Swimming at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle

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Men's 100 metre freestyle
at the Games of the VII Olympiad
Kahanamoku in swimming event at 1920 Olympic.jpg
Swimming at the 1920 Olympics
Venue Stade Nautique d'Antwerp
DatesAugust 22–29
Competitors31 from 15 nations
Winning time1:01.4
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Duke Kahanamoku
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg Pua Kealoha
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Bill Harris
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
  1912
1924  

The men's 100 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. [1] It was the fourth appearance of the event. A total of 31 swimmers from 15 nations competed in the event, which was held from August 22 to August 29, 1920. Nations were limited to four swimmers each. The United States swept the medals, and Duke Kahanamoku broke his own Olympic record in the semifinals and bettered his time again in the final to successfully defend his championship from 1912. Kahanamoku was the first man to successfully defend an Olympic 100 metres freestyle title (excluding Charles Daniels's win in the 1906 Intercalated Games) and third man to win multiple medals of any color in the event (including Daniels's silver and Zoltán Halmay's gold in the 1904 yards-based event).

Background

This was the fifth appearance of the men's 100 metre freestyle. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1900 (when the shortest freestyle was the 200 metres), though the 1904 version was measured in yards rather than metres. [2]

One of the six finalists from 1912 returned: gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku of the United States. The favorites were Kahanamoku and fellow American Norman Ross, the 1919 Inter-Allied Games winner. Kahanamoku had broken the world record in 1918.

Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Japan, Luxembourg, and Switzerland each made their debut in the event; Australia made its first appearance separate from New Zealand (the two had previously competed together as Australasia). The United States made its fifth appearance, having competed at each edition of the event to date. Hungary missed the event for the first time, with the nation not invited to the Games after World War I.

Competition format

The competition used a three-round (quarterfinals, semifinals, final) format. The advancement rule was the same used in 1912; for each round before the final, the top two in each heat plus the fastest third-place swimmer would advance. There were 6 quarterfinals of between 4 and 7 swimmers, allowing 13 swimmers to advance to the semifinals. The 2 semifinals had 6 or 7 swimmers; 5 advanced to the final.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1920 Summer Olympics.

World recordFlag of the United States.svg  Duke Kahanamoku  (USA)1:01.4 New York City, United States 9 August 1918
Olympic recordUS flag 48 stars.svg  Duke Kahanamoku  (USA)1:02.4 Stockholm, Sweden 7 July 1912

In the first heat Duke Kahanamoku set a new Olympic record with 1:01.8 minutes. In the semi-final he equalled the standing world record with 1:01.4 minutes. In the final which was later re-swum Kahanamoku set a new world record with 1:00.4 minutes, in the second final he equalled his record of 1:01.4 minutes again.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Sunday, 22 August 192018:30Heats
Monday, 23 August 192015:15Semifinals
Tuesday, 24 August 192017:10Final
Sunday, 29 August 192016:45Final re-run

Results

Heats

The fastest two in each heat and the fastest third-placed from across the heats advanced.

Heat 1

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Duke Kahanamoku US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:01.8Q, OR
2 Keith Kirkland Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:08.0Q
3 Jean van Silfhout Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1:09.0
4 Georges Pouilley Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
5 Albert Dickin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown

Heat 2

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Agostino Frassinetti Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 1:11.8Q
2 Václav Bucháček Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1:19.2Q
3 Ângelo Gammaro Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil 1:22.0
4 Harold Annison Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown

Heat 3

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Pua Kealoha US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:02.0Q
2 Ivan Stedman Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:04.2Q
3 Henri Padou Flag of France.svg  France 1:08.4
4 Martial van Schelle Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown
5 Jean Jenni Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland Unknown
6 Kenkichi Saito Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan Unknown

Heat 4

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 George Vernot Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 1:05.2Q
2 Harry Hay Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:06.8Q
3 Orvar Trolle Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:07.8q
4 Léon Pesch Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Unknown
5 Leslie Savage Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Unknown
6 Orlando Amêndola Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil Unknown
7 Gérard Blitz Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Unknown

