| | Event type

Discus Throw, Men

Date	16 July 1908 — 10:00
Status	Olympic
Location	White City Stadium, London
Participants	42 from 11 countries

The discus was thrown from a 7-foot circle without follow, and it was noted “three turns being allowed before the missile leaves the thrower’s hand.”

The world record holder, and two-time defending Olympic champion, Martin Sheridan (USA), won his his third successive Olympic discus title but failed to match his winning mark from the 1906 Olympics. Sheridan was at this time unequaled as a discus thrower and an all-around athlete. Born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland, Martin Sheridan emigrated to the United States in 1900, and quickly became the best discus thrower in the world. He stood 6’3) and weighed 195 lbs. in his prime.

Sheridan is credited with as many as sixteen world records, although it is difficult to be precise in the pre-IAAF period. Sheridan’s Olympic fame rests primarily on winning the Olympic gold medal in the discus in 1904, 1906, and 1908. Overall, he won nine Olympic medals, including five gold, counting those Sheridan won in the 1906 Olympics.

Sheridan was a superb jumper and weight thrower, and displayed his other talents in the all-around championship, the early American forerunner of the decathlon. Sheridan entered three all-arounds in his athletic career, the AAU National Championships of 1905, 1907, and 1909. He won each of them easily, and set a world record each time, finally leaving it at 7,385 points, a mark which Jim Thorpe broke by only a few points in 1912.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	–	Martin Sheridan	USA	40.58 (2)	40.89 (1)	Gold	OR
2	–	Merritt Giffin	USA	40.70 (1)	40.70 (2)	Silver	OR
3	–	Bill Horr	USA	39.44 (3)	39.45 (3)	Bronze
4	–	Verner Järvinen	FIN	39.42 (4)	–
5	–	Arthur Dearborn	USA	38.52 (5)	–
6	–	Lee Talbott	USA	38.40 (6)	–
7	–	György Luntzer	HUN	38.34 (7)	–
8	–	André Tison	FRA	38.30 (8)	–
9	–	John Flanagan	USA	37.80 (9)	–
10	–	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	37.43 (10)	–
11	–	Emil Welz	GER	37.02 (11)	–
AC	–	Platt Adams	USA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Charles Lagarde	FRA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Henry Leeke	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Ernest May	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Walter Henderson	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Alfred Flaxman	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Ferenc Jesina	HUN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Miklós Kovács	HUN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Lauri Pihkala	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Aarne Salovaara	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Michael Collins	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Lauri Wilskman	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Johnny Garrels	USA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	– (AC)	–
AC	–	John Murray	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Simon Gillis	USA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Theodor Neijström	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	František Souček	BOH	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Imre Mudin	HUN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Elmer Niklander	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Ludwig Uettwiller	GER	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Edmond Barrett	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Otto Nilsson	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Eric Lemming	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Michail Dorizas	GRE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Umberto Avattaneo	ITA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	John Falchenberg	NOR	– (AC)	–
DNS	–	Karl Jank	AUT	–	–
DNS	–	František Vyskocil	BOH	–	–
DNS	–	Pál Antal	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Károly Halmos	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Moritz Rasmussen	DEN	–	–
DNS	–	Edmond Baillard	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Hans Rehder	GER	–	–
DNS	–	Lajos Veres	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Hans Tronner	AUT	–	–
DNS	–	Ed Archibald	CAN	–	–
DNS	–	Con Walsh	CAN	–	–
DNS	–	Harald Agger	DEN	–	–
DNS	–	Juho Halme	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Johan Kemp	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Raoul Paoli	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Károly Kobulszky	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	István Mudin	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Gyula Strausz	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Doug Stupart	RSA	–	–
DNS	–	Julius Wagner	SUI	–	–
DNS	–	Matt McGrath	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Ralph Rose	USA	–	–
DNS	–	André Désfarges	FRA	–	–

Qualifying Round (16 July 1908 — 10:00)

