Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly
Encyclopedia
The men's 100 metre butterfly event, included in the swimming
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...

 competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics, took place on August 14–16, at the Beijing National Aquatics Center. In this event, swimmers covered two lengths of the 50 metres (164 ft) Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

-sized pool employing the butterfly stroke
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...

.

American
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...

 Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 won the event after coming from behind Serbian-American Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

, to beat him by one one-hundredth of a second. Australian
Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
A total of 433 competitors competed for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team was Australia's second largest away team after the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which included a team of 482 competitors...

 Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.- Personal :...

 won the bronze medal, finishing one one-hundredth of a second ahead of American world record holder Ian Crocker
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....

. Phelps' victory occurred after Čavić had made remarks that it would be better for the sport of swimming if Phelps was defeated. Phelps' margin of victory was so close that the Serbian team filed a protest, but, after officials reviewed the video, the International Swimming Federation
International Swimming Federation
Fédération Internationale de Natation is the International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports...

 (FINA) announced that Phelps did touch the wall first and his victory would be upheld.

The gold medal received by Phelps was his seventh of the Games, tying Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....

's record for most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games. Other records were broken too, including the Olympic record, five continental records, and several national records.

Qualification

There were several different ways to qualify for the men's 100 metre butterfly. If a National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

 (NOC) had two swimmers with a time better than the A standard (52.86 seconds), obtained at a national Olympic trial, continental championship, or international competition, held between March 17, 2007 and July 15, 2008, then both were allowed to compete. NOCs that were able to send two swimmers to this event were:
  • Australia
    Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    A total of 433 competitors competed for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team was Australia's second largest away team after the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which included a team of 482 competitors...

     (Andrew Lauterstein
    Andrew Lauterstein
    Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.- Personal :...

     and Adam Pine
    Adam Pine
    Adam Pine is an Australian freestyle and butterfly swimmer. Adam is married to Sasha Pine and is the father of 3 children, Maximillian, Buster and Xander....

    )
  • Brazil
    Brazil at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee...

     (Kaio de Almeida
    Kaio de Almeida
    Kaio Márcio Ferreira Costa de Almeida is a Brazilian swimmer, who specializes in butterfly. He is also known as: Kaio Márcio, Kaio Márcio de Almeida, Kaio Almeida, or Kaio de Almeida....

     and Gabriel Mangabeira
    Gabriel Mangabeira
    Gabriel Semain Vasconcellos Mangabeira is a Brazilian international swimmer who qualified for the men's 100-meter butterfly at both the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics...

    )
  • Canada
    Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Canada, which is represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee , competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 to 24, 2008. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics which they boycotted...

     (Joe Bartoch
    Joe Bartoch
    Joe Bartoch is a male swimmer from Canada, who mostly competes in the butterfly events. He claimed a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 metre butterfly and the 4x100 metre medley relay.-References:...

     and Adam Sioui
    Adam Sioui
    Adam Carter Sioui is a former Canadian college and international swimmer who is a butterfly and freestyle specialist. He was the Canadian national record holder in the 200-metre butterfly.- U.S...

    )
  • France
    France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    -Medalists:- Diving:MenNo CompetitorsWomen- Swimming:France will be represented by 35 swimmers, including Alain Bernard and Laure Manaudou.MenWomen- Synchronised Swimming:...

     (Frédérick Bousquet
    Frédérick Bousquet
    Frédérick Bousquet is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer from France. He was the holder of the world record in the 50 m freestyle in a time of 20.94 in long course, set on April 26, 2009 at the final of the French Championships...

     and Christophe Lebon)
  • Germany
    Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Germany competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. A total of 439 athletes were nominated to participate in the Games...

     (Thomas Rupprath
    Thomas Rupprath
    Thomas Rupprath is an Olympic swimmer from Germany, who is nicknamed "The New Albatross". A specialist in the backstroke and butterfly, especially in short course, he held the world record for the 50 m backstroke with a time of 23.27 seconds set on 31 November 2002. This was broken by Robert...

     and Benjamin Starke
    Benjamin Starke
    Benjamin Starke is a German swimmer from Cottbus.-References:...

    )
  • Great Britain
    Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association , and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896...

