Quick Facts Men's 400 metres at the Games of the IV Olympiad, Venue ...

Men's 400 metres at the Games of the IV Olympiad
Venue	White City Stadium
Dates	July 21 (quarterfinals) July 22 (semifinals) July 23 (final)
Competitors	37 from 11 nations
Winning time	50.0
Medalists
Wyndham Halswelle  Great Britain
← 1904 1912 →

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The men's 400 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held from July 21, 1908, to July 23, 1908. The rerun of the final was held on July 25, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres=1⁄3 mile in circumference.

37 runners from 11 nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.^[1]

It was the most controversial event of the London Games: the final resulted in the disqualification of American runner John Carpenter who was accused by the British officials of a manoeuvre that was legal under American rules (under which Carpenter normally competed) but prohibited by the British rules under which the race was run.

As part of the disqualification of Carpenter, a second final race was ordered, with Halswelle to face the other two finalists again. These athletes, William Robbins and John Taylor, were both Americans, and they boycotted the re-run final to protest the judges' decision.

Thus, Halswelle was the only medallist in the 400 metres.

This was the fourth time the event was held. Only one of the runners from 1904, Paul Pilgrim of the United States, returned. Defending gold medalist Harry Hillman, also American, was in London but competed only in the hurdles. The favorite was British runner Wyndham Halswelle, the 1905, 1906, and 1908 AAA champion.^[2]

Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands appeared in the event for the first time. The United States made its fourth appearance in the event, the only nation to compete in it at the first four Olympic Games.

The competition consisted of three rounds. The first round had 16 heats, ranging from 0 to 4 runners (the second heat was cancelled because no athletes started). Only the top runner in each heat advanced to the semifinals. The semifinal was to consist of 4 heats of 4 runners each, but the final heat had only 3 runners due to the cancellation of the second heat in the first round. Again, only the top runner in each semifinal heat advanced, making a four-man final.^[2][3]

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.

World record	Maxie Long (USA)	47.8(*)	New York, United States	29 September 1900
Olympic record	Harry Hillman (USA)	49.2(**)	St. Louis, United States	29 August 1904

(*) 440 yards (= 402.34 m)

(**) This track was 536.45 metres=1⁄3 mile in circumference.

In the semi-finals Wyndham Halswelle set a new Olympic record with 48.4 seconds.