Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre freestyle

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Men's 50 metre freestyle
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Podium50.jpg
The medal ceremony of the 50m final.
Venue Beijing National Aquatics Center
DatesAugust 14, 2008 (heats)
August 15, 2008 (semifinals)
August 16, 2008 (final)
Competitors97 from 90 nations
Winning time21.30 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Silver medal icon.svg Amaury Leveaux Flag of France.svg  France
Bronze medal icon.svg Alain Bernard Flag of France.svg  France
  2004
2012  

The men's 50 metre freestyle event at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 14–16 August at the Beijing National Aquatics Center in Beijing, China. [1]

César Cielo made an Olympic milestone to become Brazil's first ever gold medalist in swimming. He rocketed to an unexpected triumph in a new Olympic record of 21.30, then the second-fastest in history, powering past the field by 0.15 of a second, a sizable chunk in Olympic swimming's shortest race. [2] [3] The French tandem of Amaury Leveaux and Alain Bernard took home the silver and bronze with respective times of 21.45 and 21.49. [4]

Australia's Ashley Callus finished fourth in 21.62, while his teammate and world record holder Eamon Sullivan was a fraction behind the leading pack in sixth at 21.65. [5] For the first time in Olympic history, no American swimmer had reached the podium in the event, as the reigning world champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner, swimming on the outside in lane eight, pulled off a fifth-place effort in 21.64. [6] Competing at their third Olympics, South Africa's Roland Mark Schoeman (21.67) and Sweden's Stefan Nystrand (21.72) rounded out the finale in seventh and eighth place, respectively. [4]

Earlier in the prelims, Cielo posted a time of 21.47 to erase Alexander Popov's 1992 Olympic record by 0.44 of a second. One heat later, Leveaux established the same record by winning the twelfth heat in 21.46. [7] The following morning, in the semifinals, Cielo lowered again an Olympic record to 21.34 that had been set by Leveaux in the preliminaries under 0.12 seconds. [8]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World recordFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Eamon Sullivan  (AUS)21.28 Sydney, Australia28 March 2008 [9]
Olympic recordOlympic flag.svg  Alexander Popov  (EUN)21.91 Barcelona, Spain30 July 1992-

The following Olympic records were set during this competition.

DateEventNameNationalityTimeRecord
14 AugustHeat 11 César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.47 OR
14 AugustHeat 12 Amaury Leveaux Flag of France.svg  France 21.46 OR
15 AugustSemifinal 2 César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.34 OR
16 AugustFinal César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.30 OR

Qualification

The A standard for the event was 22.35 seconds. Up to two swimmers per National Olympic Committee (NOC) could qualify by swimming that time at an approved qualification event. The B standard was 23.13 seconds. Up to one swimmer per NOC meeting that time could qualify. NOCs without a male swimmer qualified in any event could also use their universality place. [10]

Competition format

The competition consisted of three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The swimmers with the best 16 times in the heats advanced to the semifinals. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the semifinals advanced to the final. Swim-offs were used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round.

Results

Heats

The swimmers with the top 16 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the semifinals.