     (Todd Cooper
    Todd Cooper
    Todd Alexander Cooper is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer from England, who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. There he finished in 22nd position in the 100 m butterfly...

     and Michael Rock
    Michael Rock (swimmer)
    Michael Paul Rock is a British butterfly stroke swimmer.Rock competed in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, after becoming British champion in both events at the 2008 British Olympic Swimming Trials in Sheffield.At the 2010 Commonwealth...

    )
  • Japan
    Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Japan competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The delegation of athletes and officials were represented by the Japanese Olympic Committee.The list of qualified entries for Japan is shown...

     (Takuro Fujii
    Takuro Fujii
    is a Japanese swimmer. He won the bronze medal in the Men's 4 x 100 metre Medley Relay event at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Personal bests:In long course* 100m freestyle: 48.73 Asian, Japanese Record...

     and Masayuki Kishida)
  • New Zealand
    New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    New Zealand took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The country sent 182 competitors, making this its largest ever delegation to the Olympic Games. It was also one of the most successful, equalling New Zealand's combined medal tally from the previous two games...

     (Moss Burmester
    Moss Burmester
    Moss James Burmester is a New Zealand swimmer. His specialist event is the 200m butterfly in which he holds the Commonwealth record of 1:54.35 set at the 2008 Summer Olympics...

     and Corney Swanepoel
    Corney Swanepoel
    Corney Swanepoel is a butterfly swimmer from New Zealand. He swam for New Zealand at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....

    )
  • Russia
    Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Russia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China, represented by the Russian Olympic Committee. Russia competed in all sports except baseball, football, field hockey, softball and taekwondo.-Medalists:...

     (Evgeny Korotyshkin
    Evgeny Korotyshkin
    Yevgeny Yevgeniyevich Korotyshkin, occasionally spelled "Evgeny", is a Russian swimmer from Moscow.- References :...

     and Nikolay Skvortsov
    Nikolay Skvortsov (swimmer)
    Nikolay Valeryevich Skvortsov is a butterfly swimmer from Russia, who won a silver and a bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships in Madrid, Spain. He swam for Russia at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he finished in seventh place in the 200 fly....

    )
  • Serbia
    Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Serbia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The country returned under the name Serbia after 96 years, previously competing under the names Yugoslavia , Independent Olympic Participants , Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro .The flag on the opening ceremony...

     (Milorad Čavić
    Milorad Cavic
    Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

     and Ivan Lendjer)
  • Ukraine
    Ukraine at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    -Medalists:- Archery:Ukraine's men's archery team took seventh place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in tenth place, six points shy of qualifying as well...

     (Sergii Breus and Andrii Serdinov)
  • United States
    United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...

     (Ian Crocker
    Ian Crocker
    Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....

     and Michael Phelps
    Michael Phelps
    Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

    )
  • Venezuela
    Venezuela at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Venezuela competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008-Medalist:- Archery:...

     (Albert Subirats Altes
    Albert Subirats
    Albert Subirats Altes is a 2-time Olympic and national record holding swimmer from Venezuela. He represented his homeland at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics...

     and Octavio Andres Alesi Gonzalez)

If NOCs had no swimmers meeting the A standard, they could enter one swimmer who had beaten the B standard (54.70 seconds). If no swimmers had met the B standard, the NOCs could still enter one swimmer into the competition, provided that the swimmer had competed at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...

 and was approved by FINA; NOCs could use this method only if they had no male swimmers and fewer than two female swimmers in any other event.

Preview

Due to a combination of the venue, Beijing National Aquatics Center (better known as the Water Cube), which was claimed to be built to increase the speed of the swimmers, and the recently introduced LZR Racer
LZR Racer
The LZR Racer Suit is a line of high-end swimsuits manufactured by Speedo using a high-technology swimwear fabric composed of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. The line was launched on 13 February 2008...

 swim suits, which had been proven to give the swimmer a lower time by 1.9 to 2.2%, some analysts were predicting that many fast times and world records would be set in all the swimming events
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...

.

As with almost every event that he entered in at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was the favorite to win the men's 100 metre butterfly. Since winning the gold medal at the previous Games
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
These are the results of the Men's 100 metre butterfly, one of sixteen events for male competitors in Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-Medalists:-Heat 1:# Luis Matias, Angola 58.92# Fernando Medrano-Medina, Nicaragua 1:00.91...

