Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle

Women's 100 metre freestyle
at the Games of the V Olympiad
Venue Djurgårdsbrunnsviken
Dates July 8–12
Competitors 27 from 8 nations
Medalists
    Australasia
    Australasia
    Great Britain
  1920»
Swimming at the
1912 Summer Olympics
Freestyle
100 m   men   women
400 m men
1500 m men
Backstroke
100 m men
Breaststroke
200 m men
400 m men
Freestyle relay
4×100 m women
4×200 m men

The women's 100 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of a women's event in Olympic swimming, followed closely by the 4x100 metre free relay. The competition was held from Monday July 8, 1912 to Friday July 12, 1912.

Twenty-seven swimmers from eight nations competed.

Durack also won the gold medal, with compatriot Wylie close behind for silver.

Contents

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.

World Record 1:20.6 Daisy Curwen Birkenhead (GBR) June 10, 1912
Olympic Record none

Belle Moore, swimming in the first heat, set the first Olympic record with 1:29.8 minutes. In the second heat Daisy Curwen bettered the record with 1:23.6 minutes. And in the fourth heat Fanny Durack set a new world record with 1:19.8 minutes.

Results

Quarterfinals

The top two in each heat advanced along with the fastest loser overall.

Heat 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Belle Moore (GBR) 1:29.8 QS OR
2  Louise Otto (GER) 1:34.4 QS
3  Klara Milch (AUT) 1:37.2
4  Greta Johansson (SWE) 1:41.4
5  Tyyne Järvi (FIN) 1:42.4
 Aagot Norman (NOR) DNF

Heat 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Daisy Curwen (GBR) 1:23.6 QS OR
2  Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:26.2 QS
3  Berta Zahourek (AUT) 1:38.6
4  Josefa Kellner (AUT) 1:41.2
5  Karin Lundgren (SWE) 1:44.8
6  Sonja Johnsson (SWE)

Heat 3

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:26.8 QS
2  Mary Langford (GBR) 1:28.0 QS
3  Hermine Stindt (GER) 1:29.2
4  Josephine Sticker (AUT) 1:31.8
5  Claire Guttenstein (BEL)
6  Elsa Björklund (SWE)

Heat 4

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:19.8 QS WR
2  Irene Steer (GBR) 1:27.2 QS
3  Wally Dressel (GER) 1:28.6 qs
4  Margarete Adler (AUT) 1:34.4
5  Greta Carlsson (SWE)
6  Regina Kari (FIN)

Heat 5

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:25.0 QS
2  Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:25.6 QS
3  Vera Thulin (SWE) 1:44.0

Semifinals

The top two from each heat and the faster of the two third place swimmers advanced.

Semifinal 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:20.2 QF
2  Daisy Curwen (GBR) 1:26.8 QF
3  Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:27.0 qf
4  Belle Moore (GBR) 1:27.4
5  Mary Langford (GBR) 1:29.2
6  Louise Otto (GER) 1:32.0

Semifinal 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1  Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:27.0 QF
2  Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:27.2 QF
3  Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:29.2 *
4  Wally Dressel (GER) 1:33.4
 Irene Steer (GBR) DQ

Curwen had to undergo an operation for appendicitis and missed the final. Rosenberg advanced to the final to replace her.

Final


Place Swimmer Time
1  Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:22.2
2  Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:25.4
3  Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:27.0
4  Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:27.2
5  Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:27.4
 Daisy Curwen (GBR) DNS

References