Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke
The men's 200 metre breaststroke was one of 6 swimming events on the Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme.[1] It was the only breaststroke event on the schedule. 1908 was the first appearance of the 200 metre breaststroke, as 1904 had seen the introduction of the stroke to Olympic competition with the 440 yard event. Each nation could enter up to 12 swimmers.[2]
Men's 200 metre breaststroke at the Games of the IV Olympiad | |||||||||||||
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![]() The start of the final | |||||||||||||
Venue | White City Stadium | ||||||||||||
Dates | July 15–18 | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 27 from 10 nations | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
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Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics | |
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![]() | |
Freestyle | |
100 m | men |
400 m | men |
1500 m | men |
Backstroke | |
100 m | men |
Breaststroke | |
200 m | men |
Freestyle relay | |
4×200 m | men |
Competition format
With a much larger field than in 1904, the 1908 competition expanded to three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The 1908 Games also restored the wild-card system from 1900, allowing the fastest swimmers who did not win their heat to advance. The seven heats consisted of between 3 and 5 swimmers, with the winner of the heat advancing along with the fastest loser from across the heats (all tied swimmers advanced in the case of equal times). There were two semifinals, intended to be of 5 swimmers each but one of which actually had 6 due to a tie in the heats; the top 2 finishers in each semifinal (regardless of overall time) advanced to the 4-person final.[3]
Each race involved two lengths of the 100 metre pool. The rules required that "both hands of the competitor must be pushed forward and brought backwards simultaneously, the shoulders must be kept perfectly in line with the surface of the water, and when touching at the turn . . . the touch shall be made with both hands" and that "the touch at the finish shall be made with both hands."[4]
Results
First round
The fastest swimmer in each heat and the fastest loser advanced, qualifying 8 swimmers for the semifinals.
Heat 1
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Frederick Holman | ![]() | 3:10.6 |
2 | Richard Rösler | ![]() | 3:18.0 |
3 | Max Gumpel | ![]() | Unknown |
Heat 2
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Wilhelm Persson | ![]() | 3:17.6 |
2 | András Baronyi | ![]() | 3:18.0 |
3 | Augustus Goessling | ![]() | Unknown |
4-5 | Herman Cederberg | ![]() | Unknown |
Frederick Naylor | ![]() | Unknown |
Heat 3
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Erich Seidel | ![]() | 3:17.2 |
2 | Hjalmar Johansson | ![]() | 3:21.2 |
3 | Arthur Davies | ![]() | Unknown |
4 | Pierre Strauwen | ![]() | Unknown |
Heat 4
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ödön Toldi | ![]() | 3:14.4 |
2 | Pontus Hanson | ![]() | 3:15.0 |
3 | Sydney Gooday | ![]() | Unknown |
4 | Amilcare Beretta | ![]() | Unknown |
Heat 5
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Robinson | ![]() | 3:13.0 |
2 | Per Fjästad | ![]() | 3:31.4 |
3 | John Henriksson | ![]() | Unknown |
— | Edward Cooke | ![]() | Did not finish |
Heat 6
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | József Fabinyi | ![]() | 3:23.4 |
2 | Torsten Kumfeldt | ![]() | 3:24.6 |
3 | Harald Klem | ![]() | Unknown |
— | Hugo Jonsson | ![]() | Did not finish |
Heat 7
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Félicien Courbet | ![]() | 3:16.4 |
2 | Percy Courtman | ![]() | 3:18.4 |
3 | Adolf Andersson | ![]() | Unknown |
Semifinals
The fastest two swimmers from each semifinal advanced to the final.
Semifinal 1
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Frederick Holman | ![]() | 3:10.0 |
2 | Ödön Toldi | ![]() | 3:16.4 |
3 | Erich Seidel | ![]() | Unknown |
4 | József Fabinyi | ![]() | Unknown |
Semifinal 2
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Robinson | ![]() | 3:11.8 |
2 | Pontus Hanson | ![]() | 3:13.0 |
3 | Wilhelm Persson | ![]() | Unknown |
4 | Félicien Courbet | ![]() | Unknown |
Final
Place | Swimmer | Nation | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Frederick Holman | ![]() | 3:09.2 |
2 | William Robinson | ![]() | 3:12.8 |
3 | Pontus Hanson | ![]() | 3:14.6 |
4 | Ödön Toldi | ![]() | 3:15.2 |
References
- "Swimming at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 200 metres Breaststroke". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- Official Report, p. 40.
- Official Report, p. 571.
- Official Report, p. 574.
Sources
- Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
- De Wael, Herman (2001). "Swimming 1908". Herman's Full Olympians. Retrieved 13 May 2006.