The fourth Olympic Games were certainly the wettest and probably the most contentious in history. The London Games were the last in which the host country had full jurisdiction over all the sports. There were so many controversial decisions that international bodies were formed to decide on future rule interpretations.

Held at a new 68,000-seat stadium in the Shepherds Bush section of London, the 1908 Games were played out under continually rainy skies and suffered from endless arguments between British officials and many of the other countries involved - especially the United States.

"The Battle of Shepherds Bush" began almost immediately, when the U.S. delegation noticed that there was no American flag among the national flags decorating the stadium for the opening ceremonies. U.S. flag bearer and discus champion Martin Sheridan responded by refusing to dip the Stars and Stripes when he pased King Edward VII's box in the parade of athletes. "This flag dips to no earthly king," Sheridan said. And it hasn't since.

The Americans, at least, go to march with their flag. Finland, then ruled by Russia, could not. Informed they would have to use a Russian flag, the furious Finns elected to march with no flag at all.

Once again the marathon proved to be the Games' most memorable event. Laid out over a 26-mile, 365-yard course that stretched from Windsor Castle to the royal box at Sheperds Bush, the race ended in controversy when leader Dorando Pietri of Italy staggered into the packed stadium, took a wrong turn, collapsed, was helped up by doctors, wobbled and fell three more times before being half-carried across the finish line by race officials. Caught up in the drama of Pietri's agony, the cheering crowd hardly noticed that he was declared the winner just as second place runner, Johnny Hayes of the U.S., entered the stadium.

Pietri was later disqualified in favor of Hayes, but only after British and U.S. officials argued for hours and fights had broken out in the stands.

The Americans quit the tug-of-war after one of the British teams (from the Liverpool Police Force) arrived with steel spikes in their boots to prevent them from slipping. And the British officials decided to re-run the 400m final after their only runner, Boer War veteran Wyndham Halswelle, was run off the track by American John Carpenter. Fellow American John Taylor had won the original race, but he and the only other finalist, William Robbins, also of the United States, refused to take part in the re-run, leaving Halswelle to take the gold in a walk-over.

1904 St. Louis Olympic Stadium 1904 1908 London Olympic Stadium 1908 1912 Stockholm Olympic Stadium 1912