RankHeatLaneNameNationTimeNotes
1124 Amaury Leveaux Flag of France.svg  France 21.46Q, OR
2115 César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.47Q, OR , = AM
3123 Stefan Nystrand Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 21.75Q
125 Ben Wildman-Tobriner Flag of the United States.svg  United States Q
5133 Roland Mark Schoeman Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 21.76Q
6111 George Bovell Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 21.77Q
7135 Alain Bernard Flag of France.svg  France 21.78Q
8134 Eamon Sullivan Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 21.79Q
9114 Garrett Weber-Gale Flag of the United States.svg  United States 21.95Q
10127 Rafed El-Masri Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 21.96Q
11117 Nicholas Santos Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 22.00Q
12113 Duje Draganja Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 22.05Q
13132 Ashley Callus Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 22.11Q
14126 Krisztián Takács Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 22.14Q
15116 Bartosz Kizierowski Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 22.15Q
16122 Gideon Louw Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 22.17Q
17121 Andrey Grechin Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 22.20
18104 Jernej Godec Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 22.21
1984 Flori Lang Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 22.27
2091 David Dunford Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 22.29
21131 Yevgeny Lagunov Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 22.30
22112 Javier Noriega Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 22.33
23136 Mark Foster Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 22.35
138 Salim Iles Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria
2596 Miko Mälberg Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 22.37 NR
26105 Apostolos Tsagkarakis Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 22.39
27106 Richard Hortness Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 22.42
28107 Yoris Grandjean Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 22.45
29101 Matti Rajakylä Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 22.48
3093 Cai Li Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 22.50
97 Alessandro Calvi Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
32103 Robert Lijesen Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 22.51
33102 Jakob Andkjær Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 22.52
3488 Jacinto de Jesus Ayala Benjamin Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 22.57
35108 José Meolans Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina 22.58
3692 Andrei Radzionau Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg  Belarus 22.65 NR
37118 Kaan Tayla Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 22.66
38137 Steffen Deibler Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 22.67
3998 Daniel Coakley Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 22.69
4095 Virdhawal Khade Flag of India.svg  India 22.73
4174 Oliver Elliot Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 22.75 NR
4283 Yuriy Yegoshin Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 22.77
4372 Norbert Trandafir Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 22.80
4478 Árni Már Árnason Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 22.81 NR
4575 Jevon Atkinson Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 22.83 NR
81 Mohammad Madwa Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait
4786 Jonathan Javier Camacho Riera Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 22.87
4876 Stanislav Kuzmin Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 22.91
4994 Camilo Becerra Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 22.93
5085 Francisco Picasso Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 23.01
5173 Martyn Forde Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados 23.08
5282 Elvis Burrows Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 23.19
5371 Joshua Laban Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  Virgin Islands 23.28
54128 Mohamed El Nady Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 23.92
5564 Yellow Yeiyah Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 24.00
5677 Vitaly Vasilyev Flag of Kyrgyzstan (1992-2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan 24.02
5765 Rodion Davelaar Flag of the Netherlands Antilles (1986-2010).svg  Netherlands Antilles 24.21
5887 Rolandas Gimbutis Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 24.36
5966 Anas Hamadeh Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 24.40
6062 Luke Hall Flag of Swaziland.svg  Swaziland 24.41
6157 Alain Brigion Tobe Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 24.53
6214 Alois Dansou Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 24.54
6355 Sidni Hoxha Flag of Albania.svg  Albania 24.56
6415 Omar Jasim Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 24.65
6554 Zane Jordan Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 24.82
6661 Daniel Lee Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 24.92
6767 Chakyl Camal Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 24.93 NR
6853 Andrey Molchanov Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 25.02
6968 Niall Roberts Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 25.13
7056 Kerson Hadley Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Federated States of Micronesia 25.34
7144 Stewart Glenister Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa 25.45
7251 John Kamyuka Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 25.54
7343 Hamse Abdouh Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine 25.60
7452 Adil Baig Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 25.66
7513 Omar Núñez Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 26.00
7658 Kouassi Brou Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 26.08
7745 Kyaw Zin Flag of Myanmar (1974-2010).svg  Myanmar 26.17
7846 Tural Abbasov Flag of Azerbaijan (1991-2013).svg  Azerbaijan 26.31
7941 Hemthon Ponloeu Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 27.39
8035 Charlton Nyirenda Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 27.46
8147 Prasiddha Jung Shah Flag of Nepal.svg  Nepal 27.59
8248 Gilbert Kaburu Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 27.72
8333 Jackson Niyomugabo Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 27.74
8437 Khalid Rushaka Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 28.50
8536 Dwayne Didon Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles 28.95
8638 Mohamed Coulibaly Flag of Mali.svg  Mali 29.09
8731 Alisher Chingizov Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan 29.10
8832 Ibrahim Shameel Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives 29.28
8934 Mamadou Cisse Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 29.29
9023 Thepphithak Chindavong Flag of Laos.svg  Laos 29.31
9163 Mohamed Attoumane Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros 29.63
9226 Rene Jacob Yougbara Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 30.08
9342 Ahmed Adam Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan 30.12
9424 Abdulsalam Al Gadabi Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen 30.63 NR
9525 Mohamed Alhousseini Alhassan Flag of Niger.svg  Niger 30.90
9622 Kareem Valentine Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 31.23
9727 Stany Kempompo Ngangola Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of the Congo 35.19

Semifinals

The swimmers with the top 8 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the final.

RankHeatLaneNameNationTimeNotes
114 César Cielo Filho Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.34Q, OR , AM
226 Alain Bernard Flag of France.svg  France 21.54Q
321 Ashley Callus Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 21.68Q
415 Stefan Nystrand Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 21.71Q
523 Roland Mark Schoeman Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 21.74Q
616 Eamon Sullivan Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 21.75Q
724 Amaury Leveaux Flag of France.svg  France 21.76Q
25 Ben Wildman-Tobriner Flag of the United States.svg  United States Q
911 Krisztián Takács Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 21.84
1017 Duje Draganja Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 21.85
1113 George Bovell Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 21.86
1218 Gideon Louw Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 21.97
1322 Garrett Weber-Gale Flag of the United States.svg  United States 22.08
1412 Rafed El-Masri Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 22.09
1528 Bartosz Kizierowski Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 22.12
1627 Nicholas Santos Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 22.15

Final

RankLaneNameNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg4 César Cielo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 21.30 OR , AM
Silver medal icon.svg1 Amaury Leveaux Flag of France.svg  France 21.45
Bronze medal icon.svg5 Alain Bernard Flag of France.svg  France 21.49
43 Ashley Callus Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 21.62
58 Ben Wildman-Tobriner Flag of the United States.svg  United States 21.64
67 Eamon Sullivan Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 21.65
72 Roland Mark Schoeman Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 21.67 AF
86 Stefan Nystrand Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 21.72

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