Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre freestyle
Encyclopedia
The men's 100 metre freestyle
was a swimming
event held as part of the swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
programme. It was the third appearance of the event, which had not been featured at the 1900 Games. The competition was held from Saturday July 6, 1912 to Wednesday July 10, 1912.
Thirty-four swimmers from twelve nations competed.
(*) 100 yards (= 91.44 m)
In the fourth heat Perry McGillivray
set a new Olympic record with 1:04.8 minutes. In the fifth heat Duke Kahanamoku
bettered the Olympic record of 1:02.6 minutes. Finally Duke Kahanamoku
improved the Olympic record with a time of 1:02.4 minutes in the third semi-final heat.
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
Heat 7
Heat 8
) did not appear due to a misunderstanding. Massa
was later allowed to take part in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal 1
Quarterfinal 2
Quarterfinal 3
swam in the first heat, despite suffering from what the official report referred to as "suppuration in the head".
The jury for the swimming events met and determined that a third heat should be held under special rules. If the winner of the extra heat were to beat the time set by the third-place swimmer of the first heat (1:06.2, a stiff pace but one which all three Americans had beat during the quarterfinals), he and the second-place finisher would advance. If the mark were not bettered, none of the swimmers from the third heat would advance. Massa
, who had missed the quarterfinals due to a misunderstanding, was also allowed to start in the extra semifinal.
In the third heat, Kahanamoku
not only beat Longworth
's time, thus qualifying himself and Huszagh
for the final, but bettered his own Olympic record which he had set in the first round. Huszagh
outtouched McGillivray
by a "hand's breadth" to take second place and the final qualification spot, though both finished well behind Kahanamoku
and their own previous times. Massa
did not finish the race.
Semifinal 1
Semifinal 2
Semifinal 3
was unable to continue competing due to illness and did not start in the final.
Kahanamoku
was clearly in control by the halfway point, with a tight race between Huszagh
, Ramme
, and Bretting
for the next three spots with Healy
close behind them. It was Healy
who took the silver medal, though, as he swam by the other three near the finish. Ramme
fell back to fifth while Huszagh
and Bretting
finished separated by "[o]nly a decimetre".
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
was a swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
event held as part of the swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, nine swimming events were contested. Swimming events were held in a 100 m course built in Stockholm harbor. For the first time, women's events were part of the Olympic swimming program. The competitions were held from Saturday July 6, 1912 to Friday July 12, 1912...
programme. It was the third appearance of the event, which had not been featured at the 1900 Games. The competition was held from Saturday July 6, 1912 to Wednesday July 10, 1912.
Thirty-four swimmers from twelve nations competed.
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.| World Record | 1:02.4 |  Kurt BrettingKurt Bretting Kurt Bretting was a German freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Magdeburg and was killed in action in Merville, Nord, France.In 1912 he finished fourth in the 100 metre freestyle event... |
Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... (BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... ) |
April 6, 1912 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Record | 1:05.6 |  Charles DanielsCharles Daniels (swimmer) Charles Meldrum "Charlie" Daniels is a former American swimmer and eight-time Olympic medalist. Daniels was an innovator of the front crawl swimming style, inventing the "American crawl".-Career:Daniels began his swimming career with the New York Athletic Club in 1903... |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... (GBR Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... ) |
July 20, 1908 |
| 1:02.8(*) |  Zoltán HalmayZoltán Halmay Zoltán Halmay was a Hungarian Olympic swimmer. He competed in four Olympics , winning the following medals:* 1900: silver , bronze * 1904: gold... |
St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... (USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
September 5, 1904 |
(*) 100 yards (= 91.44 m)
In the fourth heat Perry McGillivray
Perry McGillivray
Perry McGillivray was an American swimmer and water polo player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and 1920 Summer Olympics....
set a new Olympic record with 1:04.8 minutes. In the fifth heat Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
bettered the Olympic record of 1:02.6 minutes. Finally Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
improved the Olympic record with a time of 1:02.4 minutes in the third semi-final heat.
Heats
The fastest two in each heat advanced. A tie for second in the seventh heat resulted in both swimmers advancing. In addition, the fastest third-place swimmer from across the heats also qualified for the quarterfinals.Heat 1
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:08.0 | ||
| 2 | 1:09.4 | ||
| 3 | 1:15.4 | ||
| 4 |
Heat 2
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:07.0 | ||
| 2 | 1:10.4 | ||
| 3 | 1:12.2 | ||
| 4 | 1:13.6 |
Heat 3
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:06.0 | ||
| 2 | 1:07.6 | ||
| 3 | 1:09.2 | ||
| 4-6 | |||
Heat 4
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:04.8 | QQ OR | |
| 2 | 1:05.2 | ||
| 3 | 1:06.2 | ||
| 4 | 1:13.0 | ||
| 5 |
Heat 5
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:02.6 | QQ OR | |
| 2 | 1:05.2 | ||
| 3 | 1:10.4 | ||
| 4 | 1:16.6 |
Heat 6
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:05.8 | ||
| 2 | 1:08.0 | ||
| 3 | 1:15.4 | ||
| 4 |
Heat 7
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:10.2 | ||
| 2 | 1:11.8 | ||
| 1:11.8 | |||
| 4 | 1:19.2 |
Heat 8
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:13.4 | ||
| 2 | 1:17.8 | ||
| 3 |
Quarterfinals
Again, the top two in each heat advanced along with the fastest loser overall. Four of the qualified swimmers did not take part in their quarterfinal heats, and a fifth (MassaMario Massa
Mario Massa was an Italian freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Nervi....
