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. Twenty-three hurdlers from 13 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation was 4. The event was won by Morgan Taylor of the United States, the fifth consecutive victory by an American in the event. Erik Wilén received silver (following the disqualification of Charles Brookins), Finland's first medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles. Another American, Ivan Riley, took bronze.

Background

This was the fifth time the event was held. It had been introduced along with the men's 200 metres hurdles in 1900, with the 200 being dropped after 1904 and the 400 being held through 1908 before being left off the 1912 programme. However, when the Olympics returned in 1920 after World War I, the men's 400 metres hurdles was back and would continue to be contested at every Games thereafter.

One of the six finalists from the 1920 Games returned: fourth-place finisher Géo André of France. The event, a very unusual one before 1920, was becoming more common; the AAU had added it to its programme. Morgan Taylor was the AAU champion and U.S. trials winner.

Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Greece, and Italy each made their debut in the event. The United States made its fifth appearance, the only nation to have competed at every edition of the event to that point.

Competition format

The competition featured the three-round format introduced in 1908: quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. Ten sets of hurdles were set on the course. The hurdles were 3 feet (91.5 centimetres) tall and were placed 35 metres apart beginning 45 metres from the starting line, resulting in a 40 metres home stretch after the last hurdle.

There were 6 quarterfinal heats, with between 3 and 5 athletes each. The top 2 men in each quarterfinal advanced to the semifinals. The 12 semifinalists were divided into 2 semifinals of 6 athletes each, with the top 3 in each semifinal advancing to the 6-man final.

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

Records

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

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.

Schedule

Date Time Round Sunday, 6 July 1924 14:0016:30 QuarterfinalsSemifinals Monday, 7 July 1924 15:00 Final

Results

Quarterfinals

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

The best two finishers of every heat qualified for the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Charles Brookins 54.8 2 Humberto Lara 56.5 3 Philip MacDonald 56.8

Quarterfinal 2

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Chan Coulter 55.0 2 Erik Wilén 55.3 3 Louis Lundgren 56.0 — Pierre Arnaudin

Quarterfinal 3

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Géo André 56.0 2 Henri Thorsen 57.2 3 Ioannis Talianos 58.0

Quarterfinal 4

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Roger Viel 57.2 2 Martti Jukola 57.7 3 Wilfrid Tatham 58.5

Quarterfinal 5

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Morgan Taylor 55.8 2 Frederick Blackett 56.9 3 Enrique Thompson 57.0 4 Richard Honner 58.5 5 André Fouache 60.0

Quarterfinal 6

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Ivan Riley 55.4 2 Luigi Facelli 56.4 3 Jules Migeot 56.7 4 Warren Montabone Unknown 5 Oscar van Rappard Unknown

Semifinals

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

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

Semifinal 1

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Charles Brookins 54.6 2 Morgan Taylor 54.9 3 Erik Wilén 55.4 4 Luigi Facelli 55.6 5 Roger Viel 56.7 6 Henri Thorsen 57.3

Semifinal 2

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes 1 Ivan Riley 56.6 2 Géo André 56.7 3 Frederick Blackett 58.4 4 Chan Coulter 58.6 5 Martti Jukola 58.6 6 Humberto Lara 59.0

Final

The final was held on Monday, July 7, 1924.

Frederick Blackett was disqualified for two false starts. After the race, Morgan Taylor's time was rejected as a world record because he knocked over a hurdle, which was against the rules in force at that time, while Charles Brookins, who had crossed the finish line in second, was disqualified for running out of his lane. As such, Erik Wilén was credited with an Olympic record, but his time was not ratified as world record.

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes Morgan Taylor 52.6 OR Erik Wilén 53.8 Ivan Riley 54.2 4 Géo André 56.2 — Charles Brookins Frederick Blackett

Results summary

Rank Athlete Nation Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Notes Morgan Taylor 55.8 54.9 52.6 OR Erik Wilén 55.3 55.4 53.8 Ivan Riley 55.4 56.6 54.2 4 Géo André 56.0 56.7 56.2 5 Charles Brookins 54.8 54.6 Frederick Blackett 56.9 58.4 7 Luigi Facelli 56.4 55.6 Did not advance 8 Roger Viel 57.2 56.7 9 Henri Thorsen 57.2 57.3 10 Chan Coulter 55.0 58.6 11 Martti Jukola 57.7 58.6 12 Humberto Lara 56.5 59.0 13 Louis Lundgren 56.0 Did not advance 14 Jules Migeot 56.7 15 Philip MacDonald 56.8 16 Enrique Thompson 57.0 17 Ioannis Talianos 58.0 18 Richard Honner 58.5 Wilfrid Tatham 58.5 20 André Fouache 1:00.0 21 Warren Montabone Unknown 22 Oscar van Rappard Unknown 23 Pierre Arnaudin

References

External links Olympic Report