The American Team

 

The hurdles, jumps, pole-vaults and weight-throwing events, all require, in addition to the necessary physical equipment, decided perfection of technique. This is something which Englishmen, with all their sporting enthusiasm, are curiously inclined to neglect, just as it is something which Americans instinctively incline to acquire.
American commentator 1908

The First London Olympics - just as the modern Olympics always do - produced their fair share of doping scandals and international uproar. Clashes between the British hosts and a strongly nationalistic U.S. team led to a series of “scandals” that put the Games on the front pages on both sides of the Atlantic as the sons of the British Empire met the vigor of the "scientifically trained" Americans - and lost.

 

 

 

The contest was accentuated by the struggle for Irish Independence. The Fourth Olympiad was a triumph for Irish American athletes. The US won 13 out of a possible 23 gold medals in track and field events; of those gold medals 8 were won by Irish Americans from New York.

 

 

Cigarette Card of John Flanagan, the hammer thrower, one of the Irish champions who, having emigrated to New York as a young man, won gold medals for the US in 1908

 

 

 

The US papers assaulted British "fair play" to the point where it was said that King Edward VII was so offended he withdrew from the closing ceremonies in the Shepherd's Bush stadium.