Athletics at the 1924 Paris Summer Games:

The world record took a beating in the rounds, with Great Britain running 42.0 in the first heat, which was equaled by the Netherlands in the second heat. The USA team ran 41.2 in the sixth heat and broke that in the semi-finals with 41.0. In the final, Harold Abrahams, the 100 metre champion, led off for Britain, but he opened only a small lead over the USA’s Frank Hussey. The race was close until the final pass but Britain had difficulty with that, allowing Al LeConey to pull away to a US victory by slightly over a metre, equaling their world record from the semis.