London 1908 Olympic Games
, athletic festival held in
London
that took place April 27?October 31, 1908. The London Games were the fourth occurrence of the modern
Olympic Games
.
The 1908
Olympic
Games originally were scheduled for
Rome
, but, with
Italy
beset by organizational and financial obstacles, it was decided that the Games should be moved to London. The London Games were the first to be organized by the various sporting bodies concerned and the first to have an opening ceremony. The parade of athletes, like the Games, was
marred
by politics and controversy. The Finnish team protested Russian rule in
Finland
. Many Irish athletes refused to compete as subjects of the British crown and were absent from the Games, and a running feud between the Americans and the British began when the American shot-putter
Ralph Rose
would not dip the U.S. flag in salute to King
Edward VII
. This refusal later became standard practice for U.S. athletes in the opening parade. (
See
Sidebar: Ralph Rose and Martin Sheridan: The Battle of Shepherd’s Bush
.)
Britannica Quiz
The Olympic Games
United Kingdom: 146
United States: 47
Sweden: 25
France: 19
Canada: 16
Note: Medal count per the
IOC website
.
Twenty-two countries and about 2,000
athletes
participated. The opening ceremony and the majority of events were held at Shepherd’s Bush Stadium. New events included diving, motorboating, indoor tennis, and
field hockey
. The track-and-field events were marked by bickering between American athletes and British officials. The 400-meter final was
nullified
by officials who disqualified the apparent winner, American
John Carpenter
, for deliberately impeding the path of
Wyndham Halswelle
of Great Britain. A new race was ordered, but the other qualifiers, both American, refused to run. Halswelle then won the gold in the only walkover in Olympic history. (
See also
Sidebar: Dorando Pietri: Falling at the Finish
.)
Henry Taylor
of Great Britain starred in the swimming events, winning three gold medals.