, in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, Phelps had demonstrated his superiority in this event, by also becoming world champion at the Melbourne 2007 World Championships, and achieving victory at the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Olympic Trials. Therefore, the 100 metre butterfly was one of the eight Olympic events where Phelps was attempting to win a gold medal.
Going into the event, Phelps' compatriot Ian Crocker
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....

 was seen as the swimmer with the best chance of beating Phelps. Crocker beat Phelps' 100 metre butterfly world record in 2003
2003 World Aquatics Championships
Barcelona, Spain was the host city of the X FINA World Aquatics Championships or the 10th FINA World Championships in Aquatics, which were held from July 12 until July 27, 2003....

, and had since lowered it twice: once at the 2004 United States Olympic trials, and then at the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...

 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. Before the Olympics, Crocker and Phelps held the seventeen fastest times ever in the event. In 2004, Crocker was the favorite in the men's 100 metre butterfly
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
These are the results of the Men's 100 metre butterfly, one of sixteen events for male competitors in Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-Medalists:-Heat 1:# Luis Matias, Angola 58.92# Fernando Medrano-Medina, Nicaragua 1:00.91...

, but lost to Phelps by four one-hundredths of a second. This victory gave Phelps the right to swim in the final of the 4 × 100 metre medley relay
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay
The men's 4×100 meter medley relay was a swimming event held as part of the Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics programme. The competition was held on August 20, 2004 and on August 21, 2004.73 swimmers from 16 nations competed.-Medalists:...

, however he gave up the spot to Crocker, and took his turn in the semifinals. Although holding the world record, Crocker had lost the last four times that he was up against Phelps in the 100 metre butterfly, including the 2008 United States Olympic Trials. Some thought that Crocker was not in the same shape that he was when we broke the world record, including Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) analyst Byron MacDonald who said that "If he's (Crocker) going to beat Phelps in Beijing, Crocker has to get close to his world record time of 50.40. He just hasn't shown it [he] can do it this year".

Another threat to Phelps' goal was Serbia's
Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Serbia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The country returned under the name Serbia after 96 years, previously competing under the names Yugoslavia , Independent Olympic Participants , Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro .The flag on the opening ceremony...

 Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

. In Athens 2004, Čavić was leading in a semifinal of the 100 metre butterfly, but right after his final turn, his suit opened at the neck and sucked in water, causing Čavić to finish last with a time of 53.12 seconds. At the 2008 European Championships, Čavić won the men's 50 metre butterfly and was the heavy favorite to win at twice that distance, but was suspended for wearing a "Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

 is Serbia" t-shirt on the medal podium. American swimmer Gary Hall, Jr.
Gary Hall, Jr.
For his father, also an Olympian, see Gary Hall, Sr.Gary Wayne Hall, Jr. is an American swimmer who competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals ....

 told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

that although "Mike (Phelps) has been saying he’s going to win the 100 fly at the Olympics for the last year", he thought that Čavić would be the winner.

Other possible medal contenders included Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov is a Ukrainian swimmer, who competed in the 2000 Olympics, 2004 Olympics and the 2008 Olympics. Serdinov also won the bronze medal in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 Summer Olympics....

 of Ukraine
Ukraine at the 2008 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:- Archery:Ukraine's men's archery team took seventh place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in tenth place, six points shy of qualifying as well...

, who had won the Olympic bronze medal in 2004, and Venezuelan
Venezuela at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Venezuela competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008-Medalist:- Archery:...

 Albert Subriats, a bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships and seen as a potential spoiler, if he could match or improve on his 51.82 time, in Beijing.

Heats

The heats began on August 14, at 19:57 local time (CST or UTC+8
UTC+8
UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...

). There were nine preliminary heats, but all sixteen qualifiers came from the last five heats. Only three swimmers participated in the first heat, which was won by Andrejs Duda
Andrejs Duda
Andrejs Dūda , is a Latvian swimmer, is a two-time Olympian and nine-time NCAA DIII national individual champion in swimming. Duda represented Latvia at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and has qualified to compete in the 2008 summer Games...

 of Latvia
Latvia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Latvia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It was Latvia's 9th appearance in Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Track and road events:Men's 200 metresMen's 800 metresMen's 3000 metre steeplechaseMen's 110 metre hurdles...

 with a time of 55.20 seconds.
Heats 2, 3, and 4 were won by Shaune Fraser
Shaune Fraser
Shaune David Fraser is a college and international swimmer from the Cayman Islands. Fraser represented the Cayman Islands at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....

 (Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The Cayman Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The delegation included Kareem Streete-Thompson, a veteran long-jumper, still active in the 100-meter sprint...

