Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdles

Men's 400 metres hurdles
at the Games of the VIII Olympiad
Venue Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Dates July 6 (quarterfinals and semifinals)
July 7 (final)
Competitors 23 from 13 nations
Medalists
 
 
 
«1920 1928»
Athletics at the
1924 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 m   men
200 m men
400 m men
800 m men
1500 m men
5000 m men
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400 m hurdles men
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The men's 400 metres hurdles event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Sunday, July 6, 1924 and on Monday, July 7, 1924.

As for all other races the track was 500 metres in circumference.

Twenty-three hurdlers from 13 nations competed.

Contents

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1924 Summer Olympics.

World Record 54.0 Frank Loomis Antwerp (BEL) August 16, 1920
52.1(*) Ivan Riley Ann Arbor (USA) May 31, 1924
Olympic Record 54.0 Frank Loomis Antwerp (BEL) August 16, 1920

(*) not ratified as he knocked over a hurdle

Morgan Taylor won the U.S. trials in a time of 52.6 but he also knocked over a hurdle, which was against the rules in force at that time. He did the same in the final of this competition so the time he set, again 52.6, was also not ratified as world record. As the second placed Erik Wilén used a similar style his 53.8 were also not accepted as world record but tolerated as Olympic record.

Results

Round 1

All heats were held on Sunday, July 6, 1924.

The best two finishers of every heat qualified for the semi-finals.

Heat 1

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Charles Brookins (USA) 54.8 Q
2  Humberto Lara (CHI) 56.5 Q
3  Phil McDonald (CAN) 56.8

Heat 2

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Chan Coulter (USA) 55.0 Q
2  Erik Wilén (FIN) 55.3 Q
3  Louis Lundgren (DEN) 56.0
4  Pierre Arnaudin (FRA) DNF

Heat 3

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Géo André (FRA) 56.0 Q
2  Henri Thorsen (DEN) 57.2 Q
3  Ioannis Talianos (GRE) 58.0

Heat 4

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Roger Viel (FRA) 57.2 Q
2  Martti Jukola (FIN) 57.7 Q
 Wilfrid Tatham (GBR) 58.5

Heat 5

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Morgan Taylor (USA) 55.8 Q
2  Fred Blackett (GBR) 56.9 Q
3  Enrique Thompson (ARG) 57.0
4  Richard Honner (AUS) 58.5
5  André Foussard (FRA) 60.0

Heat 6

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Ivan Riley (USA) 55.4 Q
2  Luigi Facelli (ITA) 56.4 Q
3  Jules Migeot (BEL) 56.7
4  Warren Montabone (CAN)
5  Oscar van Rappard (NED)

Semifinals

All semi-finals were held on Sunday, July 6, 1924.

The best three finishers of every heat qualified for the final.

Semifinal 1

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Charles Brookins (USA) 54.6 Q
2  Morgan Taylor (USA) 54.9 Q
3  Erik Wilén (FIN) 55.4 Q
4  Luigi Facelli (ITA) 55.6
5  Roger Viel (FRA) 56.7
6  Henri Thorsen (DEN) 57.3

Semifinal 2

Place Athlete Time Qual.
1  Ivan Riley (USA) 56.6 Q
2  Géo André (FRA) 56.7 Q
3  Fred Blackett (GBR) 58.4 Q
4  Chan Coulter (USA) 58.6
5  Martti Jukola (FIN) 58.6
6  Humberto Lara (CHI) 59.0

Final

The final was held on Monday, July 7, 1924. Charles Brookins who finished second was disqualified when he ran out of his lane. As Morgan Taylor knocked over a hurdle, which was against the rules in force at that time the Olympic record was credited to the second placed Erik Wilén, but the time was not ratified as world record.

Place Athlete Time
1  Morgan Taylor (USA) 52.6
2  Erik Wilén (FIN) 53.8 OR
3  Ivan Riley (USA) 54.2
4  Géo André (FRA) 56.2
 Charles Brookins (USA) DSQ
 Fred Blackett (GBR) DSQ

References