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|image_size = 180
| caption = Programme for the 1908 Summer Olympics
| host_city = [[London
| nations = 22
| athletes = 2,008 (1,971 men, 37 women)
| events = 110 in 22 [[Olympic sports|sports]] (
| opening = 27 April 1908
| closing = 31 October 1908
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| next = [[1912 Summer Olympics|Stockholm 1912]]
}}
The '''1908 Summer Olympics''' (officially the '''Games of the IV Olympiad''' and also known as '''London 1908''') were an [[International sport|international]] [[multi-sport event]] held in [[London]],
These were the fourth chronological modern [[Summer Olympics]] in keeping with the now-accepted four-year cycle as opposed to the alternate four-year cycle of the proposed [[Intercalated Games]]. The [[President of the International Olympic Committee|IOC president]] for these Games was [[Pierre de Coubertin|Baron Pierre de Coubertin]].
Lasting a total of 187 days ( == Background ==
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The [[White City Stadium]], built in short time for the Games, held 68,000 people, with full crowds turning up to watch the events. The stadium track was three laps to the mile (536.448 metres), as the current standard of 400 metres did not exist until 1962, with a pool (for swimming and diving events) and platforms (for wrestling and gymnastics) in the center field.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mallon |first1=Bill |last2=Buchanan |first2=Ian |url=https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll16/id/16 |title=The 1908 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary |via=[[LA84 Foundation]] |year=2000 |page=5 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-0598-5}}</ref>
The distance from the start of the [[Marathon (sport)|marathon]] to the finish at the stadium was established at these Games: the original distance of 25 miles was changed to 26 miles so the marathon could start at [[Windsor Castle]] and then changed again at the request of [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]] so the start would be beneath the windows of the Royal Nursery.<ref name="The modern Olympics: an overview">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/history/story/2008/04/29/f-olympics-1908.html |title = First appearance for flags at Olympic opening ceremony |access-date = 30 June 2008 |author = CBC Sports | work=CBC News| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603133905/http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/history/story/2008/04/29/f-olympics-1908.html| archive-date= 3 June 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> To ensure that the race would finish in front of the King, the finish line was moved by British officials who "felt compelled to restore the importance of the monarchy." As a result of these changes, the marathon covered a distance of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km), which became the standard length starting with the [[1924 Summer Olympics]].<ref>Rhonda Jolly (3 June 2008). {{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RP/2007-08/08rp32.pdf |title=The modern Olympics: an overview |access-date=2008-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318000330/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RP/2007-08/08rp32.pdf |archive-date=18 March 2009 }}. Department of Parliamentary Services. p. 9</ref>
== The Games ==
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* The [[Sweden|Swedish]] flag had not been displayed above the stadium, so the members of the Swedish team decided not to take part in the ceremony.
* The United States' flag bearer, [[Ralph Rose]], refused to [[Flag dipping|dip]] the flag to [[Edward VII|King-Emperor Edward VII]] in the royal box. His fellow athlete [[Martin Sheridan]] allegedly declared that "this flag dips to no earthly King." The quote is held as
▲The United States' flag bearer, [[Ralph Rose]], refused to [[Flag dipping|dip]] the flag to [[Edward VII|King-Emperor Edward VII]] in the royal box. His fellow athlete [[Martin Sheridan]] allegedly declared that "this flag dips to no earthly King." The quote is held as a supposed example of Irish and American defiance of the British monarchy, though its [[historicity]] is disputed.<ref name="la84foundation.org">{{cite journal|author=Bill Mallon and Ian Buchanan |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv7n3/JOHv7n3i.pdf |title=To No Earthly King ... |journal=Journal of Olympic History |year=1999 |page=21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/24/olympics_history_feature.shtml |title=London Olympics 1908 & 1948 |access-date=2006-10-30 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010154104/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/24/olympics_history_feature.shtml |archive-date=10 October 2006 }}. BBC (24 June 2005).</ref> However, careful research has shown that this was first reported in 1952. Sheridan himself made no mention of it in his published reports on the Games and neither did his obituary.<ref>Mallon & Buchanan, Journal of Olympic History, Sept 1999</ref>
=== Events ===
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[[Oscar Swahn]] from [[Sweden]], who won the gold medal for [[100 meter running deer|running deer shooting]], became the oldest Olympic champion of all time, and set another age record by being 72 years and 279 days old during his triumph at the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]]. One of the more unusual [[Shooting at the 1908 Summer Olympics|shooting events in 1908]] was [[Olympic dueling]]. The discipline, which was an associate event (i.e. not official), was performed by facing opponents wearing protective clothing and masks and firing wax bullets.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=roI4AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA40|edition=No. 808 Vol LXIII, Sixpence|date=1908-07-22|publisher=Ingram brothers|page=41}}</ref>
