The men's freestyle javelin throw was one of six throwing events on the Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme in London. The javelin could be held anywhere, as opposed to the standard javelin throw which required the javelin to be held by a grip in the middle. This was the only time such a "freestyle" event was held at the Olympics. The competition was held on 15 July 1908. 33 throwers from nine nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.Official report, p. 32.
Records
This was the modern Olympic debut of the javelin throw, discounting the 1906 Intercalated Games which are no longer considered part of the Olympics.
(*) unofficial
Eric Lemming set a new world and Olympic record throwing in the standard manner in the freestyle event. Two days later in the standard javelin throw event, Lemming improved his own world and Olympic record set in this event with 54.83 m.
Results
Eric Lemming set a new world and Olympic record with 54.44 metres. He threw the javelin in a conventional manner.
Rank Athlete Nation Distance Notes Eric Lemming 54.44 Michalis Dorizas 51.36 Arne Halse 49.73 4 Charalambos Zouras 48.61 5 Hugo Wieslander 47.56 6 Armas Pesonen 46.04 7 Imre Mudin 45.96 8 Jalmari Sauli 43.30 9 Juho Halme 39.88 10–33 Ferenc Jesina 36.82 Edward Barrett Unknown Emilio Brambilla Unknown Conrad Carlsrud Unknown Alfred Flaxman Unknown Nikolaos Georgantas Unknown György Luntzer Unknown Walter Henderson Unknown István Mudin Unknown Evert Jakobsson Unknown Jarl Jakobsson Unknown Verner Järvinen Unknown John Johansen Unknown Johan Kemp Unknown Henry Leeke Unknown Knut Lindberg Unknown Ernest May Unknown Mór Kóczán Unknown Otto Nilsson Unknown Aarne Salovaara Unknown Bruno Söderström Unknown František Souček Unknown Ludwig Uettwiller Unknown Emil Welz Unknown
References
Sources Official Report of the Games of the IV Olympiad (1908). De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1908". Accessed 7 April 2006. Available electronically at .