1896 Athens
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1904 St. Louis
1908 London
1912 Paris
1920 Antwerp
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1932 Los Angeles
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1948 London
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Humor Guy's Funnies
Olympic Games - 1908 London
Olympic Games - 1908 London
Whilst this London games was a better organized and more cosmopolitan celebration than St. Louis, it still went on and on for more than 4 months.
London was the first official Olympics where athletes marched into the stadium behind their respective national flags.
With over 100 events and more than 2,000 competitors the level of competition
was high but controversy and national rivalry still left a bitter taste on the
Games.
There were 21 sports featured in total, including ice skating, while bicycle-polo featured as a demonstration sport.
The fourth Olympic Games were certainly the wettest and probably the most contentious in history.
The shape and size of the running track had yet to be standardized, and the 68,000-seater stadium in Shepherds Bush held a 660 yd track making 3 laps to the mile.
Politics reared its head almost immediately, when the U.S. team spotted that there was no American flag among the national flags decorating the stadium for the opening ceremonies. U.S. flag bearer Martin Sheridan responded by refusing to dip the Stars and Stripes as he passed King Edward VII's box in the parade of athletes.' This flag dips to no earthly king, 'Sheridan said.
At least the Americans had a flag, Finland was ruled by Russia, who told them to carry a Russian flag, the furious Finns decided to march without any flag rather than carry the Russian flag.
Back at the races, the British and Americans had a dispute in the 400M the three Americans appeared to gang up and impede the sole British runner. The officials ordered a re-run the next day, the Americans refused and the officials declared the Britain, Halswelle the winner of a walk-over.
As a prelude to a sub-plot in the ' Chariots of Fire' story, Forrest Smithson protested at having to run on a Sunday. Legend has it he ran, and won, holding a bible.
The classic marathon distance of 26 miles and 365 yards was fixed once and for all in the London Marathon. The peculiar distance came about when the course from Windsor great park to Shepherds Bush was extended by a mile and 365 yards so that it finished at the Royal Box.
The London marathon staged the most controversial happening in all Olympic Marathons. The race had been uneventful until Dorando Pietri of Italy staggered into the stadium, and then collapsed. Perhaps you have seen the grainy film of him being helped by doctors, before he recovered and was half-carried across the finish line.
What could the officials do? After all they had helped Pietri. However after protests from the Americans Hayes was declared the winner.
Shooting has more than its fair share of unusual happenings. Here in 1908 the story was the first father and son to each won gold medals, Oscar Swahn, the father was over 60.