| | Event type

Shot Put, Men

Date	16 July 1908 — 14:30
Status	Olympic
Location	White City Stadium, London
Participants	25 from 8 countries

Ralph Rose was the greatest shot putter of the pre-World War I era. For the time he was a massive 6-6¾ (2.00), weighing up to 285 lbs. (130 kg.). Rose was AAU shot put champion in 1907-1910 and had won the Olympic shot put gold medal at St. Louis in 1904. In his career, he set eight world records, ending with the first IAAF-recognized mark of 51-0 (15.54), set in San Francisco on 21 August 1909. Prior to Rose, the top putter in the world had been the Irishman, Denis Horgan. Born in Banteer, County Cork, Horgan’s career would see him win 13 British AAA shot put crowns - 1893-1899, 1904-05, 1908-10, and 1912. He was also AAU champion in 1900. He also won 17 Irish titles with the shot and 11 in other weight-throwing events. Horgan would possibly have won the shot put gold medal in the Olympics of 1900, 1904, and 1906 but he did not compete at those Olympics.

At London in 1908, Rose and Horgan competed against each other for the only known time, but Rose had little difficulty in turning back the aging Horgan’s challenge. Surprisingly, Rose did not approach his Olympic record of 48-7¼ (14.81) from St. Louis in 1904, or his world record of 49-7¼ (15.12). In an exhibition throw after the competition had entered, he recorded 47-2. Interestingly, no toe board was used in shot putting.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	–	Ralph Rose	USA	14.08 (1)	14.21 (1)	Gold
2	–	Denis Horgan	GBR	13.33 (2)	13.62 (2)	Silver
3	–	Johnny Garrels	USA	13.18 (3)	13.18 (3)	Bronze
4	–	Wesley Coe	USA	13.07 (4)	–
5	–	Edmond Barrett	GBR	12.89 (5)	–
6	–	Bill Horr	USA	12.83 (6)	–
7	–	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	12.58 (7)	–
8	–	Lee Talbott	USA	11.63 (8)	–
AC	–	Juho Halme	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Charles Lagarde	FRA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Henry Leeke	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	István Mudin	HUN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Martin Sheridan	USA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Tom Nicolson	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	James Barrett	GBR	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Michail Dorizas	GRE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Verner Järvinen	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Elmer Niklander	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Bruno Zilliacus	FIN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	André Tison	FRA	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Miklós Kovács	HUN	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	– (AC)	–
AC	–	Arne Halse	NOR	– (AC)	–
DNS	–	František Vyskocil	BOH	–	–
DNS	–	Lajos Veres	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	András Kozla	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Edmond Baillard	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Karl Jank	AUT	–	–
DNS	–	Tom Kirkwood	GBR	–	–
DNS	–	William Krueger	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Paul Gouvert	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	John Schommer	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Ben Stephenson	USA	–	–
DNS	–	István Szekelyhidy	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Kálmán Kirchhoffer	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Raoul Paoli	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Henri Hubinon	BEL	–	–
DNS	–	Moritz Rasmussen	DEN	–	–
DNS	–	Hans Tronner	AUT	–	–
DNS	–	František Souček	BOH	–	–
DNS	–	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	–	–
DNS	–	Con Walsh	CAN	–	–
DNS	–	Svend Langkjær	DEN	–	–
DNS	–	Evert Jakobsson	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Jarl Jakobsson	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Johan Kemp	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Lauri Pihkala	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Aarne Salovaara	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Lauri Wilskman	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Henri Jardin	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Ferenc Jesina	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	György Luntzer	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Imre Mudin	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Umberto Avattaneo	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	Doug Stupart	RSA	–	–
DNS	–	Eric Lemming	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Theodor Neijström	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Otto Nilsson	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	John Flanagan	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Simon Gillis	USA	–	–
DNS	–	André Désfarges	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Mihály Dávid	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Otto Franke	GER	–	–

Qualifying Round (16 July 1908 — 14:30)

Each competitor was allowed three throws, after which the leading three were permitted a further three throws. The scheduled eight qualifying sections were consolidated into four pools.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Ralph Rose	USA	14.08	46-2½	Q
2	Denis Horgan	GBR	13.33	43-8¾	Q
3	Johnny Garrels	USA	13.18	43-3	Q
4	Wesley Coe	USA	13.07	42-10½
5	Edmond Barrett	GBR	12.89	42-3½
6	Bill Horr	USA	12.83	42-1
7	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	12.58	41-3½
8	Lee Talbott	USA	11.63	38-2
AC	Juho Halme	FIN	–	–
AC	Charles Lagarde	FRA	–	–
AC	Henry Leeke	GBR	–	–
AC	James Barrett	GBR	–	–
AC	István Mudin	HUN	–	–
AC	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	–	–
AC	Martin Sheridan	USA	–	–
AC	Tom Nicolson	GBR	–	–
AC	Michail Dorizas	GRE	–	–
AC	Verner Järvinen	FIN	–	–
AC	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	–	–
AC	Elmer Niklander	FIN	–	–
AC	Bruno Zilliacus	FIN	–	–
AC	André Tison	FRA	–	–
AC	Miklós Kovács	HUN	–	–
AC	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	–	–
AC	Arne Halse	NOR	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group A (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Wesley Coe	USA	13.07	42-10½
2	Jalmari Sauli	FIN	12.58	41-3½
3	Lee Talbott	USA	11.63	38-2
AC	Juho Halme	FIN	–	–
AC	Charles Lagarde	FRA	–	–
AC	Henry Leeke	GBR	–	–
AC	James Barrett	GBR	–	–
AC	István Mudin	HUN	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group B (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Johnny Garrels	USA	13.18	43-3
2	Bill Horr	USA	12.83	42-1
AC	Wilbur Burroughs	USA	–	–
AC	Martin Sheridan	USA	–	–
AC	Tom Nicolson	GBR	–	–
AC	Michail Dorizas	GRE	–	–
AC	Verner Järvinen	FIN	–	–
AC	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group C (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Denis Horgan	GBR	13.33	43-8¾
2	Edmond Barrett	GBR	12.89	42-3½
AC	Elmer Niklander	FIN	–	–
AC	Bruno Zilliacus	FIN	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group D (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Ralph Rose	USA	14.08	46-2½
AC	André Tison	FRA	–	–
AC	Miklós Kovács	HUN	–	–
AC	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	–	–
AC	Arne Halse	NOR	–	–

Final Round (16 July 1908)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Distance (Imp.)
1	Ralph Rose	USA	14.21	46-7½
2	Denis Horgan	GBR	13.62	44-8¼
3	Johnny Garrels	USA	13.18	43-3