| | Event type

1,500 metres, Men

Date	1 – 2 August 1928
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam
Participants	44 from 19 countries

Oddly, the 1928 1,500 metres saw many top runners opt for other distances, either moving down to the 800 or up the 5,000. The three remaining favorites were France’s Jules Ladoumègue, and Finland’s Eino Purje and his countryman Harri Larva.

The pace in the final was somewhat slow, with Purje leading at 800 metres in 2:04, with Larva on his shoulder. On the last lap, Ladoumègue took the lead on the backstretch, and Purje fell behind. On the final straight, Larva pulled up to Ladoumègue’s shoulder and pulled ahead only 20 metres from the tape. Purje did hang on to get the bronze medal. In 1930, Ladoumègue would become the first man to better 3:50 for the 1,500, and in 1931 he was the first runner under 4:10 for the mile.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	Final
1	788	Harri Larva	👁 Image FIN	4:02.0 (2 h4)	3:53.2 (1)	Gold
2	91	Jules Ladoumègue	👁 Image FRA	– (2 h3)	3:53.8 (2)	Silver
3	799	Eino Purje	👁 Image FIN	4:00.8 (1 h3)	3:56.4 (3)	Bronze
4	747	Hans Wichmann	👁 Image GER	4:03.0 (1 h1)	3:56.8 (4)
5	451	Cyril Ellis	👁 Image GBR	4:01.8 (1 h6)	3:57.6 (5)
6	272	Paul Martin	👁 Image SUI	4:00.8 (1 h4)	3:58.4 (6)
7	723	Helmut Krause	👁 Image GER	– (2 h6)	3:59.0 (7)
8	384	Adolf Kittel	👁 Image TCH	– (2 h1)	4:00.4 (8)
9	602	William Whyte	👁 Image AUS	3:59.9 (2 h2)	4:00.4 (9)
10	511	Ray Conger	👁 Image USA	4:02.6 (1 h5)	– (10)
11	78	Jean Keller	👁 Image FRA	4:02.7 (2 h5)	– (11)
703	Herbert Böcher	👁 Image GER	3:59.6 (1 h2)	– ()
3 h1 r1/2	30	József Marton	👁 Image HUN	– (3 h1)	–
3 h2 r1/2	780	Armas Kinnunen	👁 Image FIN	4:01.5 (3 h2)	–
3 h3 r1/2	438	Stan Ashby	👁 Image GBR	– (3 h3)	–
3 h4 r1/2	481	Reg Thomas	👁 Image GBR	– (3 h4)	–
3 h5 r1/2	866	Edvin Wide	👁 Image SWE	– (3 h5)	–
3 h6 r1/2	516	Nick Carter	👁 Image USA	– (3 h6)	–
4 h1 r1/2	220	Luigi Beccali	👁 Image ITA	– (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r1/2	694	Albert Larsen	👁 Image DEN	4:01.5 (4 h2)	–
4 h3 r1/2	390	Vilém Šindler	👁 Image TCH	– (4 h3)	–
4 h4 r1/2	653	David Griffin	👁 Image CAN	– (4 h4)	–
4 h5 r1/2	733	Otto Peltzer	👁 Image GER	– (4 h5)	–
4 h6 r1/2	773	Leo Helgas	👁 Image FIN	4:06.0 (4 h6)	–
5 h1 r1/2	337	Guus Zeegers	👁 Image NED	– (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r1/2	189	Reidar Jørgensen	👁 Image NOR	4:01.6 (5 h2)	–
5 h3 r1/2	591	Serafín Dengra	👁 Image ARG	– (5 h3)	–
5 h4 r1/2	593	Leopoldo Ledesma	👁 Image ARG	– (5 h4)	–
5 h5 r1/2	649	Alex Docherty	👁 Image CAN	– (5 h5)	–
5 h6 r1/2	285	Danie Jacobs	👁 Image RSA	– (5 h6)	–
6 h1 r1/2	599	George Hyde	👁 Image AUS	– (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r1/2	670	Jack Walter	👁 Image CAN	– (6 h2)	–
6 h3 r1/2	831	Luka Predanić	👁 Image YUG	4:27.0 (6 h3)	–
6 h5 r1/2	440	Reggie Bell	👁 Image GBR	– (6 h5)	–
6 h6 r1/2	419	Czesław Foryś	👁 Image POL	4:11.5 (6 h6)	–
7 h1 r1/2	420	Józef Jaworski	👁 Image POL	4:14.0 (7 h1)	–
7 h3 r1/2	671	Pete Walter	👁 Image CAN	– (7 h3)	–
7 h6 r1/2	301	Wilhelm Effern	👁 Image NED	– (7 h6)	–
8 h1 r1/2	85	Séra Martin	👁 Image FRA	– (8 h1)	–
8 h3 r1/2	338	Jan Zeegers	👁 Image NED	– (8 h3)	–
AC h2 r1/2	5	Gyula Belloni	👁 Image HUN	– (DNF h2)	–
AC h2 r1/2	300	Frédéric du Hen	👁 Image NED	– (DNF h2)	–
AC h2 r1/2	532	Lloyd Hahn	👁 Image USA	– (DNF h2)	–
AC h4 r1/2	555	Sid Robinson	👁 Image USA	– (DNF h4)	–
214	Gerry Coughlan	👁 Image IRL	– (DNS h1)	–
373	Joaquín Miquel	👁 Image ESP	– (DNS h1)	–
142	Andreas Paouris	👁 Image GRE	– (DNS h2)	–
135	Grigorios Georgakopoulos	👁 Image GRE	– (DNS h3)	–
12	Gábor Gyulay	👁 Image HUN	– (DNS h3)	–
138	Antonios Mangos	👁 Image GRE	– (DNS h4)	–
54	Georges Baraton	👁 Image FRA	– (DNS h4)	–
396	Ömer Besim Koşalay	👁 Image TUR	– (DNS h4)	–
179	Robert Masino	👁 Image MON	– (DNS h4)	–
143	Vasilios Stavrinos	👁 Image GRE	– (DNS h5)	–
168	Ciro Chapa	👁 Image MEX	– (DNS h5)	–
609	Philippe Coenjaerts	👁 Image BEL	– (DNS h5)	–
254	Juichi Nagatani	👁 Image JPN	– (DNS h5)	–
376	Jesús Oyarbide	👁 Image ESP	– (DNS h6)	–
209	Gurbachan Singh	👁 Image IND	– (DNS h6)	–

