Canada at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Sporting event delegation
Canada at the
1908 Summer Olympics
IOC codeCAN
NOCCanadian Olympic Committee
Websitewww.olympic.ca (in English and French)
in London
Competitors87 in 11 sports
Flag bearerEdward Archibald
Medals
Ranked 7th
Gold
3
Silver
3
Bronze
10
Total
16
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games
Black and white photo including four rows of athletes wearing white sweaters with a maple leaf crest
Canadian athletes at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Canada competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Canadian athletes won three gold, three silver, and ten bronze medals.[1][2]

Team selection

The Canadian Olympic Committee was established to select athletes for the 1908 Summer Olympics, when the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union and the Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada had unsettled differences. YMCA executive J. Howard Crocker assisted the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union in arranging regional and national trials to select Olympic athletes. He was subsequently appointed manager of the national team for Canada in 1908, which was first national team organized despite that individuals had competed on behalf of Canada in prior Summer Olympics.[3]

Medalists

Medal Name Sport Event Date
 Gold Robert Kerr Athletics Men's 200 m July 23
 Gold Canada national lacrosse team
Lacrosse October 24
 Gold Walter Ewing Shooting Men's trap July 11
 Silver Garfield MacDonald Athletics Men's triple jump July 25
 Silver George Beattie Shooting Men's trap July 11
 Silver George Beattie, Walter Ewing, Mylie Fletcher,
David McMackon, George Vivian, Arthur Westover
Shooting Men's trap, team July 11
 Bronze Robert Kerr Athletics Men's 100 m July 22
 Bronze Calvin Bricker Athletics Men's long jump July 22
 Bronze Edward Archibald Athletics Men's pole vault July 24
 Bronze Con Walsh Athletics Men's hammer throw July 14
 Bronze William Anderson, Walter Andrews,
Frederick McCarthy, William Morton
Cycling Men's team pursuit July 17
 Bronze Norway Jackes, Frederick Toms Rowing Men's coxless pair July 31
 Bronze Gordon Balfour, Becher Gale,
Charles Riddy, Geoffrey Taylor
Rowing Men's coxless four July 31
 Bronze Gordon Balfour, Becher Gale, Douglas Kertland,
Walter Lewis, Charles Riddy, Irvine Robertson,
Geoffrey Taylor, Julius Thomson, Joseph Wright
Rowing Men's eight July 31
 Bronze Charles Crowe, William Eastcott, S. Harry Kerr,
Dugald McInnes, William Smith, Bertram Williams
Shooting Men's military rifle, team July 11
 Bronze Aubert Côté Wrestling Men's freestyle bantamweight July 20

Results by event

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

Athletics

Running

Young adult male wearing athletic running attire, standing beside two large trophies
Tom Longboat

In response to Tom Longboat's poor performance in the marathon, J. Howard Crocker reported that Longboat was likely "doped", explaining his collapse and subsequent condition. This was subsequently probed by the Canadian Olympic Committee, with Crocker testifying.[4]

Event Place Athlete Heats Semifinals Final
Men's 100 metres 3rd Robert Kerr 11.0 seconds
1st, heat 10
11.0 seconds
1st, semifinal 2
11.0 seconds
Heats Frank Lukeman 11.7 seconds
2nd, heat 13
did not advance
Louis Sebert 11.7 seconds
2nd, heat 14
David Beland unknown
3rd, heat 5
Men's 200 metres 1st Robert Kerr 22.2 seconds
1st, heat 11
22.6 seconds
1st, semifinal 1
22.6 seconds
Heats Louis Sebert unknown
2nd, heat 10
did not advance
Frank Lukeman unknown
3rd, heat 3
Men's 400 metres Semi-
finalist
Louis Sebert 50.2 seconds
1st, heat 10
unknown
2nd, semifinal 4
did not advance
Heats Donald Buddo unknown
2nd, heat 6
did not advance
Men's 800 metres Semi-
finalist
Irving Parkes none held unknown
3rd, semifinal 2
did not advance
Donald Buddo unknown
3rd, semifinal 5
Men's 1500 metres 4th John Tait none held 4:12.2
1st, semifinal 5
4:06.8
Semi-
finalist
Frederick Meadows unknown
3rd, semifinal 1
did not advance
William Galbraith unknown
3rd, semifinal 7
James Fitzgerald unknown
7th, semifinal 8
Men's 110 metre hurdles Heats Frank Savage unknown
3rd, heat 5
did not advance
Men's 3200 metre steeplechase 6th William Galbraith none held 11:12.4
1st, semifinal 3
unknown
James Fitzgerald did not finish
—, semifinal 6
did not advance
Men's medley relay Semi-
finalist
Frank Lukeman
Donald Buddo
Louis Sebert
Irving Parkes
none held unknown
3rd, semifinal 3
did not advance
Men's 5 miles 6th Frederick Meadows none held unknown
2nd, heat 4
unknown
7th James Fitzgerald unknown
2nd, heat 5
unknown
11-12 William Galbraith unknown
2nd, heat 6
did not start
John Tait did not finish
—, heat 4
did not advance
Men's marathon 5th William Wood none held 3:01:44.0
6th Frederick Simpson 3:04:28.2
7th Harry Lawson 3:06:47.2
11th John Peter Caffery 3:12:46.0
16th William Goldsboro 3:20:07.0
22nd George Goulding 3:33:26.0
24th Arthur Burn 3:50:17.0
27th George Lister 4:22:45.0
Edward Cotter did not finish
Tom Longboat did not finish
Frederick Noseworthy did not finish
John Tait did not finish
Men's 3500 metre walk 4th George Goulding none held 15:54.0
1st, semifinal 3
15:49.8
Men's 10 mile walk George Goulding none held did not finish
—, semifinal 2
did not advance

