| Date | 3 August 1948 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Empire Stadium, Wembley, London |
| Participants | 24 from 15 countries |
The best putter early in the year had been Charles Fonville, who broke the world record in April with 17.68 (58-0¼), but he finished only fourth at the US Trials and did not make the team. The next strongest seemed to be Jim Delaney, who was 1947-48 AAU Champion and had won the Olympic Trials. But the Trials runner-up, Wilbur Thompson, was the strongest in London. He threw 17.12 (56-2) in round two, which would win, but he also had two other throws good enough to win over Delaney. Jim Fuchs completed the American sweep.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Qualifying | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 570 | Wilbur Thompson |  USA | 15.090 (1 h2) | 17.120 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 568 | Jim Delaney | USA | 14.970 (2 h1) | 16.680 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 569 | Jim Fuchs | USA | 15.870 (1 h1) | 16.420 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 543 | Mieczysław Łomowski |  POL | 14.700 (=6 h1) | 15.430 (4) | |||
| 5 | 565 | Gösta Arvidsson |  SWE | 14.700 (=6 h1) | 15.370 (5) | |||
| 6 | 555 | Yrjö Lehtilä |  FIN | 14.850 (3 h1) | 15.050 (6) | |||
| 7 | 554 | Jaakko Jouppila | FIN | 14.720 (5 h1) | 14.590 (7) | |||
| 8 | – | Čestmír Kalina |  TCH | 14.540 (3 h2) | 14.550 (8) | 1 | ||
| 9 | 560 | Konstantinos Giataganas |  GRE | 14.630 (2 h2) | 14.540 (9) | |||
| 10 | 564 | Witold Gerutto | POL | 14.450 (8 h1) | 14.370 (10) | |||
| 11 | 557 | John Giles |  GBR | 14.795 (4 h1) | 13.730 (11) | |||
| 12 | 561 | Sigfús Sigurðsson |  ISL | 14.480 (4 h2) | 13.660 (12) | |||
| 13 | 567 | Willy Senn |  SUI | 14.450 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 14 | 566 | Roland Nilsson | SWE | 14.360 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 15 | 520 | Eric Coy |  CAN | 14.150 (9 h1) | – | |||
| 16 | 553 | David Guiney |  IRL | 14.010 (10 h1) | – | |||
| 17 | 562 | Vilhjálmur Vilmundarson | ISL | 13.990 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 18 | 519 | Roger Verhaes |  BEL | 13.540 (9 h2) | – | |||
| 19 | 558 | Harold Moody | GBR | 13.400est (8 h2) | – | |||
| AC QR | 517 | Emilio Malchiodi |  ARG | – (AC h2) | – | |||
| AC QR | 552 | Juan Kahnert | ARG | – (AC h1) | – | |||
| AC QR | 563 | Lionelo Patiño |  PER | – (AC h2) | – | |||
| AC QR | 540 | Nazar Muhammad Khan Malik |  PAK | – (AC h2) | – | |||
| AC QR | 539 | Ahmed Zahur Khan | PAK | – (AC h1) | – | |||
| 530 | Aad de Bruyn |  NED | – (DNS h1) | – | ||||
| 556 | François Lapicque |  FRA | – (DNS h1) | – | ||||
| 559 | K. Meraklis | GRE | – (DNS h2) | – | ||||
| 544 | José Luis Torres |  ESP | – (DNS h2) | – | ||||
| 494 | Leo Roininen | CAN | – (DNS h2) | – | ||||
| 541 | Eduardo Julve | PER | – (DNS h1) | – |
| Date | 3 August 1948 — 11:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 14.60 metres advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 569 | Jim Fuchs | USA | 15.870 | ||
| 2 | 570 | Wilbur Thompson | USA | 15.090 | ||
| 3 | 568 | Jim Delaney | USA | 14.970 | ||
| 4 | 555 | Yrjö Lehtilä | FIN | 14.850 | ||
| 5 | 557 | John Giles | GBR | 14.795 | ||
| 6 | 554 | Jaakko Jouppila | FIN | 14.720 | ||
| =7 | 543 | Mieczysław Łomowski | POL | 14.700 | ||
| =7 | 565 | Gösta Arvidsson | SWE | 14.700 | ||
| 9 | 560 | Konstantinos Giataganas | GRE | 14.630 | ||
| 10 | – | Čestmír Kalina | TCH | 14.540 | 2 | |
| 11 | 561 | Sigfús Sigurðsson | ISL | 14.480 | ||
| 12 | 564 | Witold Gerutto | POL | 14.450 | ||
