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| Pierre de Coubertin |
Key Facts
Dates: April 27 - October 31
Other candidate cities: Berlin, Milan, Rome
Competitors: 2,008 (37 women)
Participating nations: 22
Sports: 20
Events: 110
Medals given out: 320
IOC president: Pierre de Coubertin (France)
Games declared open by: King Edward VII
SUMMARY
Restoration of the Games’ image
The image of the Games was restored within White City (about 70,000 standing places), in London (22 April-31 October, 1908), on the fringes of the Anglo-French exhibition commemorating the Entente Cordial. These Olympics permitted a new dimension to be added to the Games.
Some 2000 athletes representing 22 countries took part in the official procession in front of the Royal family. Yet the Games were not initially destined for the city of London, but for Rome. In 1906 the Italian capital, given the task of organising the event — much to the delight of baron Pierre de Coubertin — pulled out without giving any explanation. Great Britain subsequently stepped in and was able to organise the competition within two years. On the subject of results, the Americans, led by the middle distance king Mel Sheppard, demonstrated their supremacy in the athletics events. But at home, the British managed to win the most important medals.
If the London Games turned out to be a success, despite an almost constant downpour of rain, then the absence of fair-play among certain English stewards and referees did enough to further dampen the Olympic spirit. Once again the marathon attracted scandal: the winner, Italian Dorando Pietri, was disqualified by judges.
This at once made headlines in the national press. But thanks to the marathon and thanks to some good organisation and a veritable sporting interest (numerous events and plenty of athletes), the Games ended with the result that the Olympic ideal became more recognised and appreciated.
ANECDOTES
Procession
In the heart of White City in London on July 13, 70,000 spectators gave their support to the first Olympic procession of the 22 competing nations. The Irish and the Finns had no flag. Russia and England, both respectively against the autonomy of Finland and Ireland, did not allow the flying of both countries’ flags.
The metre reigns
After seemingly endless procrastinations, the English ceded the use of yards and adopted the metric system. The English viewed this decision as a disadvantage for their athletes since it would no longer be a question of running 100 yards, but 109.3 yards (100m)
A lone victory
In the 400m event, American John Carpenter was disqualified after it was ruled that he prevented Britain’s Wyndham Halswelle from passing him on the track. The judges decided to re-run the race two days later, after disqualifying Carpenter. Carpenter’s two fellow countrymen in the race stood by him on principle and refused to run — leaving Halswelle to compete alone — and win.
Crowd capacity
Two million spectators followed the marathon, run for the first time under a definitive distance (42.195km) between Windsor Castle and White City.
Like father, like son
The Swede Oscar Swahn and his son Alfred won the gold medal together in the team shooting event. Aged 60 in London, Oscar went on to win another 3 gold medals, 1 silver, and 2 bronze before finishing his career, 12 years later in 1920.
Two in one
New Zealand and Australia appeared under the same banner: Australasia. The same arrangement remained for the Stockholm Games in 1912.
Ice in summertime
Figure skating was included in the official programme of the Games. It also made an appearance at the Games in Antwerp in 1920 before becoming an integral part of the Winter Games, the first of which took place in 1924 in Chamonix.
EXPLOITS
Odds-defying spirit
Sports fans and enthusiasts could be forgiven if they had never heard of a turn-of-the-century athletics star who, after four consecutive Olympics (including the Intercalated Games in 1906), succeeded in picking up a total of ten gold medals.
But what perhaps makes Ewry’s Olympic success even more poignant is the fact that, since contracting polio as a young child and being threatened with spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair, he truly battled adversity to finally realise his dream of excelling on the field of competition.
Born on October 18, 1873, in Lafayette, Indiana, an Olympic triple looked the last thing the near-debilitated Ewry would win.
But with a spirit which defied the odds, the man who would consequently smash the pre-conceived mental and physical barriers of debilitation launched a personal campaign against his illness.
He began exercising on his own, finally regaining the use of his legs. Soon, he was able to leave the confines of his wheelchair.
It was in Paris in 1900 that 27-year-old Ewry let the result of years of difficult and painful training move to the fore. On July 16, he promptly swept the board in the standing events - high jump (new world record), long jump and triple jump.
Four years later in his home country in the city of St Louis, he repeated this feat, defending all his Olympic titles and setting a new world record in the standing long jump. His amazing versatility and determination to succeed afforded him the nickname ‘the rubber man’. (AFP)