) did not appear due to a misunderstanding. Massa
Mario Massa
Mario Massa was an Italian freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Nervi....
was later allowed to take part in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal 1
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:04.2 | QS | |
| 2 | 1:05.2 | QS | |
| 3 | 1:06.0 | ||
| 4 | 1:10.0 | ||
| — | DNS | ||
| DNS |
Quarterfinal 2
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:03.8 | QS | |
| 2 | 1:07.8 | QS | |
| 3 | 1:08.8 | ||
| 1:08.8 | |||
| — | DNS | ||
| DNS |
Quarterfinal 3
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:04.2 | QS | |
| 2 | 1:04.4 | QS | |
| 3 | 1:04.8 | qs | |
| 4 | 1:05.4 | ||
| 5 | 1:19.0 | ||
| — | DNS | qs |
Semifinals
Further confusion struck the semifinals. Under the belief that the second round of the competition had been the semifinals, the American swimmers did not appear for the third round. This led to both semifinals being essentially walkovers, as the first had three swimmers and the second only one. Since the top two swimmers of each and the fastest third-place swimmer would advance, all four competitors had secured a place in the final before entering the water. LongworthWilliam Longworth
William Longworth was an Australian freestyle swimmer who competed for Australasia in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Rixs Creek, Singleton, New South Wales and died in Wahroonga, New South Wales....
swam in the first heat, despite suffering from what the official report referred to as "suppuration in the head".
The jury for the swimming events met and determined that a third heat should be held under special rules. If the winner of the extra heat were to beat the time set by the third-place swimmer of the first heat (1:06.2, a stiff pace but one which all three Americans had beat during the quarterfinals), he and the second-place finisher would advance. If the mark were not bettered, none of the swimmers from the third heat would advance. Massa
Mario Massa
Mario Massa was an Italian freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Nervi....
, who had missed the quarterfinals due to a misunderstanding, was also allowed to start in the extra semifinal.
In the third heat, Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
not only beat Longworth
William Longworth
William Longworth was an Australian freestyle swimmer who competed for Australasia in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Rixs Creek, Singleton, New South Wales and died in Wahroonga, New South Wales....
's time, thus qualifying himself and Huszagh
Kenneth Huszagh
Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Huszagh was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
for the final, but bettered his own Olympic record which he had set in the first round. Huszagh
Kenneth Huszagh
Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Huszagh was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
outtouched McGillivray
Perry McGillivray
Perry McGillivray was an American swimmer and water polo player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and 1920 Summer Olympics....
by a "hand's breadth" to take second place and the final qualification spot, though both finished well behind Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
and their own previous times. Massa
Mario Massa
Mario Massa was an Italian freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Nervi....
did not finish the race.
Semifinal 1
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:05.6 | QF | |
| 2 | 1:05.8 | QF | |
| 3 | 1:06.2 | qf |
Semifinal 2
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:04.6 | QF |
Semifinal 3
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:02.4 | QF OR | |
| 2 | 1:06.2 | QF | |
| 3 | 1:06.2 | ||
| — | DNF |
Final
LongworthWilliam Longworth
William Longworth was an Australian freestyle swimmer who competed for Australasia in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Rixs Creek, Singleton, New South Wales and died in Wahroonga, New South Wales....
was unable to continue competing due to illness and did not start in the final.
Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
was clearly in control by the halfway point, with a tight race between Huszagh
Kenneth Huszagh
Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Huszagh was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
, Ramme
Walter Ramme
Walter Ramme was a German freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Braunschweig.In 1912 he finished fifth in the 100 metre freestyle event....
, and Bretting
Kurt Bretting
Kurt Bretting was a German freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Magdeburg and was killed in action in Merville, Nord, France.In 1912 he finished fourth in the 100 metre freestyle event...
for the next three spots with Healy
Cecil Healy
Cecil Patrick Healy was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1900s and 1910s, who won silver in the 100m freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He also won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay...
close behind them. It was Healy
Cecil Healy
Cecil Patrick Healy was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1900s and 1910s, who won silver in the 100m freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He also won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay...
who took the silver medal, though, as he swam by the other three near the finish. Ramme
Walter Ramme
Walter Ramme was a German freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Braunschweig.In 1912 he finished fifth in the 100 metre freestyle event....
fell back to fifth while Huszagh
Kenneth Huszagh
Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Huszagh was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
and Bretting
Kurt Bretting
Kurt Bretting was a German freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Magdeburg and was killed in action in Merville, Nord, France.In 1912 he finished fourth in the 100 metre freestyle event...
finished separated by "[o]nly a decimetre".
| Place | Swimmer | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:03.4 | |
| 2 | 1:04.6 | |
| 3 | 1:05.6 | |
| 4 | 1:05.8 | |
| 5 | 1:06.4 | |
| 6 | DNS |