| 13 | 567 | Willy Senn | SUI | 14.450 | ||
| 14 | 566 | Roland Nilsson | SWE | 14.360 | ||
| 15 | 520 | Eric Coy | CAN | 14.150 | ||
| 16 | 553 | David Guiney | IRL | 14.010 | ||
| 17 | 562 | Vilhjálmur Vilmundarson | ISL | 13.990 | ||
| 18 | 519 | Roger Verhaes | BEL | 13.540 | ||
| 19 | 558 | Harold Moody | GBR | 13.400est | ||
| 517 | Emilio Malchiodi | ARG | – | |||
| 552 | Juan Kahnert | ARG | – | |||
| 563 | Lionelo Patiño | PER | – | |||
| 540 | Nazar Muhammad Khan Malik | PAK | – | |||
| 539 | Ahmed Zahur Khan | PAK | – | |||
| 530 | Aad de Bruyn | NED | – | |||
| 556 | François Lapicque | FRA | – | |||
| 559 | K. Meraklis | GRE | – | |||
| 544 | José Luis Torres | ESP | – | |||
| 494 | Leo Roininen | CAN | – | |||
| 541 | Eduardo Julve | PER | – |
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Jim Fuchs | USA | 15.870 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Jim Delaney | USA | 14.970 | ||
| 3 | 14 | Yrjö Lehtilä | FIN | 14.850 | ||
| 4 | 7 | John Giles | GBR | 14.795 | ||
| 5 | 9 | Jaakko Jouppila | FIN | 14.720 | ||
| =6 | 15 | Mieczysław Łomowski | POL | 14.700 | ||
| =6 | 1 | Gösta Arvidsson | SWE | 14.700 | ||
| 8 | 6 | Witold Gerutto | POL | 14.450 | ||
| 9 | 3 | Eric Coy | CAN | 14.150 | ||
| 10 | 8 | David Guiney | IRL | 14.010 | ||
| 11 | Juan Kahnert | ARG | – | |||
| 12 | Ahmed Zahur Khan | PAK | – | |||
| 2 | Aad de Bruyn | NED | – | |||
| 13 | François Lapicque | FRA | – | |||
| 10 | Eduardo Julve | PER | – |
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Wilbur Thompson | USA | 15.090 | ||
| 2 | 14 | Konstantinos Giataganas | GRE | 14.630 | ||
| 3 | 15 | Čestmír Kalina | TCH | 14.540 | ||
| 4 | 9 | Sigfús Sigurðsson | ISL | 14.480 | ||
| 5 | 8 | Willy Senn | SUI | 14.450 | ||
| 6 | 5 | Roland Nilsson | SWE | 14.360 | ||
| 7 | 13 | Vilhjálmur Vilmundarson | ISL | 13.990 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Harold Moody | GBR | 13.400est | ||
| 9 | 12 | Roger Verhaes | BEL | 13.540 | ||
| 1 | Emilio Malchiodi | ARG | – | |||
| 6 | Lionelo Patiño | PER | – | |||
| 2 | Nazar Muhammad Khan Malik | PAK | – | |||
| 3 | K. Meraklis | GRE | – | |||
| 11 | José Luis Torres | ESP | – | |||
| 7 | Leo Roininen | CAN | – |
| Date | 3 August 1948 — 16:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Distance | Round #1 Distance | Round #2 Distance | Round #3 Distance | Round #4 Distance | Round #5 Distance | Round #6 Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Wilbur Thompson | USA | 17.120 | 16.470 | 17.120 | 16.970 | 16.670 | 16.800 | x | ||
| 2 | 2 | Jim Delaney | USA | 16.680 | 16.140 | 16.680 | 15.880 | 16.030 | 16.030 | 16.280 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Jim Fuchs | USA | 16.420 | 16.320 | 16.420 | 15.600 | 15.560 | 14.820 | 16.280 | ||
| 4 | 10 | Mieczysław Łomowski | POL | 15.430 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 5 | 1 | Gösta Arvidsson | SWE | 15.370 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 6 | 9 | Yrjö Lehtilä | FIN | 15.050 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 7 | 7 | Jaakko Jouppila | FIN | 14.590 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 8 | 8 | Čestmír Kalina | TCH | 14.550 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| 9 | 5 | Konstantinos Giataganas | GRE | 14.540 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 10 | 4 | Witold Gerutto | POL | 14.370 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 11 | 6 | John Giles | GBR | 13.730 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 12 | 11 | Sigfús Sigurðsson | ISL | 13.660 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