Round One

Date	1 August 1928 — 16:15
Format	Top two in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	747	Hans Wichmann	👁 Image GER	4:03.0
2	384	Adolf Kittel	👁 Image TCH	–
3	30	József Marton	👁 Image HUN	–
4	220	Luigi Beccali	👁 Image ITA	–
5	337	Guus Zeegers	👁 Image NED	–
6	599	George Hyde	👁 Image AUS	–
7	420	Józef Jaworski	👁 Image POL	4:14.0
8	85	Séra Martin	👁 Image FRA	–
214	Gerry Coughlan	👁 Image IRL	–
373	Joaquín Miquel	👁 Image ESP	–

Heat #2

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	703	Herbert Böcher	👁 Image GER	3:59.6
2	602	William Whyte	👁 Image AUS	3:59.9
3	780	Armas Kinnunen	👁 Image FIN	4:01.5
4	694	Albert Larsen	👁 Image DEN	4:01.5
5	189	Reidar Jørgensen	👁 Image NOR	4:01.6
6	670	Jack Walter	👁 Image CAN	–
300	Frédéric du Hen	👁 Image NED	–
5	Gyula Belloni	👁 Image HUN	–
532	Lloyd Hahn	👁 Image USA	–
142	Andreas Paouris	👁 Image GRE	–

Heat #3

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	799	Eino Purje	👁 Image FIN	4:00.8
2	91	Jules Ladoumègue	👁 Image FRA	–
3	438	Stan Ashby	👁 Image GBR	–
4	390	Vilém Šindler	👁 Image TCH	–
5	591	Serafín Dengra	👁 Image ARG	–
6	831	Luka Predanić	👁 Image YUG	4:27.0
7	671	Pete Walter	👁 Image CAN	–
8	338	Jan Zeegers	👁 Image NED	–
135	Grigorios Georgakopoulos	👁 Image GRE	–
12	Gábor Gyulay	👁 Image HUN	–

Heat #4

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	272	Paul Martin	👁 Image SUI	4:00.8
2	788	Harri Larva	👁 Image FIN	4:02.0
3	481	Reg Thomas	👁 Image GBR	–
4	653	David Griffin	👁 Image CAN	–
5	593	Leopoldo Ledesma	👁 Image ARG	–
555	Sid Robinson	👁 Image USA	–
138	Antonios Mangos	👁 Image GRE	–
54	Georges Baraton	👁 Image FRA	–
396	Ömer Besim Koşalay	👁 Image TUR	–
179	Robert Masino	👁 Image MON	–

Heat #5

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	511	Ray Conger	👁 Image USA	4:02.6
2	78	Jean Keller	👁 Image FRA	4:02.7
3	866	Edvin Wide	👁 Image SWE	–
4	733	Otto Peltzer	👁 Image GER	–
5	649	Alex Docherty	👁 Image CAN	–
6	440	Reggie Bell	👁 Image GBR	–
143	Vasilios Stavrinos	👁 Image GRE	–
168	Ciro Chapa	👁 Image MEX	–
609	Philippe Coenjaerts	👁 Image BEL	–
254	Juichi Nagatani	👁 Image JPN	–

Heat #6

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	451	Cyril Ellis	👁 Image GBR	4:01.8
2	723	Helmut Krause	👁 Image GER	–
3	516	Nick Carter	👁 Image USA	–
4	773	Leo Helgas	👁 Image FIN	4:06.0
5	285	Danie Jacobs	👁 Image RSA	–
6	419	Czesław Foryś	👁 Image POL	4:11.5
7	301	Wilhelm Effern	👁 Image NED	–
376	Jesús Oyarbide	👁 Image ESP	–
209	Gurbachan Singh	👁 Image IND	–

Final Round

Date	2 August 1928 — 15:30

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	788	Harri Larva	👁 Image FIN	3:53.2
2	91	Jules Ladoumègue	👁 Image FRA	3:53.8
3	799	Eino Purje	👁 Image FIN	3:56.4
4	747	Hans Wichmann	👁 Image GER	3:56.8
5	451	Cyril Ellis	👁 Image GBR	3:57.6
6	272	Paul Martin	👁 Image SUI	3:58.4
7	723	Helmut Krause	👁 Image GER	3:59.0
8	384	Adolf Kittel	👁 Image TCH	4:00.4
9	602	William Whyte	👁 Image AUS	4:00.4
10	511	Ray Conger	👁 Image USA	–
11	78	Jean Keller	👁 Image FRA	–
703	Herbert Böcher	👁 Image GER	–

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Eino Purje	👁 Image
800 m	Eino Purje	👁 Image	2:04

URL: https://www.olympedia.org/results/57690

⇱ Olympedia – 1,500 metres, Men