John Carpenter was an American athlete.

He advanced to the finals in the men's 400 metres race at the 1908 Summer Olympics. In the first running of the race, Carpenter came in second place out of the four runners. However, umpire Roscoe Badger determined that Carpenter had wilfully interfered with British runner Wyndham Halswelle. Though the obstructing maneuver was then legal under American rules, the Olympic contests were held under British rules, which did not allow it. Carpenter was disqualified and the race was ordered to be repeated without him. His countrymen, John Taylor and William Robbins, protested the ruling by boycotting the second final, leaving Halswelle to take the gold medal uncontested. The fifth modern Olympic games, originally scheduled to be held in Rome, were instead held in 1908 in London, England. ... Wyndham Halswelle (May 30, 1882 – March 31, 1915) was a Scottish athlete, winner of the controversial 400 m run at the 1908 Summer Olympics. ... For other people of the same name, see John Taylor. ... Gold Medal is an album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004. ...