The Olympic Games of summer of 1908 , Plays of IVe Olympiad of the modern era, were celebrated with London, the the United Kingdom.

Organization

• Cities candidates: Berlin, Milan and Rome. The Plays are allotted to Rome but following the eruption of the Vesuvius of 1906 the plays D-were allotted to London.

• Construction of the stage of Shepherd' S Bush.
• the track of athletics is the work of Charles Perry, the first large world specialist in the tracks of athletics.
• the judges who supervise the competitions are all English.

Striking facts

• the Figure skating on ice makes its appearance with the Plays. Russian Nicolaï Panine gains the gold medal.
• the Throwing the javelin, the Field hockey and the Football become new Olympic disciplines.
• the weight of the male disc is definitively fixed at 2 kg.
• the distance from the marathon is definitively fixed, the royal family wishing that the race starts of the Château of Windsor to finish vis-a-vis the royal cabin in the Olympic stadium. This distance thus was measured precisely (42,195 km) and became the official distance from the marathon.
• the marathonian Dorando Pietri, doped with the Strychnin, crumbles in the last meters whereas it carries out the race. The judges will carry it until the arrival. It will be disqualified for “foreign aid”.
• the winner of the 400 m, the states-unien John Carpenter, shown to have obstructed the British Wyndham Halswelle, is disqualified by the judges, which decide to make resort the test; Wyndhamm Halswelle short alone this 2ère race, in the time of 50" , two other competitors, of the same nationality than John Carpenter, having declared fixed price in sign of protest and of support with regard to their compatriot.
• Appearance of the tests of relay in Athletics.
• For the first time the delegations ravel at the time of the opening ceremony.
• the bishop of Pennsylvania pronounces with the cathedral Saint-Paul the famous maxim “the important one in the life it is not the triumph, but the combat, essence it is not to have overcome but to be itself well beaten”

Hero of the plays

• Raymond Clarence Ewry (" Ray Ewry ") preserve its two titles at the high jump without dash, long jump without dash (triple jump without dash is not disputed any more).

• Swedish Oscar Swahn gains the gold medals of the tests of the shooting over current stag, simple blow into individual and by teams, a bronze medal in the test of the shooting over current stag, double hit. Original anecdote in the history of the Plays: the son of Swahn Oscar, Alfred, also forms part of the Swedish team of the shooting on current stag simple blow and gains, with his father, the gold medal.

Sports and disciplines

• Athletics, to see detailed results
• Oar, to see detailed results
• Boxing, to see detailed results
• Cricket, to see detailed results
• Cycling, to see detailed results
• Fencing, to see detailed results
• Football, to see detailed results
• Golf, to see detailed results
• Gymnastic, to see detailed results
• Field hockey, to see detailed results
• Play of palm, to see detailed results
• Stick, to see detailed results
• Fight, to see detailed results
• Speedboat, to see detailed results
• Swimming, to see detailed results
• Figure skating, to see detailed results
• Sports shirt, to see detailed results
• Rackets, to see detailed results
• Rugby, to see detailed results
• Tennis, to see detailed results
• Shooting, to see detailed results
• Shooting with the arc, to see detailed results
• Shooting with the cord, to see detailed results
• Veil, to see detailed results
• Toilets sports shirt, to see detailed results

Table of the medals

See too

• Olympic Games
• Olympic Games of summer

External bond

• the page of the Olympic Games of London on the official site of the CIO.