Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 3200 metres steeplechase

Men's 3200 metre steeplechase
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
The water jump
VenueWhite City Stadium
DatesJuly 17 (semifinals)
July 18 (final)
Competitors24 from 6 nations
Medalists
 Arthur Russell  Great Britain
 Archie Robertson  Great Britain
 John Eisele  United States
Athletics at the
1908 Summer Olympics
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

The men's 3,200 metres steeplechase was held for the only time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held on July 17, 1908 and July 18, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres= 1⁄3 mile in circumference. There were six heats of the first round, with the winners of those heats competing in the final.

24 runners from 6 nations competed; eleven from Great Britain, eight from the United States, two from Canada, two from France, one from Hungary, and one from Italy.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.

World Record none
Olympic Record 7:34.4(*) Canada George Orton Paris (FRA) July 15, 1900
7:39.6(**) United States James Lightbody St. Louis (USA) August 29, 1904

(*) The distance of this race was 2500 metres and the track was 500 metres in circumference.

(**) The distance of this race was 2590 metres and the track was 536.45 metres= 1⁄3 mile in circumference.

Results

First round

All first round heats were held on Friday, July 17, 1908.

Heat 1

Russell won easily, with Cartasegna being the only other competitor to finish. Downing was disqualified for incorrectly clearing the first water jump, Ragueneau retired on the second lap, and Carr injured his ankle.

Place Name Nation Time
1 Arthur Russell Great Britain 10:56.2
2 Massimo Cartasegna Italy 11:15.0
— Gaston Ragueneau France DNF
— Edward Carr United States DNF
— Thomas Downing Great Britain DQ

Heat 2

Eisele was the only one to finish. Fleurac led early, but was caught before the water jump and pulled up lame, while English fell.

Place Name Nation Time
1 John Eisele United States 11:13.6
— Antal Lovas Hungary DNF
— Louis de Fleurac France DNF
— Frank Buckley Great Britain DNF
— Joseph English Great Britain DNF

Heat 3

Barker pulled up lame, leaving Galbraith with the win.

Place Name Nation Time
1 William Galbraith Canada 11:12.4
— Henry Barker Great Britain DNF

Heat 4

With Yorke being disqualified for obstruction and Bonhag injured, the race was between Robertson and Dull. Dull led at first, but Robertson passed him and won by two hundred yards.

Place Name Nation Time
1 Archie Robertson Great Britain 11:10.0
2 Gale Dull United States (11:50.0)
— George Bonhag United States DNF
— Richard Yorke Great Britain DQ

Heat 5

The Americans had little chance of catching up with Holdaway and Kinchin; Holdaway was a hundred yards ahead at the finish.

Place Name Nation Time
1 Guy Holdaway Great Britain 11:18.8
2 Joseph Kinchin Great Britain (11:44.0)
3 Roland Spitzer United States unknown
4 Charles Hall United States unknown

Heat 6

Fitzgerald fell and Grantham pulled up lame. Sewell and Lightbody competed right up to the finish, and Sewell pulled away at the end to win a tight race by less than ten yards.

Place Name Nation Time
1 Harry Sewell Great Britain 11:30.2
2 James Lightbody United States 11:41.0
— John E. Fitzgerald Canada DNF
— W. Grantham Great Britain DNF

Final

The final was held on Saturday, July 18, 1908.

Arthur Russell finishing first in front of Archie Robertson.

Holdaway was the first to lead, but did not do so for long. Galbraith and Russell were the leaders for most of the first half of the race, until Galbraith fell back and Eisele joined Russell at the front. After the bell, Robertson passed Eisele and nearly caught Russell, trailing by only two yards when the two crossed the finish line.

Place Name Nation Time
1 Arthur Russell Great Britain 10:47.8
2 Archie Robertson Great Britain 10:48.4
3 John Eisele United States 11:00.8
4 Guy Holdaway Great Britain (11:26.0)
5 Harry Sewell Great Britain unknown
6 William Galbraith Canada unknown

References

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