Hammer Throw, Men

John Flanagan had won over ten national titles in all, counting America, Britain, and Ireland. He was also the defending Olympic champion and the heavy favorite. His chief rivals were expected to be John DeWitt, IC4A champion from 1901 through 1904, and Ralph Rose. There were reports that Rose had recently thrown 190 feet in practice in California. The most notable absences were Alfred Plaw, who had delivered a rare defeat to Flanagan at the 1904 AAU meet; and Tom Nicolson, Britain’s AAA champion in 1903-04.

Throwing from a seven-foot circle, and using two turns, Flanagan opened with 168’1”, which eventually proved to be the winning mark. Rose and DeWitt also made their best efforts on their first throw, Rose using but a single turn.