Each competitor was allowed three throws, after which the Top three from the pools were allowed a further three throws. The eight scheduled qualifying sections were consolidated into six pools.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Merritt Giffin	USA	40.70	133-6½	QOR
2	Martin Sheridan	USA	40.58	133-1½	Q
3	Bill Horr	USA	39.44	129-5	Q
4	Verner Järvinen	FIN	39.42	129-4
5	Arthur Dearborn	USA	38.52	126-4½
6	Lee Talbott	USA	38.40	126-0
7	György Luntzer	HUN	38.34	125-9
8	André Tison	FRA	38.30	125-8
9	John Flanagan	USA	37.80	124-0
10	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	37.43	122-9½
11	Emil Welz	GER	37.02	121-5
AC	Platt Adams	USA	–	–
AC	Charles Lagarde	FRA	–	–
AC	Henry Leeke	GBR	–	–
AC	Ernest May	GBR	–	–
AC	Walter Henderson	GBR	–	–
AC	Alfred Flaxman	GBR	–	–
AC	Ferenc Jesina	HUN	–	–
AC	Miklós Kovács	HUN	–	–
AC	Lauri Pihkala	FIN	–	–
AC	Aarne Salovaara	FIN	–	–
AC	Michael Collins	GBR	–	–
AC	Lauri Wilskman	FIN	–	–
AC	Johnny Garrels	USA	–	–
AC	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	–	–
AC	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	–	–
AC	John Murray	GBR	–	–
AC	Simon Gillis	USA	–	–
AC	Theodor Neijström	SWE	–	–
AC	František Souček	BOH	–	–
AC	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	–	–
AC	Imre Mudin	HUN	–	–
AC	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	–	–
AC	Elmer Niklander	FIN	–	–
AC	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	–	–
AC	Ludwig Uettwiller	GER	–	–
AC	Edmond Barrett	GBR	–	–
AC	Otto Nilsson	SWE	–	–
AC	Eric Lemming	SWE	–	–
AC	Michail Dorizas	GRE	–	–
AC	Umberto Avattaneo	ITA	–	–
AC	John Falchenberg	NOR	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group A (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	37.43	122-9½
AC	Platt Adams	USA	–	–
AC	Charles Lagarde	FRA	–	–
AC	Henry Leeke	GBR	–	–
AC	Ernest May	GBR	–	–
AC	Walter Henderson	GBR	–	–
AC	Alfred Flaxman	GBR	–	–
AC	Ferenc Jesina	HUN	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group B (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Arthur Dearborn	USA	38.52	126-4½
2	György Luntzer	HUN	38.34	125-9
3	John Flanagan	USA	37.80	124-0
AC	Miklós Kovács	HUN	–	–
AC	Lauri Pihkala	FIN	–	–
AC	Aarne Salovaara	FIN	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group C (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Merritt Giffin	USA	40.70	133-6½	OR
AC	Michael Collins	GBR	–	–
AC	Lauri Wilskman	FIN	–	–
AC	Johnny Garrels	USA	–	–
AC	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	–	–
AC	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group D (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Bill Horr	USA	39.44	129-5
2	André Tison	FRA	38.30	125-8
AC	John Murray	GBR	–	–
AC	Simon Gillis	USA	–	–
AC	Theodor Neijström	SWE	–	–
AC	František Souček	BOH	–	–
AC	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group E (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
AC	Imre Mudin	HUN	–	–
AC	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	–	–
AC	Elmer Niklander	FIN	–	–
AC	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	–	–
AC	Ludwig Uettwiller	GER	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group F (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Martin Sheridan	USA	40.58	133-1½
2	Verner Järvinen	FIN	39.42	129-4
3	Lee Talbott	USA	38.40	126-0
4	Emil Welz	GER	37.02	121-5
AC	Edmond Barrett	GBR	–	–
AC	Otto Nilsson	SWE	–	–
AC	Eric Lemming	SWE	–	–
AC	Michail Dorizas	GRE	–	–
AC	Umberto Avattaneo	ITA	–	–
AC	John Falchenberg	NOR	–	–

Final Round (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Martin Sheridan	USA	40.89	134-2	OR
2	Merritt Giffin	USA	40.70	133-6½	OR
3	Bill Horr	USA	39.45	129-5