On November 19, 1906, the International Olympic Committee awarded the fourth modern Olympic games to London with fewer than two years notice before the games would begin. They had originally been awarded to Italy, but with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the need for funds to repair and rebuild Naples, Italy officially withdrew, allowing the honor of hosting to pass to another country. The IOC determined London, the original runner-up and one of the foremost cities in the world at that point in history, could take over the responsibility. The resulting games were some of the most important and outlandish in Olympic history.
London did a fantastic job of organizing on short notice, and by the time of the opening ceremonies in late April of 1908 had built a new stadium and pieced together a roster of 110 events from over 20 different sports. The games kicked off with controversy, as the American flag-bearer refused to dip the American flag before the British king during the opening ceremonies. The British, who made a great deal out of this slight, would ensure that the Americans paid for it on the playing field. And to do so they hardly had to rely on their athletic abilities, as at this point in Olympic history the host country not only provided facilities and venues, but also all of the judges and technical staff.
The first example of what would become an American and British Olympic cold war was in the 400-meter dash. In a qualifying heat, an American runner who posted a time qualifying him for the final was judged, by the all British panel, to have improperly impeded the path of the British runner he’d raced against and was disqualified. In protest, the other two Americans who had qualified for the final boycotted and the final heat was run with a single British competitor. Things would become more openly skewed when, in the final moments of the marathon, the Italian frontrunner was having trouble remaining upright just short of the finish line. Hot on his heels was the American competitor, and fearing an American first place finish, British officials darted out and helped the weary Italian across the line. The American delegation appealed the result, which the IOC quickly overturned, giving the American competitor his deserved gold medal. In return for their appeal, the American delegation was summarily mocked and excoriated in the British press for their lack of good sportsmanship.
When all was said and done after 6 straight months of competition, the 1908 Olympics came to a close. Great Britain had won 146 medals, or roughly half of all those up for grabs, and had vastly outpaced the next winningest country, the United States, who took home just 47 medals. While these Olympics are famed for their controversy, they were also important in helping define the scope and rules of the modern games. As a result of the questionable judging (and the resulting skewed medal count) the IOC decreed that in subsequent games all judges would be drawn from an international pool. Another important, and wide-sweeping legacy from these games was the official distance of the marathon being set at 26.2 miles, the distance from Windsor Castle to the Olympic stadium, with the final stretch included so runners would finish directly in front of the royal box. The London Olympics were truly instrumental in helping to create an Olympic system, through both careful forethought and glaring missteps, that would flourish as the model of international competition.