| | Event type

Discus Throw, Men

Date	12 July 1912
Status	Olympic
Location	Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm
Participants	41 from 15 countries

Since 1902, the discus throw had been the private property of Martin Sheridan of the United States. He had won the Olympic gold medal in 1904, 1906, and 1908; the AAU Championship in 1904, 1906-07, and 1911; and he also set approximately 16 world records. But after winning the AAU title in 1911, he retired, leaving the 1912 Olympic discus throw wide-open.

There were several challengers for Sheridan’s crown. On 5 August 1911, Finland’s Elmer Niklander broke Sheridan’s world record with a throw of 44.01. But shortly before the Olympics, America’s Jim Duncan shattered that mark by throwing 47.58 on 27 May 1912 in a both hands handicap competition at the New York Post Office Clerk’s Association Games. Duncan also won the eastern U.S. Olympic Trial.

But neither Niklander nor Duncan could match Finland’s Armas Taipale. Taipale led the qualifying easily with a throw of 43.91, which set a new Olympic record. Duncan qualified for the final with 42.28, but Niklander did not qualify, finishing fourth. In the final, Taipale improved even more, setting two more Olympic records with his first and third throws in the final. Duncan did not improve in the final and finished third.

The day after his discus gold medal, Taipale doubled with another gold medal in the both-hands discus competition. In 1920, he added a silver medal in the discus to his overall record. In 1913, he set his only world record, breaking Duncan’s mark with 47.85 at Magdeburg on 20 July 1913. In addition to his gold medal, Taipale was the Challenge Trophy for the discus throw, which had been donated in 1908 by Mrs. G. de Montgomery.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	–	Armas Taipale	FIN	43.91 (1)	45.21 (1)	Gold	OR
2	–	Dick Byrd	USA	42.32 (2)	42.32 (2)	Silver
3	–	Jim Duncan	USA	42.28 (3)	42.28 (3)	Bronze
4	–	Elmer Niklander	FIN	42.09 (4)	–
5	–	Hans Tronner	AUT	41.24 (5)	–
6	–	Arlie Mucks	USA	40.93 (6)	–
7	–	George Philbrook	USA	40.92 (7)	–
8	–	Emil Magnusson	SWE	39.91 (8)	–
9	–	Rezső Ujlaki	HUN	39.82 (9)	–
10	–	Einar Nilsson	SWE	39.69 (10)	–
11	–	Ralph Rose	USA	39.65 (11)	–
12	–	Emil Muller	USA	39.35 (12)	–
13	–	Michail Dorizas	GRE	39.28 (13)	–
14	–	Duncan Gillis	CAN	39.01 (14)	–
15	–	Verner Järvinen	FIN	38.60 (15)	–
16	–	Josef Waitzer	GER	38.44 (16)	–
17	–	František Janda-Suk	BOH	38.31 (17)	–
18	–	Aurelio Lenzi	ITA	38.19 (18)	–
19	–	Károly Kobulszky	HUN	38.15 (19)	–
20	–	Larry Whitney	USA	37.91 (20)	–
21	–	György Luntzer	HUN	37.88 (21)	–
22	–	Avery Brundage	USA	37.85 (22)	–
23	–	Gunnar Nilsson	SWE	37.44 (23)	–
24	–	Emil Welz	GER	37.24 (24)	–
25	–	Samu Fóti	HUN	36.37 (25)	–
26	–	Gunnar Bolander	SWE	36.22 (26)	–
27	–	Carl Johan Lind	SWE	36.07 (27)	–
28	–	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	35.06 (28)	–
29	–	Josef Schäffer	AUT	34.87 (29)	–
30	–	André Tison	FRA	34.73 (30)	–
31	–	Marcel Pelletier	LUX	33.73 (31)	–
32	–	Walter Henderson	GBR	33.61 (32)	–
33	–	Miklós Kovács	HUN	33.30 (33)	–
34	–	Mkrtich Mkryan	TUR	32.98 (34)	–
35	–	Nikolay Neklepayev	RUS	32.59 (35)	–
36	–	Charles Lagarde	FRA	32.35 (36)	–
37	–	Henning Möller	SWE	32.23 (37)	–
38	–	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	31.83 (38)	–
39	–	Ēriks Vanags	RUS	31.34 (39)	–
40	–	Otto Nilsson	SWE	31.07 (40)	–
NM	–	Paul Willführ	GER	– (NP)	–
DNS	–	Andrew Sheridan	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Cesare Rosini	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	Pietro Erculei	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	Knut Thelning	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Károly Nyilassy	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Henri Pelissier	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	John Hooker	USA	–	–
DNS	–	Pál Antal	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Vilmos Zöldi	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Peter Fúle	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Russell Beatty	USA	–	–
DNS	–	August Kihlart	RUS	–	–
DNS	–	Karl Michl	AUT	–	–
DNS	–	Gustave Lemasson	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Gustave Amoly	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Paavo Aho	FIN	–	–
DNS	–	Raoul Paoli	FRA	–	–
DNS	–	Edmond Barrett	GBR	–	–
DNS	–	Paddy Quinn	GBR	–	–
DNS	–	Nikolaos Georgantas	GRE	–	–
DNS	–	Imre Mudin	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	István Mudin	HUN	–	–
DNS	–	Umberto Avattaneo	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	Carlo Butti	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	Giuseppe Tugnoli	ITA	–	–
DNS	–	John Falchenberg	NOR	–	–
DNS	–	Arvīds Ozols-Bernē	RUS	–	–
DNS	–	Eric Lemming	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Nils Linde	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Hugo Wieslander	SWE	–	–
DNS	–	Pat McDonald	USA	–	–
DNS	–	André Désfarges	FRA	–	–

