1908 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Olympic Relay (Men)

sport	athletics
discipline	Olympic relay
gender	Men
place	White City Stadium
Attendees	29 athletes from 7 countries
Competition phase	24./25. July 1908
Medalist
gold	United States
silver	Germany
bronze	Hungary

The winning US season, left to right: Nate Cartmell, John Taylor, Mel Sheppard, William Hamilton

The men's relay race at the 1908 London Olympics was decided on July 25, 1908 at White City Stadium . The day before, the finalists were determined in three preliminary runs. The Olympic premiere of the relay race consisted of different sections: 2 × 200 m, 1 × 400 m and 1 × 800 m had to be run. Although this season was only once in the Olympic program, the name of the Olympic relay was established . There was no baton yet. The changes were made by "knocking off".

Season gold went to the United States team of William Hamilton , Nate Cartmell , John Taylor and Mel Sheppard . Germany won the silver medal with Arthur Hoffmann , Hans Eicke , Otto Trieloff and Hanns Braun . The bronze medal went to Hungary ( Pál Simon , Frigyes Mezei , József Nagy , Ödön Bodor , also in the preliminary stages: Vilmos Rácz ).

Records

There was no world record for this competition. Since this season had not been part of the Olympic program before, there was no Olympic record .

Two Olympic records were set in these games in the Olympic relay:

• 3: 32.6 min - Hungary ( Pál Simon , Vilmos Rácz , József Nagy , Ödön Bodor ) - 1st preroll 
• 3: 27.2 min - USA ( William Hamilton , Nate Cartmell , John Taylor , Mel Sheppard ) - 3rd lead 

Results

Prelim (July 24th)

There were three preliminary heats, the winners of which qualified for the final.

1. Forward

space	country	athlete	Time (min)
1	Hungary	Pál Simon Vilmos Rácz József Nagy Ödön Bodor	3: 32.6 OR
2	Sweden	Sven Låftman Knut Lindberg Knut Stenborg Evert Björn	k. A.

Hungary won by three yards in one run.

2. Forward

space	country	athlete	Time (min)
1	Germany	Arthur Hoffmann Hans Eicke Otto Trieloff Hanns Braun	3: 43.2
2	Netherlands	Evert Koops Jacobus Hoogveld Victor Henny Bram Evers	k. A.

Germany won with a clear lead of 90 yards. The Italians around Emilio Lunghi who were registered for this run withdrew at short notice to support their compatriot Dorando Pietri in the final phase of the marathon .

3. Forward

space	country	athlete	Time (min)
1	United States	William Hamilton Nate Cartmell John Taylor Mel Sheppard	3: 27.2 OR
2	Great Britain	George Hawkins Henry Pankhurst Edwin Montague Theodore Just	k. A.
3	Canada	Frank Lukeman Donald Buddo Lou Sebert Irving Parkes

In the fastest run, the British were separated from the US-Americans by 25 yards.

Final (July 25th)

space	country	athlete	Time (min)
1	United States	William Hamilton Nate Cartmell John Taylor Mel Sheppard	3: 29.4
2	Germany	Arthur Hoffmann Hans Eicke Otto Trieloff Hanns Braun	3: 32.4
3	Hungary	Pál Simon Frigyes Mezei József Nagy Ödön Bodor in the preliminary run also: Vilmos Rácz	3: 32.5

There was the only change of line-up in the Hungarian team. Instead of Vilmos Rácz, who was the second runner in the preliminary run, Frigyes Mezei was now running.

William Hamilton brought the US relay straight into the lead and switched with about six meters ahead of Hungary, just behind Germany. With the next runner, the USA extended their lead, nothing changed in places two and three. John Taylor was by far the fastest on his 400-meter race, the USA was unmatchable. After a tough fight with Otto Trieloff, József Nagy created a lead of around five meters for the Hungarian final runner. The German final runner Hanns Braun, previously 800 meters third, gradually caught up with the 800 meter fourth Ödön Bodor and secured silver for the German relay with his final sprint. A weaker time than in the run-up was enough to win.

literature

• Volker Kluge , Olympic Summer Games - The Chronicle I, Berlin 1997 ( ISBN 3-328-00715-6 )
• Ekkehard zur Megede , The history of Olympic athletics, Volume 1: 1896–1936, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970

Web links

• Sports-Reference, Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 1,600 meter Medley Relay , accessed August 28, 2018
• Olympic Games London 1908, Athletics , IOC page on athletics at the 1908 Olympic Games at olympic.org, English, accessed 28 August 2018