Heat 5

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Norman Ross US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.2Q
2 William Herald Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:08.8Q
3 Mario Massa Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 1:10.4
4 Rémy Weil Flag of France.svg  France Unknown
5 Masayoshi Uchida Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan Unknown

Heat 6

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Bill Harris US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.4Q
2 Ko Korsten Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1:05.6Q
3 Jack Dickin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:10.0
4 Alfred Steen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Unknown

Semifinals

The fastest two in each semi-final and the faster of the two third-placed swimmer advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Duke Kahanamoku US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:01.4Q, = WR
2 Bill Harris US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.2Q
3 George Vernot Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 1:05.8
4 Agostino Frassinetti Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Unknown
5 Václav Bucháček Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia Unknown
6 Harry Hay Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Unknown

Semifinal 2

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
1 Pua Kealoha US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:02.4Q
2 Norman Ross US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.8Q
3 William Herald Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:05.8q
4 Ivan Stedman Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Unknown
5 Orvar Trolle Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Unknown
6 Keith Kirkland Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Unknown
7 Ko Korsten Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Unknown

Final

In the first final Norman Ross finished fourth and William Herald finished fifth, but a second final was run after a protest by Herald, claiming that Ross had fouled him. For the second run Ross was disqualified. None of the medal ranks changed.

RankSwimmerNationTime (1st)Time (2nd)Notes
Gold medal icon.svg Duke Kahanamoku US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:00.41:01.4 WR
Silver medal icon.svg Pua Kealoha US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:02.21:02.6
Bronze medal icon.svg Bill Harris US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:03.21:03.0
4 William Herald Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Unknown1:03.8
Norman Ross US flag 48 stars.svg  United States DSQ (1:03.8)

Results summary

RankSwimmerNationHeatsSemifinalsFinalNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Duke Kahanamoku US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:01.81:01.41:01.4 WR 1:00.4 in final before re-run
Silver medal icon.svg Pua Kealoha US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:02.01:02.41:02.6
Bronze medal icon.svg Bill Harris US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.41:04.21:03.0
4 William Herald Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:08.81:05.81:03.8
5 Norman Ross US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:04.21:04.8DSQ
6 George Vernot Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 1:05.21:05.8Did not advance
7 Agostino Frassinetti Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 1:11.8UnknownDid not advance4th in semifinal
Ivan Stedman Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:04.2UnknownDid not advance4th in semifinal
9 Václav Bucháček Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1:19.2UnknownDid not advance5th in semifinal
Orvar Trolle Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:07.8UnknownDid not advance5th in semifinal
11 Harry Hay Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:06.8UnknownDid not advance6th in semifinal
Keith Kirkland Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:08.0UnknownDid not advance6th in semifinal
13 Ko Korsten Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1:05.6UnknownDid not advance7th in semifinal
14 Henri Padou Flag of France.svg  France 1:08.4Did not advance
15 Jean van Silfhout Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1:09.0Did not advance
16 Jack Dickin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1:10.0Did not advance
17 Mario Massa Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 1:10.4Did not advance
18 Ângelo Gammaro Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil 1:22.0Did not advance
19 Harold Annison Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
Léon Pesch Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
Georges Pouilley Flag of France.svg  France UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
Alfred Steen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
Martial van Schelle Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
Rémy Weil Flag of France.svg  France UnknownDid not advance4th in heat
25 Albert Dickin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain UnknownDid not advance5th in heat
Jean Jenni Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland UnknownDid not advance5th in heat
Leslie Savage Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain UnknownDid not advance5th in heat
Masaren Uchida Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan UnknownDid not advance5th in heat
29 Orlando Amêndola Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil UnknownDid not advance6th in heat
Kenkichi Saito Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan UnknownDid not advance6th in heat
31 Gérard Blitz Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium UnknownDid not advance7th in heat

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References

  1. "Swimming at the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games: Men's 100 metres Freestyle". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  2. "100 metres Freestyle, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 17 December 2020.

Notes