The Fourth Olympiad London 1908 (extracts)

American champion hip of 1907 with 1 2 ft. 3 in. He did well in London partly because he was one of the few competitor:; who ·e composure wac; not affected by the trying scenes at the fini. h of the Marathon Race. He weighed ro st. 6 lb. and wa5 5 ft. ro} in. t:tll. His compatriot, A. C. Gilbert, was 24 ye:ir old, 5 ft. 7 in. tall, and weighed ro st. 5 lb. He had done the splendid jump of I 2 ft. 71 in. before leaving .America. XVIII.-THROWING THE HAMMER. The Rule of the A.A. A. with regard to this event was printed in the programme as follow :- " The head and handle may be of an'.}' size, shape and material, provided that the length of the comp!f'tf>. frnplement shall not be ·more than four feet ( 1 ·2 r 9 metres) and its weight not less than sixteen pounds (7'258 kilos.). The competitor ·may assume any position he chooses, and use either one or both hands. All throws shall be made from a circle seven feet ( 2 • 134 metres) in diameter. Each competitor shall be allowed three throws, and the best three competitors of the first trial shall be allowed three more throws each. The farthest throw of all shall win. All distances shall be measured from the circumference of the circle to the first pitch of the hammer along a line drawn from that pitch to the centre of the circle. Foitl throws and letting go of the hammer in an attempt shall count as trial throws." ft. in. metres I. J. J. Flanagan, United States 170 4t 51 ·92 2. M. J. McGrath, United States 167 II $ l 'l 8 3. C. Walsh, Canada .. 159 Ii 48·5 I 4. T. R. Nicolson, United Kingdom . . 157 9,} 48·09 5. L. J. Talbot, United States 157 o} 47'86 6. M. F. Horr, United States 154 o.} 46·94 Al o threw :-S. P. Gillis, United State (149 ft. 6t in.); E. V. Lemming, Sweden; R.H. Lindsay 'Watson, United Kingdom; J. Murray, United Kingdom; A. H. Fyffe, United Kingdom ; H. A. Leeke, United Kingdom; E. E. B. lay, United Kingdom; R. Olsson, Sweden; H. Agger, Denmark; E. l\Iudin, Hungary; J. Wagner, Switzerland; L. Uetwiller, Germany. It was expected that Ic 7rath would win, but a broken ligament had curtailed his practice, and Flanagan scored with a magnificent throw, 2 ft. 3 in. further than his own Olympic record, made at t. Loui in 1904, and within 3 ft. 3 in. of the American amateur record he 't up in 1907. With an unlimit d run and follow he did 175 ft. 8 in. in New York in 1907. H was 35 years old, born in Limerick, and in t900 he won the English championship by throwing th old style of hammer (with a wooden handle) 163 ft. 4 in. IcGrath was 29 years old, born in Tipperary, and won the Canadian champion hip of 1907 "·ith 173 ft. 7 in. Diplomas of Merit for Throwing the Hammer were a,,arded to T. R. Nicolson, United Kingdom, and to L. J. Talbot and 1. F. Horr, both Americans.