), Rimvydas Salcius (Lithuania
Lithuania at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Lithuania competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008.-Medalists:- Athletics :Field eventsTrack eventsCombined eventsWomen's Heptathlon...

), and Jakob Schioett Andkjaer (Denmark
Denmark at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Denmark competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. This is a list of all of the Danish athletes who qualified for the Olympics and their results. The goal set out by Team Danmark and the Danish Sports' Union was seven medals...

), respectively. Salcius, Jeremy Knowles
Jeremy Knowles (swimmer)
Jeremy Daniel Knowles is a 3-time Olympic and Bahamian-Record-holding swimmer from The Bahamas.He was the Bahamas flag-bearer at the 2007 Pan American Games.-International tournaments:*1997 Short Course Worlds...

 (Bahamas
Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The Bahamas competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008.-Medalists:- Athletics:;Men;Women* Runners who participated in the heats only and received medals.- Boxing:...

), and Alon Mandel
Alon Mandel
Alon Mandel is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Biography:He is Jewish.He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....

 (Israel
Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Israel competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. This was Israel's 14th participation in the Summer Olympics.43 Israeli athletes competed in Beijing, the largest Israeli delegation in Olympic history, the previous record having been 40 at Sydney 2000...

) all broke their countries' previous records, while in heat 4, Andkjaer, Michal Rubáček of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, Sotirios Pastras of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, and Ioan Stefan Gherghel of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 also set new national records.
South African
South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics
South Africa competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The team included 136 athletes, as of 10 July 2008....

 Lyndon Ferns
Lyndon Ferns
Lyndon Ferns is a retired Olympic gold-medalist and former world record swimmer from South Africa. He swam for South Africa at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....

 was the first swimmer to qualify for the semifinals, winning heat 5 with a time of 52.04 seconds, while national records were broken by Mario Todorović (Croatia), Simão Morgado
Simão Morgado
Simão Morgado is a male Portuguese swimmer. He is the national record holder of the 50-meter butterfly and since 1997 and he has beaten the National Record in the 100 meters thirteen times....

 (Portugal
Portugal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Portugal competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. It was the nation's 22nd consecutive participation in an edition of the Summer Olympic Games....

), and Douglas Lennox-Silva (Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The territory with a population of 4 million people qualified 22 athletes in 8 different sports....

).
Sergii Breus (Ukraine
Ukraine at the 2008 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:- Archery:Ukraine's men's archery team took seventh place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in tenth place, six points shy of qualifying as well...

) and Shi Feng
Shi Feng
Shi Feng is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Shi Feng reached the semifinals of the men's 100 m butterfly...

 (China
China at the 2008 Summer Olympics
China was the host nation of the 2008 Summer Olympics.China was represented by the Chinese Olympic Committee , and the team of selected athletes were officially known as Team China....

), finished first and second in heat 6, with times of 51.82 and 51.87 seconds, respectively, that allowed them to reach the semifinals.
Five of the eight swimmers in heat 7 advanced as well, including Jason Dunford
Jason Dunford
Jason Edward Dunford is a swimmer from Kenya. He is predominantly a butterfly and freestyle sprinter. He has won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Universiade, All-Africa Games and African Championships, and reached finals at Olympics, World Championships and Short Course World Championships....

 (Kenya
Kenya at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Kenya competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Kenya won a toal of 14 medals, 6 of the gold, its best ever performance at the Olympics....

), Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.- Personal :...

 (Australia
Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
A total of 433 competitors competed for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team was Australia's second largest away team after the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which included a team of 482 competitors...

), Takuro Fujii
Takuro Fujii
is a Japanese swimmer. He won the bronze medal in the Men's 4 x 100 metre Medley Relay event at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Personal bests:In long course* 100m freestyle: 48.73 Asian, Japanese Record...

 (Japan
Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Japan competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The delegation of athletes and officials were represented by the Japanese Olympic Committee.The list of qualified entries for Japan is shown...

), Frédérick Bousquet
Frédérick Bousquet
Frédérick Bousquet is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer from France. He was the holder of the world record in the 50 m freestyle in a time of 20.94 in long course, set on April 26, 2009 at the final of the French Championships...

 (France
France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:- Diving:MenNo CompetitorsWomen- Swimming:France will be represented by 35 swimmers, including Alain Bernard and Laure Manaudou.MenWomen- Synchronised Swimming:...