Jumping

Event Place Athlete Height/
Distance
Men's high jump 10th George Barber 1.77 metres
13th Garfield MacDonald 1.72 metres
Men's long jump 3rd Calvin Bricker 7.08 metres
13th Frank Lukeman 6.59 metres
19th George Barber 6.41 metres
21-32 Garfield MacDonald unknown
Men's triple jump 2nd Garfield MacDonald 14.76 metres
4th Calvin Bricker 14.10 metres
Men's pole vault 3rd Edward Archibald 3.58 metres
Men's standing high jump 19-23 George Barber unknown
Men's standing long jump 8-25 George Barber unknown

Throwing

Event Place Athlete Distance
Men's hammer throw 3rd Con Walsh 48.51 metres

Cycling

Canada's best cycling result was a bronze medal won in the team pursuit.

Event Place Cyclist Heats Semifinals Final
Men's 660 yards Semi-
finalist
Walter Andrews 55.8 seconds
1st, heat 8
unknown
4th, semifinal 1
did not advance
Heats Frederick McCarthy unknown
2nd, heat 2
did not advance
William Morton unknown
3rd, heat 14
Men's 5000 metres Semi-
finalist
Frederick McCarthy none held unknown
2nd, semifinal 2
did not advance
William Anderson unknown
3rd, semifinal 7
William Morton unknown
5th, semifinal 3
Walter Andrews unknown
5-6, semifinal 6
Men's 20 kilometres Semi-
finalist
Harry Young none held 33:45.2
3rd, semifinal 3
did not advance
William Anderson 34:55.6
3rd, semifinal 5
Frederick McCarthy unknown
6th, semifinal 1
Walter Andrews unknown
7-9, semifinal 2
Men's 100 kilometres 6th Walter Andrews none held unknown
5th, semifinal 2
unknown
9-17 Harry Young unknown
7-9, semifinal 2
did not finish
Semi-
finalist
William Anderson unknown
7-14, semifinal 1
did not advance
Frederick McCarthy did not finish
—, semifinal 1
William Morton did not finish
—, semifinal 2
Men's sprint Heats William Morton unknown
2nd, heat 9
did not advance
Frederick McCarthy unknown
4th, heat 4
Men's tandem Heats Frederick McCarthy
William Morton
unknown
3rd, heat 7
did not advance
Men's team pursuit 3rd William Anderson
Walter Andrews
Frederick McCarthy
William Morton
walkover
1st, heat 2
2:29.2
2nd, semifinal 1
did not advance

Diving

Event Place Diver Preliminary
groups
Semi-
finals
Final
Men's 3 metre springboard 13th Robert Zimmerman 74.00 points
3rd, group 1
did not advance

Fencing

Canada's lone épéeist was eliminated in the first round

Event Place Fencer First
round
Second
round
Semi-
final
Final
Men's épée First
round
Percy Nobbs 2-6 (6th in I) did not advance

Gymnastics

Gymnast Event Score Rank
Allan Keith Men's all-around 170 59
Orville Elliott Men's all-around 132.5 80

Lacrosse

Canada won the only lacrosse match played in 1908 against Great Britain, earning the gold medal.

