Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle


The men's 100 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the sixth appearance of the event, which had not been featured only at the 1900 Games. The competition was held on Friday and Saturday, 10 and 11 August 1928.
Thirty swimmers from 17 nations competed.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1928 Summer Olympics.
World Record57.4 Johnny WeissmullerMiami 17 February 1924
Olympic Record59.0 Johnny WeissmullerParis 20 July 1924

Johnny Weissmuller improved his own Olympic record in the semi-finals with 58.6 seconds and equalized this time again in the final.

Competition format

The competition used a three-round format. The advancement rule was the one used since 1912; for each round before the final, the top two in each heat plus the fastest third-place swimmer would advance. There were 7 heats of between 3 and 5 swimmers, allowing 15 swimmers to advance to the semifinals. The 3 semifinals had 5 swimmers each; 7 advanced to the final.
Each race involved two lengths of the 50-metre pool.

Results

Heats

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

Heat 1

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:00.8
21:01.2
31:02.2
41:03.0
5Unknown

Heat 2

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:03.4
21:05.6
31:05.8
4Unknown
5Unknown

Heat 3

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:00.0
21:00.6
31:03.4
4Unknown

Heat 4

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:04.0
21:07.0
31:10.8

Heat 5

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:01.8
21:05.0
31:06.4
4Unknown

Heat 6

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:01.6
21:03.8
31:04.0
4Unknown

Heat 7

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:01.2
21:04.0
31:07.4
4Unknown
51:10.8

Semifinals

The fastest two in each semi-final and the fastest third-placed from across the semi-finals advanced.

Semifinal 1

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:00.0
21:00.6
31:01.4
41:04.8
5Unknown

Semifinal 2

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
11:01.0
21:01.6
31:03.8
4Unknown
5Unknown

Semifinal 3

RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
10:58.6,
21:00.8
31:03.6
4Unknown
5Unknown

Final

Saturday 11 August 1928:
RankSwimmerNationTimeNotes
0:58.6=
0:59.8
1:00.0
41:00.8
51:01.0
61:01.4
71:01.6