), and Ryan Pini
Ryan Pini
Ryan John Pini is a 2-time Olympic swimmer from Papua New Guinea. He swam for PNG at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics; also serving as the PNG flagbearer in 2008...

 (Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Papua New Guinea sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country's participation, in part, was funded by a large "nationwide fun run" organised in early July, with expectations of 35,000 participating runners...

). Dunford, with a 51.14 time, set a new Olympic record, beating Phelps' previous record of 51.25 seconds, achieved in the final of the 100 metre butterfly in Athens
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
These are the results of the Men's 100 metre butterfly, one of sixteen events for male competitors in Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-Medalists:-Heat 1:# Luis Matias, Angola 58.92# Fernando Medrano-Medina, Nicaragua 1:00.91...

; he also set new African and Kenyan records. Andrew Lauterstein's 51.37 time was a new Oceanic and Australian best. Takuro Fujii set a Japanese and an Asian record with his 51.50 time.
The swimmers qualifying from heat 8 were Albert Subirats Altes
Albert Subirats
Albert Subirats Altes is a 2-time Olympic and national record holding swimmer from Venezuela. He represented his homeland at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics...

 (Venezuela
Venezuela at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Venezuela competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008-Medalist:- Archery:...

), Corney Swanepoel
Corney Swanepoel
Corney Swanepoel is a butterfly swimmer from New Zealand. He swam for New Zealand at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....

 (New Zealand
New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
New Zealand took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The country sent 182 competitors, making this its largest ever delegation to the Olympic Games. It was also one of the most successful, equalling New Zealand's combined medal tally from the previous two games...

), and Ian Crocker
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....

 (United States
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...

). Records broken in the this heat included the South American and Venezuelan records (by Altes), and the New Zealand record (by Swanepoel).
Heat 9 was the fastest one, with Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

 (Serbia
Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Serbia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The country returned under the name Serbia after 96 years, previously competing under the names Yugoslavia , Independent Olympic Participants , Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro .The flag on the opening ceremony...

), Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 (United States
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...

), Andrii Serdinov (Ukraine
Ukraine at the 2008 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:- Archery:Ukraine's men's archery team took seventh place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in tenth place, six points shy of qualifying as well...

), Peter Mankoč
Peter Mankoc
Peter Mankoč is one of the best Slovenian swimmers of all time and one of the most successful short course European Championship swimmers in the history of the event.- Personal :...

 (Slovenia
Slovenia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Slovenia, represented by the Slovenian Olympic Committee , sent a team with 62 athletes to compete in 11 sports at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China...

), and Kaio de Almeida
Kaio de Almeida
Kaio Márcio Ferreira Costa de Almeida is a Brazilian swimmer, who specializes in butterfly. He is also known as: Kaio Márcio, Kaio Márcio de Almeida, Kaio Almeida, or Kaio de Almeida....

 (Brazil
Brazil at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee...

) all earning spots in the next round. Čavić, the heat's winner with a 50.76 time, beat the Olympic record set by Dunford two heats earlier, thus also setting a new European and Serbian record. Serdinov and Mankoč also managed to break their national records.

Semifinals

The semifinals were held on August 15 and started at 11:26 CST. The first semifinal was won by Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 with a time of 50.97 seconds. Other three swimmers qualified from this semifinal: Andrew Lauterstein (51.27 seconds), Jason Dunford (51.33 seconds), and Ryan Pini (51.62 seconds). Surprisingly, Albert Subirats Altes, the bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships, failed to qualify, after finishing in the sixth place. Also missing the cut was the host nation's representative Shi Feng, Segii Breus, and Kaio de Almeida
Kaio de Almeida
Kaio Márcio Ferreira Costa de Almeida is a Brazilian swimmer, who specializes in butterfly. He is also known as: Kaio Márcio, Kaio Márcio de Almeida, Kaio Almeida, or Kaio de Almeida....

.
The second semifinal was won in 50.92 seconds by Milorad Čavić, once again. The remaining three qualifiers were Ian Crocker (51.27 seconds), Andriy Serdinov (51.41 seconds), and Takuro Fujii (51.59 seconds). New time bests set in the semifinals included the Oceanic and Australian records (set by Lauterstein), and the Chinese record (set by Shi).

