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| Event type

Discus Throw, Men

Date16 July 1908 — 10:00
StatusOlympic
LocationWhite City Stadium, London
Participants42 from 11 countries

The discus was thrown from a 7-foot circle without follow, and it was noted “three turns being allowed before the missile leaves the thrower’s hand.”

The world record holder, and two-time defending Olympic champion, Martin Sheridan (USA), won his his third successive Olympic discus title but failed to match his winning mark from the 1906 Olympics. Sheridan was at this time unequaled as a discus thrower and an all-around athlete. Born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland, Martin Sheridan emigrated to the United States in 1900, and quickly became the best discus thrower in the world. He stood 6’3) and weighed 195 lbs. in his prime.

Sheridan is credited with as many as sixteen world records, although it is difficult to be precise in the pre-IAAF period. Sheridan’s Olympic fame rests primarily on winning the Olympic gold medal in the discus in 1904, 1906, and 1908. Overall, he won nine Olympic medals, including five gold, counting those Sheridan won in the 1906 Olympics.

Sheridan was a superb jumper and weight thrower, and displayed his other talents in the all-around championship, the early American forerunner of the decathlon. Sheridan entered three all-arounds in his athletic career, the AAU National Championships of 1905, 1907, and 1909. He won each of them easily, and set a world record each time, finally leaving it at 7,385 points, a mark which Jim Thorpe broke by only a few points in 1912.

PosNrAthleteNOCQualifyingFinal
1Martin SheridanUSA40.58 (2)40.89 (1)GoldOR
2Merritt GiffinUSA40.70 (1)40.70 (2)SilverOR
3Bill HorrUSA39.44 (3)39.45 (3)Bronze
4Verner JärvinenFIN39.42 (4)
5Arthur DearbornUSA38.52 (5)
6Lee TalbottUSA38.40 (6)
7György LuntzerHUN38.34 (7)
8André TisonFRA38.30 (8)
9John FlanaganUSA37.80 (9)
10Wilbur BurroughsUSA37.43 (10)
11Emil WelzGER37.02 (11)
ACPlatt AdamsUSA– (AC)
ACCharles LagardeFRA– (AC)
ACHenry LeekeGBR– (AC)
ACErnest MayGBR– (AC)
ACWalter HendersonGBR– (AC)
ACAlfred FlaxmanGBR– (AC)
ACFerenc JesinaHUN– (AC)
ACMiklós KovácsHUN– (AC)
ACLauri PihkalaFIN– (AC)
ACAarne SalovaaraFIN– (AC)
ACMichael CollinsGBR– (AC)
ACLauri WilskmanFIN– (AC)
ACJohnny GarrelsUSA– (AC)
ACHugo WieslanderSWE– (AC)
ACMiroslav ŠusteraBOH– (AC)
ACJohn MurrayGBR– (AC)
ACSimon GillisUSA– (AC)
ACTheodor NeijströmSWE– (AC)
ACFrantišek SoučekBOH– (AC)
ACNikolaos GeorgantasGRE– (AC)
ACImre MudinHUN– (AC)
ACJalmari SauliFIN– (AC)
ACElmer NiklanderFIN– (AC)
ACFolke FleetwoodSWE– (AC)
ACLudwig UettwillerGER– (AC)
ACEdmond BarrettGBR– (AC)
ACOtto NilssonSWE– (AC)
ACEric LemmingSWE– (AC)
ACMichail DorizasGRE– (AC)
ACUmberto AvattaneoITA– (AC)
ACJohn FalchenbergNOR– (AC)
DNSKarl JankAUT
DNSFrantišek VyskocilBOH
DNSPál AntalHUN
DNSKároly HalmosHUN
DNSMoritz RasmussenDEN
DNSEdmond BaillardFRA
DNSHans RehderGER
DNSLajos VeresHUN
DNSHans TronnerAUT
DNSEd ArchibaldCAN
DNSCon WalshCAN
DNSHarald AggerDEN
DNSJuho HalmeFIN
DNSJohan KempFIN
DNSRaoul PaoliFRA
DNSKároly KobulszkyHUN
DNSIstván MudinHUN
DNSGyula StrauszHUN
DNSDoug StupartRSA
DNSJulius WagnerSUI
DNSMatt McGrathUSA
DNSRalph RoseUSA
DNSAndré DésfargesFRA

Qualifying Round (16 July 1908 — 10:00)

Each competitor was allowed three throws, after which the Top three from the pools were allowed a further three throws. The eight scheduled qualifying sections were consolidated into six pools.

