Swimming at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre freestyle

Swimming at the
1936 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 women's 400 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1936 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which was established in 1924 after 1920 a 300 metre event was held. The competition was held from Thursday August 13, 1936 to Saturday August 15, 1936.

Twenty swimmers from ten nations competed.

Contents

Medalists

Gold Silver Bronze
 Rie Mastenbroek
Netherlands (NED)
 Ragnhild Hveger
Norway (NOR)
 Lenore Wingard
United States (USA)

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1936 Summer Olympics.

World Record 5:16.0 Willy den Ouden Rotterdam (NED) July 12, 1934
Olympic Record 5:28.5 Helene Madison Los Angeles (USA) August 13, 1932

Ragnhild Hveger set a new Olympic record in the first heat with 5:28.0 minutes. In the final Rie Mastenbroek bettered the Olympic record with 5:26.4 minutes.

Results

Heats

Thursday August 13, 1936: The fastest three in each heat and the fastest fourth-placed from across the heats advanced to the semi-finals. Only two swimmers competed in heat two therefore only 15 swimmers advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Ragnhild Hveger (NOR) 5:28.0 QQ OR
2  Lenore Wingard (USA) 5:34.0 QQ
3  Piedade Azevedo Coutinho (BRA) 5:35.5 QQ
4  Gladys Morcom (GBR) 6:00.8
5  Vera Harsányi (HUN) 6:14.7

Heat 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Tini Wagner (NED) 5:57.5 QQ
2  Borbála Sóthy (HUN) 6:14.8 QQ

Heat 3

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Grete Frederiksen (DEN) 5:39.5 QQ
2  Ans Timmermans (NED) 5:42.5 QQ
3  Louisette Fleuret (FRA) 5:46.8 QQ
4  Hatsuko Morioka (JPN) 5:51.0 qq
5  Evelyn de Lacy (AUS) 5:51.9

Heat 4

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Inger Carlsen (DEN) 5:57.1 QQ
2  Margaret Jeffrey (GBR) 6:12.7 QQ
3  Mary Lou Petty (USA) 6:16.6 QQ

Heat 5

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Rie Mastenbroek (NED) 5:38.6 QQ
2  Irma Schrameková (TCH) 5:47.5 QQ
3  Kazue Kojima (JPN) 5:50.4 QQ
4  Ágnes Bíró (HUN) 6:14.3
5  Scylla Venancio (BRA) 6:23.0

Semifinals

Friday August 14, 1936: The fastest three in each semi-final and the fastest fourth-placed from across the heats advanced to the final. As both fourth placed swimmers set the same time both advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Rie Mastenbroek (NED) 5:40.3 QQ
2  Lenore Wingard (USA) 5:42.2 QQ
3  Grete Frederiksen (DEN) 5:42.5 QQ
4  Tini Wagner (NED) 5:45.9 qq
5  Irma Schrameková (TCH) 5:46.0
6  Hatsuko Morioka (JPN) 5:49.1
7  Borbála Sóthy (HUN) 6:11.2

Semifinal 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Ragnhild Hveger (DEN) 5:33.7 QQ
2  Piedade Azevedo Coutinho (BRA) 5:42.5 QQ
3  Kazue Kojima (JPN) 5:43.5 QQ
4  Mary Lou Petty (USA) 5:45.9 qq
5  Louisette Fleuret (FRA) 5:46.1
6  Ans Timmermans (NED) 5:49.4
7  Inger Carlsen (DEN) 5:55.0
8  Margaret Jeffrey (GBR) 6:07.2

Final

Saturday August 15, 1936:

Place Swimmer Time
1  Rie Mastenbroek (NED) 5:26.4 OR
2  Ragnhild Hveger (DEN) 5:27.5
3  Lenore Wingard (USA) 5:29.0
4  Mary Lou Petty (USA) 5:32.2
5  Piedade Azevedo Coutinho (BRA) 5:35.2
6  Kazue Kojima (JPN) 5:43.1
7  Grete Frederiksen (DEN) 5:45.0
8  Tini Wagner (NED) 5:46.0

References