Qualifying Round (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Qualifiers were seperated into five groups. Top three throwers qualified for the final.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance
1	Armas Taipale	FIN	43.91	QOR
2	Dick Byrd	USA	42.32	Q
3	Jim Duncan	USA	42.28	Q
4	Elmer Niklander	FIN	42.09
5	Hans Tronner	AUT	41.24
6	Arlie Mucks	USA	40.93
7	George Philbrook	USA	40.92
8	Emil Magnusson	SWE	39.91
9	Rezső Ujlaki	HUN	39.82
10	Einar Nilsson	SWE	39.69
11	Ralph Rose	USA	39.65
12	Emil Muller	USA	39.35
13	Michail Dorizas	GRE	39.28
14	Duncan Gillis	CAN	39.01
15	Verner Järvinen	FIN	38.60
16	Josef Waitzer	GER	38.44
17	František Janda-Suk	BOH	38.31
18	Aurelio Lenzi	ITA	38.19
19	Károly Kobulszky	HUN	38.15
20	Larry Whitney	USA	37.91
21	György Luntzer	HUN	37.88
22	Avery Brundage	USA	37.85
23	Gunnar Nilsson	SWE	37.44
24	Emil Welz	GER	37.24
25	Samu Fóti	HUN	36.37
26	Gunnar Bolander	SWE	36.22
27	Carl Johan Lind	SWE	36.07
28	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	35.06
29	Josef Schäffer	AUT	34.87
30	André Tison	FRA	34.73
31	Marcel Pelletier	LUX	33.73
32	Walter Henderson	GBR	33.61
33	Miklós Kovács	HUN	33.30
34	Mkrtich Mkryan	TUR	32.98
35	Nikolay Neklepayev	RUS	32.59
36	Charles Lagarde	FRA	32.35
37	Henning Möller	SWE	32.23
38	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	31.83
39	Ēriks Vanags	RUS	31.34
40	Otto Nilsson	SWE	31.07
NP	Paul Willführ	GER	–

Qualifying Round, Group A (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group A Round One	Group A Round Two	Group A Round Three
1	–	Armas Taipale	FIN	43.91	36.84	43.91	×	OR
2	–	Hans Tronner	AUT	41.24	39.97	×	41.24
3	–	Emil Magnusson	SWE	39.91	39.91	×	×
4	–	Einar Nilsson	SWE	39.69	37.26	38.77	39.69
5	–	Michail Dorizas	GRE	39.28	×	39.28	×
6	–	Josef Waitzer	GER	38.44	38.44	×	×
7	–	Károly Kobulszky	HUN	38.15	37.81	38.15	×
8	–	Avery Brundage	USA	37.85	37.48	37.85	×
9	–	Otto Nilsson	SWE	31.07	31.07	×	×

Qualifying Round, Group B (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group B Round One	Group B Round Two	Group B Round Three
1	–	Arlie Mucks	USA	40.93	40.54	40.93	×
2	–	Emil Muller	USA	39.35	37.91	38.69	39.35
3	–	Verner Järvinen	FIN	38.60	34.15	38.60	×
4	–	Larry Whitney	USA	37.91	34.87	37.91	×
5	–	Samu Fóti	HUN	36.37	35.51	×	36.37
6	–	Carl Johan Lind	SWE	36.07	×	35.04	36.07
7	–	Nikolay Neklepayev	RUS	32.59	32.59	×	×

Qualifying Round, Group C (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group C Round One	Group C Round Two	Group C Round Three
1	–	Elmer Niklander	FIN	42.09	42.09	×	×
2	–	Ralph Rose	USA	39.65	37.34	38.82	39.65
3	–	Duncan Gillis	CAN	39.01	39.01	×	×
4	–	František Janda-Suk	BOH	38.31	32.41	36.85	38.31
5	–	Gunnar Nilsson	SWE	37.44	×	37.44	×
6	–	Miklós Kovács	HUN	33.30	33.30	×	×
7	–	Mkrtich Mkryan	TUR	32.98	×	×	32.98
8	–	Miroslav Šustera	BOH	31.83	31.83	×	×
NM	–	Paul Willführ	GER	–	×	×	×

Qualifying Round, Group D (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group D Round One	Group D Round Two	Group D Round Three
1	–	Dick Byrd	USA	42.32	37.48	42.32	–
2	–	Jim Duncan	USA	42.28	41.61	42.28	–
3	–	Rezső Ujlaki	HUN	39.82	39.82	×	–
4	–	Emil Welz	GER	37.24	36.16	37.24	–
5	–	Josef Schäffer	AUT	34.87	×	34.87	–
6	–	Marcel Pelletier	LUX	33.73	33.73	×	–

Qualifying Round, Group E (12 July 1912 — 9:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group E Round One	Group E Round Two	Group E Round Three
1	–	George Philbrook	USA	40.92	38.14	38.55	40.92
2	–	Aurelio Lenzi	ITA	38.19	35.58	38.19	×
3	–	György Luntzer	HUN	37.88	37.88	×	×
4	–	Gunnar Bolander	SWE	36.22	×	36.22	×
5	–	Folke Fleetwood	SWE	35.06	32.02	32.89	35.06
6	–	André Tison	FRA	34.73	34.73	×	×
7	–	Walter Henderson	GBR	33.61	×	33.61	×
8	–	Charles Lagarde	FRA	32.35	30.76	×	32.35
9	–	Henning Möller	SWE	32.23	×	32.23	×
10	–	Ēriks Vanags	RUS	31.34	×	31.34	×

Final Round (12 July 1912 — 12:00)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	R1	R2	R3
1	–	Armas Taipale	FIN	45.21	44.34	–	45.21	OR
2	–	Dick Byrd	USA	42.32	41.09	–	–
3	–	Jim Duncan	USA	42.28	41.33	–	–