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Merritt GiffinUSA40.70133-6½QOR
2Martin SheridanUSA40.58133-1½Q
3Bill HorrUSA39.44129-5Q
4Verner JärvinenFIN39.42129-4
5Arthur DearbornUSA38.52126-4½
6Lee TalbottUSA38.40126-0
7György LuntzerHUN38.34125-9
8André TisonFRA38.30125-8
9John FlanaganUSA37.80124-0
10Wilbur BurroughsUSA37.43122-9½
11Emil WelzGER37.02121-5
ACPlatt AdamsUSA
ACCharles LagardeFRA
ACHenry LeekeGBR
ACErnest MayGBR
ACWalter HendersonGBR
ACAlfred FlaxmanGBR
ACFerenc JesinaHUN
ACMiklós KovácsHUN
ACLauri PihkalaFIN
ACAarne SalovaaraFIN
ACMichael CollinsGBR
ACLauri WilskmanFIN
ACJohnny GarrelsUSA
ACHugo WieslanderSWE
ACMiroslav ŠusteraBOH
ACJohn MurrayGBR
ACSimon GillisUSA
ACTheodor NeijströmSWE
ACFrantišek SoučekBOH
ACNikolaos GeorgantasGRE
ACImre MudinHUN
ACJalmari SauliFIN
ACElmer NiklanderFIN
ACFolke FleetwoodSWE
ACLudwig UettwillerGER
ACEdmond BarrettGBR
ACOtto NilssonSWE
ACEric LemmingSWE
ACMichail DorizasGRE
ACUmberto AvattaneoITA
ACJohn FalchenbergNOR

Qualifying Round, Group A (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Wilbur BurroughsUSA37.43122-9½
ACPlatt AdamsUSA
ACCharles LagardeFRA
ACHenry LeekeGBR
ACErnest MayGBR
ACWalter HendersonGBR
ACAlfred FlaxmanGBR
ACFerenc JesinaHUN

Qualifying Round, Group B (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Arthur DearbornUSA38.52126-4½
2György LuntzerHUN38.34125-9
3John FlanaganUSA37.80124-0
ACMiklós KovácsHUN
ACLauri PihkalaFIN
ACAarne SalovaaraFIN

Qualifying Round, Group C (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Merritt GiffinUSA40.70133-6½OR
ACMichael CollinsGBR
ACLauri WilskmanFIN
ACJohnny GarrelsUSA
ACHugo WieslanderSWE
ACMiroslav ŠusteraBOH

Qualifying Round, Group D (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Bill HorrUSA39.44129-5
2André TisonFRA38.30125-8
ACJohn MurrayGBR
ACSimon GillisUSA
ACTheodor NeijströmSWE
ACFrantišek SoučekBOH
ACNikolaos GeorgantasGRE

Qualifying Round, Group E (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
ACImre MudinHUN
ACJalmari SauliFIN
ACElmer NiklanderFIN
ACFolke FleetwoodSWE
ACLudwig UettwillerGER

Qualifying Round, Group F (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Martin SheridanUSA40.58133-1½
2Verner JärvinenFIN39.42129-4
3Lee TalbottUSA38.40126-0
4Emil WelzGER37.02121-5
ACEdmond BarrettGBR
ACOtto NilssonSWE
ACEric LemmingSWE
ACMichail DorizasGRE
ACUmberto AvattaneoITA
ACJohn FalchenbergNOR

Final Round (16 July 1908)

PosAthleteNOCDistanceDistance (Imp.)
1Martin SheridanUSA40.89134-2OR
2Merritt GiffinUSA40.70133-6½OR
3Bill HorrUSA39.45129-5