Semifinal 4
Halbert pulled up lame, and Garrels won by 15 yards.
Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John Garrels John Garrels John Garrels was an American athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, shot put, and as a fullback and end in American football.... |
15.8 seconds | |
2 | Cecil Kinahan Cecil Kinahan Cecil Edward Kinahan was an Irish track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.He was born in Ireland and died in Sudan.... |
(17.5 seconds) | |
— | Fernand Halbert Fernand Halbert Fernand Halbart was a Belgian athlete. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.In the 200 metres, Halbart finished fifth and last in his preliminary heat and did not advance to the semifinals. He also participated in the 110 metre hurdles event where he was eliminated in the semi-finals... |
DNF |
Final
Smithson pulled away from his countrymen at every set of hurdles to win by five meters and set a new world record.Place | Name | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Forrest Smithson Forrest Smithson Forrest Custer Smithson was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics.... |
15.0 seconds WR | |
2 | John Garrels John Garrels John Garrels was an American athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, shot put, and as a fullback and end in American football.... |
(15.7 seconds) | |
3 | Arthur Shaw | (15.8 seconds) | |
4 | William Rand | (16.0 seconds) |