Event Place Players Final
Men's lacrosse 1st Patrick Brennan, John Broderick, George "Doc" Campbell, Gus Dillon, Frank Dixon, Richard Louis Duckett,
J. Fyon,[5] Thomas Gorman, Ernest Hamilton, Henry Hoobin, A. Mara,[5] Clarence McKerrow,
D. McLeod,[5] George Rennie, Alexander Turnbull
Won vs.
Great Britain
14-10

Rowing

Event Place Rowers First
round
Quarter-
finals
Semi-
finals
Final
Men's single sculls 5th Walter Bowler bye unknown
2nd, quarterfinal 3
did not advance
Lewis Scholes bye unknown
2nd, quarterfinal 1
Men's coxless pair 3rd Frederick Toms
Norway Jackes
none held unknown
2nd, semifinal 1
did not advance
Men's coxless four 3rd Gordon Balfour, Becher Gale,
Charles Riddy, Geoffrey Taylor
none held unknown
2nd, semifinal 1
did not advance
Men's eight 3rd Irvine Robertson, Joseph Wright, Julius Thomson,
Walter Lewis, Gordon Balfour, Becher Gale,
Charles Riddy, Geoffrey Taylor, Douglas Kertland
none held 8.6
1st, quarterfinal 1
unknown
2nd, semifinal 1
did not advance

Shooting

Event Place Shooter Score
Men's 1000 yard free rifle 6th S. Harry Kerr 91
9th Charles Crowe 90
Frank Utton 90
11th Sydney Brown 89
16th Dugald McInnis 87
19th Frank Morris 86
27th James Freeborn 83
28th Fred Elmitt 82
James Jones 82
33rd Alexander Martin 79
35th George Rowe 75
37th James Steele 74
Men's team military rifle 3rd William Smith
Charles Crowe
Bertram Williams
Dugald McInnis
William Eastcott
S. Harry Kerr
2439
Men's individual trap shooting 1st Walter Ewing 72
2nd George Beattie 60
5th Arthur Westover 55
7th Mylie Fletcher 53
12th David McMackon 50
20th George Vivian 44
27th Frank Parker 19
Men's team trap shooting 2nd George Beattie
Walter Ewing
Mylie Fletcher
David McMackon
George Vivian
Arthur Westover
405

Swimming

Event Place Swimmer Heats Semifinals Final
Men's 100 metre freestyle Heats Robert Zimmerman 1:35.0
2nd, heat 7
did not advance
Men's 100 metre backstroke Heats Robert Zimmerman unknown
3rd, heat 3
did not advance

Tennis

Event Place Name Round
of 64
Round
of 32
Round
of 16
Quarter-
finals
Semi-
finals
Final
Men's singles 5th Claude Russell-Brown bye bye Defeated Slíva lost to Richardson did not advance
9th James Foulkes bye Defeated R. van Lennep lost to Richardson did not advance
Robert Powell Defeated C. van Lennep Defeated Žemla lost to Caridia
Men's doubles 7th James Foulkes
Robert Powell
none held bye lost to
Crawley/K. Powell
did not advance
Opponent nation Wins Losses Percent
Bohemia 2 0 1.000
Great Britain 0 2 .000
Netherlands 2 0 1.000
South Africa 0 2 .000
Total 4 4 .500

Wrestling

Event Place Wrestler Round
of 16
Quarter-
finals
Semi-
finals
Final
Freestyle bantamweight 3rd Aubert Côté bye Defeated
Davis
lost to
Mehnert
Defeated
Tomkins
Opponent nation Wins Losses Percent
Great Britain 2 0 1.000
United States 0 1 .000
Total 2 1 .667

Notes

  1. ^ "What the Canucks did in the Olympic Games". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 19, 1908. p. 42. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. ^ "Canada at the 1908 London Summer Games". Sports Reference. 2016. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Keyes, Mary Eleanor (October 1964). John Howard Crocker LL. D., 1870–1959 (Thesis). London, Ontario: University of Western Ontario. pp. 86–88. OCLC 61578234.
  4. ^ "Longboat Was Drugged". Lindsay Watchman Warder. Lindsay, Ontario. September 17, 1908. p. 4. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c This player is listed as a reserve in the Official Report, and might not have played. Regardless, the IOC database lists him as a medallist.

References

  • Sports portal
  • flagCanada portal
  • sports-reference
  • Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
  • De Wael, Herman (2001). "Top London 1908 Olympians". Herman's Full Olympians. Archived from the original on 12 July 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2006.