The men's hammer throw event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Robert Bennett of the United States received the bronze medal, returning the American team to the podium after a one-Games absence.

One of the 17 finalists from the pre-war 1936 Games returned: ninth-place finisher Henry Dreyer of the United States.

His strongest competition consisted of German throwers, who could not compete because Germany was not invited to the Games as a result of World War II.

The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1936, with the qualifying round completely separate from the divided final.