Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre backstroke

Swimming at the
1932 Summer Olympics
Freestyle
100 m men   women
400 m men   women
1500 m men
Backstroke
100 m men   women
Breaststroke
200 m men   women
Freestyle relay
4×100 m   women
4×200 m men  

The men's 100 metre backstroke was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics programme. It was the sixth appearance of the event, which was established in 1908. The competition was held from Wednesday August 10, 1932 to Friday August 12, 1932.

Sixteen swimmers from nine nations competed.

Contents

Medalists

Gold Silver Bronze
 Masaji Kiyokawa
Japan (JPN)
 Toshio Irie
Japan (JPN)
 Kentaro Kawatsu
Japan (JPN)

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1932 Summer Olympics.

World Record 1:08.2 George Kojac Amsterdam (NED) August 9, 1928
Olympic Record 1:08.2 George Kojac Amsterdam (NED) August 9, 1928

Results

Heats

Wednesday August 10, 1932: The fastest two in each heat and the fastest third-placed from across the heats advanced to the final.

Heat 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Masaji Kiyokawa (JPN) 1:08.9 QQ
2  Robert Kerber (USA) 1:13.0 QQ
3  Robert Halloran (CAN) 1:14.2
4  Eskil Lundahl (SWE) 1:16.4

Heat 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Dan Zehr (USA) 1:09.9 QQ
2  Ernst Küppers (GER) 1:10.2 QQ
3  Kentaro Kawatsu (JPN) 1:10.9 qq
4  Willie Francis (GBR) 1:12.9
5  Benvenuto Nuñes (BRA) 1:21.0

Heat 3

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Toshio Irie (JPN) 1:11.3 QQ
2  Munroe Bourne (CAN) 1:14.3 QQ
3  Jorge de Paula (BRA) 1:29.2
4  Marcel Noual (FRA) DSQ

Heat 4

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  William Karlsen (NOR) 1:13.7 QQ
2  Gordon Chalmers (USA) 1:17.2 QQ
3  Dennis Walker (CAN) 1:21.0

Semifinals

Thursday August 11, 1932: The fastest three in each semi-final advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Masaji Kiyokawa (JPN) 1:09.0 QQ
2  Ernst Küppers (GER) 1:09.8 QQ
3  Kentaro Kawatsu (JPN) 1:10.2 QQ
4  Gordon Chalmers (USA) 1:11.6
5  William Karlsen (NOR) 1:13.3

Semifinal 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Toshio Irie (JPN) 1:10.9 QQ
2  Dan Zehr (USA) 1:11.6 QQ
3  Robert Kerber (USA) 1:13.0 QQ
4  Munroe Bourne (CAN) 1:13.9

Final

Friday August 12, 1932: Ernst Küppers who seems to be the main rival of the Japanese swimmers committed a false start, maybe this was the reason why he was only able to finish fifth.

Place Swimmer Time
1  Masaji Kiyokawa (JPN) 1:08.6
2  Toshio Irie (JPN) 1:09.8
3  Kentaro Kawatsu (JPN) 1:10.0
4  Dan Zehr (USA) 1:10.9
5  Ernst Küppers (GER) 1:11.3
6  Robert Kerber (USA) 1:12.8

References