| | Event type
3,000 metres Steeplechase, Men
| Date | 3 – 5 August 1948 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Empire Stadium, Wembley, London |
| Participants | 26 from 12 countries |
Erik Elmsäter (SWE) had set world bests in 1943 and 1944, becoming the first man to better nine minutes in 1944, running 8:59.6 in Stockholm. He had finished second at the 1946 European Championships to France’s Raphaël Pujazon, with Swedish teammate Tore Sjöstrand in third place. In 1948, Sjöstrand led the year list going into the Olympics with 9:02.0. In the final, Pujazon dropped out early, as Elmsäter, Sjöstrand, and their teammate Göte Hagström ran a team race early. Elmsäter and Sjöstrand were too strong for Hagström, however, who dropped off the pace. He would have to finish strongly to get the bronze medal for the Swedish sweep. Sjöstrand won the gold medal by outkicking Elmsäter over the last lap.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 357 | Tore Sjöstrand |  SWE | 9:21.0 (1 h3) | 9:04.6 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 355 | Erik Elmsäter | SWE | 9:15.0 (1 h1) | 9:08.2 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 356 | Göte Hagström | SWE | 9:22.6 (2 h2) | 9:11.8 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 358 | Alexis Guyodo |  FRA | 9:17.2 (2 h1) | 9:13.6 (4) | |||
| 5 | 345 | Pentti Siltaloppi |  FIN | 9:22.4 (3 h1) | 9:19.6 (5) | |||
| 6 | 361 | Petar Šegedin |  YUG | 9:25.0 (3 h2) | 9:20.4 (6) | |||
| 7 | 359 | Browning Ross |  USA | 9:30.4 (4 h2) | 9:24.1 (7) | |||
| 8 | 222 | Constantino Miranda Justo |  ESP | 9:24.2 (4 h1) | 9:26.6 (8) | |||
| 9 | 235 | Robert Everaert |  BEL | 9:26.4 (3 h3) | 9:28.2 (9) | |||
| 10 | 344 | Aarne Kainlauri | FIN | 9:25.8 (2 h3) | 9:29.0 (10) | |||
| 11 | 347 | Roger Chesneau | FRA | 9:27.6 (4 h3) | 9:30.2 (11) | |||
| 349 | Raphaël Pujazon | FRA | 9:20.8 (1 h2) | – ( | ||||
| 5 h1 r1/2 | 362 | Đorđe Stefanović | YUG | 9:39.6 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 5 h2 r1/2 | 343 | Alf Olesen |  DEN | 9:33.6 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 5 h3 r1/2 | 171 | Cahit Önel |  TUR | 9:28.4 (5 h3) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/2 | 341 | John Doms | BEL | 9:41.8 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/2 | 342 | Lucien Theys | BEL | 9:37.4 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 6 h3 r1/2 | 360 | Whitey Overton | USA | 10:14.4 (6 h3) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/2 | 351 | Peter Curry |  GBR | – (7 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h2 r1/2 | 229 | Mustafa Özcan | TUR | 9:38.4est (7 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h3 r1/2 | 350 | Rene Howell | GBR | – (7 h3) | – | |||
| 8 h1 r1/2 | 348 | Bob McMillen | USA | – (8 h1) | – | |||
| 8 h2 r1/2 | 346 | Paavo Toivari | FIN | – (8 h2) | – | |||