Final

The final took place on August 16, at 10:10 CST. Before the race, Milorad Čavić made headlines by saying in an interview that it would be better for swimming if he beat Phelps. Phelps' coach Bob Bowman
Bob Bowman (coach)
Bob Bowman is an American swimming coach, who is the coach of Michael Phelps. From 2005-2008, he was the head coach for the University of Michigan men's swimming & diving team, replacing Jon Urbanchek; as well as the head coach for the club team based at the school: Club Wolverine. He was the...

 used the quote to provide motivation to his protégé. In an interview, Phelps said that doubters like Čavić "fires me up more than anything, I always welcome comments. It definitely motivates me even more." Almost immediately after the race started, Čavić took the lead with Phelps getting off to a slow start. At the turn, Čavić was first, followed by Ian Crocker, while Phelps made the split in seventh place, just 0.62 seconds behind Čavić. As the two approached the finish, Čavić tried to coast to the wall on one last stroke, while Phelps, who had misjudged the end, took an extra half-stroke, causing both competitors to touch the wall at almost exactly the same time. It turned out that Phelps had actually finished one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Čavić, with a time of 50.58 seconds. Phelps even admitted that, at first, he thought the extra stroke he took had cost him the gold medal, until he looked at the scoreboard displaying the results. Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.- Personal :...

 won the bronze medal, also beating Crocker by one one-hundredth of a second.

Several records were broken at the final. For the first time at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps did not break the current world record in a final, finishing eighteen one-hundredths of a second behind team-mate Crocker's 50.40-second world record from 2005; he did though set a new Olympic record. Three continental records were broken in the final, with Fujii setting a new Asian record, Čavić a new European record, and Lauterstein a new Oceanic record. Although he finished last, swimmer Ryan Pini made history as the first swimmer from Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

 to swim in an Olympic final, and even received a call from the prime minister
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Since 2 August 2011, the Prime Minister has been Peter O’Neill of the People's National Congress Party.-List...

 Michael Somare
Michael Somare
Sir Michael Thomas Somare, GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, KStJ, MP was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party, but he then...

 congratulating him. Most notably though, Phelps won his seventh gold medal at these Games, tying Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....

's record for most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games. For being able to emulate Spitz's record, Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...

, a sponsor of Michael Phelps, awarded him a US$1 million bonus, which had already been offered to him at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

, under the same conditions. After the final, the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 (NBC) arranged a joint interview with Phelps and Spitz, where Spitz praised Phelps' effort, telling him that "what you did tonight was epic" and even though at one point, Phelps was more than half a second behind Čavić, Spitz "never thought for one moment you (Phelps) were out of that race."

Protest

Almost immediately after the end of the race, the Serbian team
Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Serbia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The country returned under the name Serbia after 96 years, previously competing under the names Yugoslavia , Independent Olympic Participants , Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro .The flag on the opening ceremony...

 filed a protest claiming that Čavić touched the wall first but did not use enough force to trigger the timing sensor. Officials of the International Swimming Federation
International Swimming Federation
Fédération Internationale de Natation is the International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports...

 (FINA) watched the video in slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....

, and announced that Phelps' victory would be upheld. Ben Ekumbo, a FINA referee announced that "It's very clear that the Serbian swimmer touched second after Michael Phelps." Although Serbia conceded their protest, not everyone was convinced that Phelps had won the gold medal; Branislav Jevtic, Serbia's deputy chef de mission for all sports, was quoted as saying "In my opinion, it's not right, but we must follow the rules. Everybody saw what happened." In one interview after the race Čavić said that he is "completely happy with where I am", while in another he revealed that he expects that "People will be bringing this up for years and saying you (Čavić) won that race. If we got to do this again, I would win it".

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were:
The following records were established during the competition:
DateRoundNameNationalityTimeORWR
August 14 Heat 7 Jason Dunford
Jason Dunford
Jason Edward Dunford is a swimmer from Kenya. He is predominantly a butterfly and freestyle sprinter. He has won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Universiade, All-Africa Games and African Championships, and reached finals at Olympics, World Championships and Short Course World Championships....

