1908 Summer Olympics events. Oscar Swahn from Sweden, who won the gold medal for running deer shooting, became the oldest Olympic champion of all time, and set another age record by being 72 years and 279 days old during his triumph at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. One of the more unusual shooting events in 1908 was dueling. The discipline, which was an associate event (i.e. not official), was performed by facing opponents wearing protective clothing and masks and firing wax bullets. American John Taylor was a member of the winning medley relay team, making him the first African-American athlete to
United States at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 15th place in the Continental style. American track & field athletes continued to dominate the sport, taking more than twice as many championships as the next most successful nation, host Great Britain. The Americans sent two divers in 1908. Gaidzik made it to the finals in both diving events, after a successful protest in the platform competition. He won a bronze medal in the springboard after tying with the third-place German diver. In the jeu de paume competition, Gould won the gold medal while Sands was eliminated in the first round by the eventual silver medallist. United States at