American [[John Taylor (athlete)|John Taylor]] was a member of the winning medley relay team, making him the first African-American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/people/1800s/taylorjb.html |title=John Baxter Taylor (1882–1908), V.M.D. 1908 – First African-American to Win an Olympic Gold Medal |access-date=2008-06-30 |url-status=
Less than five months after returning from the Olympic Games in London, Taylor died of [[typhoid fever]] on 2 December 1908 at the age of 26.<ref>{{Cite news | issn = 0362-4331 | title = NEGRO RUNNER DEAD.; John B. Taylor, Quarter Miler, Victim of Typhoid Pneumonia. | work = The New York Times | access-date = 2 June 2013 | date = 1908-12-03 | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30915FA3C5517738DDDAA0894DA415B888CF1D3 }}</ref>
The budget of the organising committee showed a cost of [[Pound sterling|£]]15,000; over one-third was labelled "entertainment expense". Donations were the major source of revenue; only 28% of income derived from ticket sales. Total receipts of £21,378 resulted in organisers claiming a profit. Construction of the White City Stadium, which cost the government about £60,000, was not counted.<ref name=Zarnowski>{{cite journal|author-link1=Frank Zarnowski | last = Zarnowski | first = C. Frank |date=Summer 1992 | title = A Look at Olympic Costs | journal = Citius, Altius, Fortius | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = 16–32 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv1n1/JOHv1n1f.pdf
== Sports ==
22 sports, representing 110 events in
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
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**Wrestling Greco-Roman <small>(4)</small>
}}
[[Cycle polo at the Summer Olympics|Cycle polo]], [[Glima at the Summer Olympics|glima]] and [[Pistol dueling at the Summer Olympics|pistol dueling]] were demonstration sports.
== Venues ==
{{Location map+ |London|relief=1|alt=Map of London with Olympic venues marked |caption=Map of London with Olympic venues marked |float=right |width=400 |places=
{{Location map~ |London|label=[[All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club|All England Club]] |background=white |position=bottom|lat_deg=51.
{{Location map~ |London|label=[[Franco-British Exhibition (1908)|Fencing]] |background=white |position=right|lat_deg=51.512222 |lon_deg=-0.229444 }}
{{Location map~ |London|label=[[The Hurlingham Club|Hurlingham Club]] |background=white |position=right|lat_deg=51.466944|lon_deg=-0.200833}}
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{{Location map~ |London|label=[[Queen's Club]] |background=white |position=left|lat_deg=51.4875|lon_deg=-0.211667}}
{{Location map~ |London|label=[[White City Stadium]] |background=white|marksize=12 |position=left|lat_deg=51.5136|lon_deg=-0.2274}}
{{Location map~ |London|label=[[Uxendon Shooting School Club]] |background=white |position=
}}
{{Location map+ |UK England|relief=1|alt=Map of Great Britain with Olympic venues marked |caption=Map of [[Great Britain]] with Olympic venues marked |float=right |width=400 |places=
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[[File:1908 Summer Olympics numbers of athletes.png |thumb|Number of participating athletes per country]]
The 1908 Games featured athletes representing 22 [[National Olympic Committee]]s. [[Finland]], [[Turkey]] and [[New Zealand]] (as part of the team from [[Australasia]]) made their first appearance at the Olympic Games. The fact that the United Kingdom competed as a single team was upsetting to some Irish competitors, who felt that Ireland should compete on its own, despite being part of the UK at the time. They relied on the precedent set by [[Finland at the 1908 Summer Olympics|Finland]], which while being a part of the [[Russian Empire]], competed in London as a separate country.<ref name=officialreport>{{cite book|author=Cook, Theodore Andrea |title=The Fourth Olympiad London 1908 Official Report |publisher=[[British Olympic Association]] |location=London |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1908/1908.pdf |access-date=2009-06-17 |date=May 1909 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222443/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1908/1908.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref> Fearing an Irish boycott, the authorities changed the name of the team to Great Britain/Ireland, and in two sports, field hockey and polo, Ireland participated as a separate country, winning silver medals in both, although their medals counted towards the UK's tally.<ref>Irish Times, 4 August 2008, article by Kevin Mallon</ref> Irish athletes in the United States were not affected by this controversy, and many Irish immigrants to the United States competed for the [[United States at the Olympics|U.S. Olympic team]] as members of the [[Irish American Athletic Club]]. Members of the Irish American Athletic Club won ten of the U.S. Olympic team's total 23 gold medals, or as many as the nations of [[France]], [[Germany]] and [[Italy]] combined.
Britain had more than a quarter of competitors in their team, with 676, compared to 112 on the American team which placed second in the medal standings.
{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="width:100%;"
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{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="border:0;"
|-
! [[List of IOC country codes|IOC Letter Code]]
! Country
! Athletes
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== External links ==
{{commons category
* {{IOC games|games=1908 Summer Olympics }}
*[https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/cultural-collections/archives/from-the-parliamentary-collections/parliament-and-the-olympics/northcliffeblumenfeldletter/ Parliament & the 1908 Olympics - UK Parliament Living Heritage]
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