 
51.14 OR
August 14 Heat 9 Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

 
50.76 OR
August 16 Final Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 
50.58 OR

Results

Key:

  • AF = African record
  • AM = Americas record
  • AS = Asian record
  • DNF = Did not finish
  • DNS = Did not start

  • DSQ = Disqualified
  • EU = European record
  • NR = National record
  • OC = Oceanian record
  • OR = Olympic record
  • WR = World record


Heats

Rank Heat Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1 9 5 50.76
2 9 4 50.87
3 9 7 51.10 NR
4 7 5 51.14 AF
5 9 2 51.24 NR
6 7 3 51.37 OC
7 7 7 51.50 AS
8 8 5 51.71 NR
9 8 1 51.78 NR
10 6 2 51.82
11 7 4 51.83
12 6 8 Shi Feng
Shi Feng
Shi Feng is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Shi Feng reached the semifinals of the men's 100 m butterfly...

 
51.87
13 8 4 51.95
14 7 2 52.00
15 5 3 52.04
16 9 6 52.05
17 8 7 52.07
18 6 6 52.15
19 4 3 52.24
20 5 5 52.26 NR
20 7 1 52.26
20 9 1 52.26
23 8 6 52.28
24 8 3 52.30
25 4 4 52.41 NR
26 9 3 52.45
27 6 4 52.48
28 4 6 52.50 NR
29 6 5 52.52
30 8 2 52.53
31 8 8 52.56
32 6 3 52.67
33 5 1 52.80 NR
34 3 2 52.90 NR
35 7 8 52.90
36 2 5 52.99 NR
37 5 2 53.33
38 5 8 53.34 NR
39 5 6 52.38
40 5 4 53.41
41 9 8 53.50
42 4 1 53.53 NR
43 5 7 53.54
44 7 6 53.56
45 4 2 53.58
46 6 7 53.58
47 6 1 53.65
48 4 8 53.70
49 3 3 53.72 NR
50 3 1 53.93
51 2 5 54.08
52 3 8 54.17
53 3 7 54.27
54 2 4 54.38
55 2 2 54.54
56 2 6 54.62
57 4 7 54.74
58 3 5 54.79
59 1 3 55.20
60 3 6 55.25
61 2 3 55.59
61 2 1 55.59
63 1 4 57.06
64 2 7 57.16
65 1 5 57.48
} ||4 ||5
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|}

Semifinals

Rank Heat Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1 2 4 50.92
2 1 4 50.97
3 1 3 51.27 OC
3 2 1 51.27
5 1 5 51.33
6 2 5 51.41
7 2 6 51.59
8 1 1 51.62
9 1 7 Shi Feng
Shi Feng
Shi Feng is a Chinese swimmer, who competed for China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Shi Feng reached the semifinals of the men's 100 m butterfly...

 
51.68 NR
10 2 3 51.80
11 1 6 51.82
12 2 2 52.01
13 1 2 52.05
14 2 8 52.18
15 1 8 52.32
16 2 7 52.94

Final

Rank Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
5 Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 
50.58
4 Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...

 
50.59 EU
3 Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew Lauterstein
Andrew George Lauterstein is an Australian swimmer and a three-time Olympic medalist.- Personal :...

 
51.12 OC
4 6 Ian Crocker
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....

 
51.13
5 2 Jason Dunford
Jason Dunford
Jason Edward Dunford is a swimmer from Kenya. He is predominantly a butterfly and freestyle sprinter. He has won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Universiade, All-Africa Games and African Championships, and reached finals at Olympics, World Championships and Short Course World Championships....

 
51.47
6 1 Takuro Fujii
Takuro Fujii
is a Japanese swimmer. He won the bronze medal in the Men's 4 x 100 metre Medley Relay event at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Personal bests:In long course* 100m freestyle: 48.73 Asian, Japanese Record...

 
51.50 AS
7 7 Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov is a Ukrainian swimmer, who competed in the 2000 Olympics, 2004 Olympics and the 2008 Olympics. Serdinov also won the bronze medal in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 Summer Olympics....

 
51.59
8 8 Ryan Pini
Ryan Pini
Ryan John Pini is a 2-time Olympic swimmer from Papua New Guinea. He swam for PNG at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics; also serving as the PNG flagbearer in 2008...

 
51.86

See also

  • Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
    Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
    These are the results of the Men's 100 metre butterfly, one of sixteen events for male competitors in Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-Medalists:-Heat 1:# Luis Matias, Angola 58.92# Fernando Medrano-Medina, Nicaragua 1:00.91...

  • Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships - Men's 100 m butterfly
  • Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...

  • Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metre butterfly

External links

  • Phelps-Čavić Finish Photos by Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

  • Associated Press report on YouTube
    YouTube
    YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

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