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Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics

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IOC code
  
ANZ

Flag bearer
  
Henry St Aubyn Murray

2
  
2

Competitors
  
32 in 7 sports

1
  
2

Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Medals Ranked 11th
  
Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 2 2 5

Australasia was the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the fourth appearance of Australia, which had not missed any edition of the Summer Olympic Games, and the first appearance of New Zealand. The two would compete together again as Australasia at the 1912 Summer Olympics before competing separately at every edition of the Summer Games since. In 1908 there were three New Zealanders, Harry Kerr, Henry St Aubyn Murray and Albert Rowland (a fourth New Zealander, hurdler Arthur Halligan, competed for Great Britain); all other competitors were Australian.

Contents

Athletics

Australasia's best athletics result, and only medal, was Harry Kerr's bronze medal in the 3500 metre walk.

Boxing

Australasia had one boxer in 1908, the middleweight Snowy Baker. He took the silver medal, and was the only non-British boxer to win a bout.

Diving

Baker, the silver medal-winning middleweight boxer, also dove in the springboard event, placing 22nd of 23 overall.

Rugby

Australasia won the only rugby union match played in 1908 against Great Britain, earning the gold medal. The Australasian representative was the Australia national team.

Tennis

Les Poidevin and Anthony Wilding (who were partners in the 1906 Davis Cup preliminary round at Newport) were nominated for the Australasian team by the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association, but their nominations failed to reach the organisers. So the pair watched the "small, impoverished and out of place" Australasian contingent alongside the "tailored splendour" of some European teams. Although many leading tennis players bypassed the Olympic tournament (which followed almost immediately after Wimbledon) and his goal had been Wimbledon, Wilding regretted the missed opportunity and endorsed his mother's summing up of the administrative bungling: "seems very careless of them & very annoying".

References

Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics Wikipedia


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