Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle

Men's 100 metre freestyle
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
Venue White City Stadium
Dates July 17
July 20
Competitors 34 from 12 nations
Medalists
  Charles Daniels   United States
  Zoltán Halmay   Hungary
  Harald Julin   Sweden
«1904
(100 yd)		 1912»
Swimming at the
1908 Summer Olympics
Freestyle
100 m   men    
400 m men
1500 m men
Backstroke
100 m men
Breaststroke
200 m men
Freestyle relay
4×200 m men

The men's 100 metre freestyle was one of six swimming events on the swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. It was the shortest of the three individual freestyle events, as the 50 yard freestyle had been dropped after its one appearance on the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. The 100 metre event was contested for the third time after it had been held at the 1896 and 1906 Olympics. The 1904 Olympics saw a 100 yard event. The competition was held on Friday July 17, 1908 and Monday July 20, 1908.

Thirty-four swimmers from twelve nations competed.

These were the first Olympic Games in which a 100 metre pool had been especially constructed (inside the main stadium's track and field oval). Previous Olympic events were swum in open water (1896: The Mediterranean Sea, 1900: The Seine River, 1904: an artificial lake).

Contents

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.

World Record 1:05.8 Zoltán Halmay Vienna (AUT) December 3, 1905
Olympic Record 1:22.2 Alfréd Hajós Athens (GRE) April 11, 1896 (NS)
1:13.0(*) Charles Daniels Athens (GRE) April 26, 1906 (NS)
1:02.8(**) Zoltán Halmay St. Louis (USA) September 5, 1904

(*) Intercalated Games

(**) 100 yards (91.44 m)

In the first heat Zoltán Halmay set a new Olympic record with 1:08.2. In the fifth heat Charles Daniels and in the seventh heat Wilfred Edwards equalized the standing world record of 1:05.8. Finally Charles Daniels set a new world record with 1:05.6 in the final.

Results

First round

The fastest swimmer in each heat and the two fastest losers advanced, qualifying 11 swimmers for the semifinals.

Heat 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Zoltán Halmay (HUN) 1:08.2 OR QS
2  Theodore Tartakover (ANZ) Unknown
3-6  Davide Baiardo (ITA) Unknown
 Bouke Benenga (NED) Unknown
 Harald Klem (DEN) Unknown
 Herman Meyboom (BEL) Unknown

Heat 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Otto Scheff (AUT) 1:11.8 QS
2  Addin Tyldesley (GBR) 1:12.0 qs
3-5  Gérard Meister (FRA) Unknown
 József Munk (HUN) Unknown
 Conrad Trubenbach (USA) Unknown

Heat 3

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Frank Beaurepaire (ANZ) 1:11.6 QS
2  Lamme Benenga (NED) 1:13.2
3-5  Robert Andersson (SWE) Unknown
 Henrik Hajós (HUN) Unknown
 Poul Holm (DEN) Unknown

Heat 4

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Harald Julin (SWE) 1:12.0 QS
2  John Derbyshire (GBR) 1:12.6
3-4  Victor Boin (BEL) Unknown
 Robert Foster (USA) Unknown

Heat 5

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Charles Daniels (USA) 1:05.8 =WR QS
2  József Ónody (HUN) 1:13.2
3  George Innocent (GBR) Unknown
4-5  René André (FRA) Unknown
 Hjalmar Saxtorph (DEN) Unknown

Heat 6

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Harry Hebner (USA) 1:11.0 QS
2  Paul Radmilovic (GBR) 1:12.0 qs
3-4  Edward Cooke (ANZ) Unknown
 Fernand Feyaerts (BEL) Unknown

Heat 7

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Wilfred Edwards (GBR) 1:05.8 =WR QS
2  Robert Zimmerman (CAN) 1:35.0

Heat 8

Dockrell had no competition in the eighth heat.

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  George Dockrell (GBR) 1:13.2 QS

Heat 9

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Leslie Rich (USA) 1:14.6 QS
2  André Duprez (BEL) 1:18.0

Semifinals

The fastest two swimmers from each semifinal advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Zoltán Halmay (HUN) 1:09.4 QF
2  Harald Julin (SWE) 1:10.2 QF
3  Harry Hebner (USA) 1:11.8
4  Frank Beaurepaire (ANZ) Unknown
5-6  Wilfred Edwards (GBR) Unknown
 Paul Radmilovic (GBR) Unknown

Semifinal 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Charles Daniels (USA) 1:10.2 QF
2  Leslie Rich (USA) 1:10.8 QF
3  George Dockrell (GBR) 1:11.4
4  Otto Scheff (AUT) Unknown
5  Addin Tyldesley (GBR) Unknown

Final

Place Swimmer Time
1  Charles Daniels (USA) 1:05.6 WR
2  Zoltán Halmay (HUN) 1:06.2
3  Harald Julin (SWE) 1:08.0
4  Leslie Rich (USA) Unknown

Sources