| 8 h3 r1/2 | 354 | Paul Frieden |  LUX | – (8 h3) | – | |||
| 9 h1 r1/2 | 215 | Vasilis Mavrapostolos |  GRE | – (9 h1) | – | |||
| 9 h2 r1/2 | 352 | Geoffrey Tudor | GBR | – (9 h2) | – | |||
| 353 | László Jeszenszky |  HUN | – (DNS h3) | – | ||||
| 245 | Jenő Szilágyi | HUN | – (DNS h2) | – | ||||
| 189 | Wim Slijkhuis |  NED | – (DNS h3) | – |
Round One
| Date | 3 August 1948 — 16:15 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top four in each heat advanced to the final. |
Heat #1
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 355 | Erik Elmsäter | SWE | 9:15.0 | 9:14.6 | ||
| 2 | 358 | Alexis Guyodo | FRA | 9:17.2 | – | ||
| 3 | 345 | Pentti Siltaloppi | FIN | 9:22.4 | – | ||
| 4 | 222 | Constantino Miranda Justo | ESP | 9:24.2 | – | ||
| 5 | 362 | Đorđe Stefanović | YUG | 9:39.6 | – | ||
| 6 | 341 | John Doms | BEL | 9:41.8 | – | ||
| 7 | 351 | Peter Curry | GBR | – | – | ||
| 8 | 348 | Bob McMillen | USA | – | – | ||
| 9 | 215 | Vasilis Mavrapostolos | GRE | – | – |
Heat #2
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 349 | Raphaël Pujazon | FRA | 9:20.8 | 9:20.8 | ||
| 2 | 356 | Göte Hagström | SWE | 9:22.6 | – | ||
| 3 | 361 | Petar Šegedin | YUG | 9:25.0 | – | ||
| 4 | 359 | Browning Ross | USA | 9:30.4 | – | ||
| 5 | 343 | Alf Olesen | DEN | 9:33.6 | – | ||
| 6 | 342 | Lucien Theys | BEL | 9:37.4 | – | ||
| 7 | 229 | Mustafa Özcan | TUR | 9:38.4est | – | ||
| 8 | 346 | Paavo Toivari | FIN | – | – | ||
| 9 | 352 | Geoffrey Tudor | GBR | – | – | ||
| 245 | Jenő Szilágyi | HUN | – | – |
Heat #3
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 357 | Tore Sjöstrand | SWE | 9:21.0 | 9:21.1 | ||
| 2 | 344 | Aarne Kainlauri | FIN | 9:25.8 | – | ||
| 3 | 235 | Robert Everaert | BEL | 9:26.4 | – | ||
| 4 | 347 | Roger Chesneau | FRA | 9:27.6 | – | ||
| 5 | 171 | Cahit Önel | TUR | 9:28.4 | – | ||
| 6 | 360 | Whitey Overton | USA | 10:14.4 | – | ||
| 7 | 350 | Rene Howell | GBR | – | – | ||
| 8 | 354 | Paul Frieden | LUX | – | – | ||
| 353 | László Jeszenszky | HUN | – | – | |||
| 189 | Wim Slijkhuis | NED | – | – |
Final Round
| Date | 5 August 1948 — 16:15 |
|---|
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 357 | Tore Sjöstrand | SWE | 9:04.6 | 9:04.6 | ||
| 2 | 355 | Erik Elmsäter | SWE | 9:08.2 | 9:08.41 | ||
| 3 | 356 | Göte Hagström | SWE | 9:11.8 | 9:12.14 | ||
| 4 | 358 | Alexis Guyodo | FRA | 9:13.6 | 9:13.52 | ||
| 5 | 345 | Pentti Siltaloppi | FIN | 9:19.6 | 9:19.99 | ||
| 6 | 361 | Petar Šegedin | YUG | 9:20.4 | 9:20.68 | ||
| 7 | 359 | Browning Ross | USA | 9:24.1 | 9:24.02 | ||
| 8 | 222 | Constantino Miranda Justo | ESP | 9:26.6 | 9:26.60 | ||
| 9 | 235 | Robert Everaert | BEL | 9:28.2 | 9:28.64 | ||
| 10 | 344 | Aarne Kainlauri | FIN | 9:29.0 | 9:31.49 | ||
| 11 | 347 | Roger Chesneau | FRA | 9:30.2 | 9:32.05 | ||
| 349 | Raphaël Pujazon | FRA | – | – |