Men 100m Backstroke Swimming Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Friday, 6th August - Gold Medal: Allen Stack, United States
Final 20:00 time gap L Y 1. Allen Stack United States1:06.4 5 20 2. Robert Cowell United States1:06.5 +0.1s 6 24 3. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:07.8 +1.4s 4 20 4. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.0 +2.6s 1 _ 4. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.0 +2.6s 8 19 6. Johannes Wild South Africa1:09.1 +2.7s 2 19 7. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.2 +2.8s 3 19 8. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.6 +3.2s 7 24
39 Competitors from 24 Nations. Empire Pool.
World Record: Allen Stack, United States 1:04.0 New Haven, United States 23rd June 1948 Olympic Record: Adolph Kiefer, United States 1:05.9 Berlin, Germany 14th August 1936
Earlier in the year Allan Stack had broken Adolph Kiefer’s twelve year old world record for this event and the stylish American was considered a strong favourite to follow Kiefer as Olympic champion.
Stack was fastest in both heat and semi-final but had a nasty surprise as he lined up for the start of the final. As he waited in the water he attempted to tighten his swimming trunks and felt the cord break in his hands and his trunks begin to slip off. Fortunately the starter allowed him to leave the pool and replace his trunks and avoid what could have been an embarrassing situation for him. The final turned out to be much closer than had been anticipated with Stack’s fellow American, Robert Cowell, pressing him throughout and even leading at one stage. The difference between gold medal winner Stack and Cowell in silver was just a tenth of a second.
Best 8 times advanced to Final .
Semi 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Allen Stack United States1:07.3 5 20 1. 2. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:08.3 +1.0s 4 20 2. 3. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.1 +1.8s 6 19 4. 4. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.6 +2.3s 3 19 7. 5. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.8 +2.5s 7 _ 8. 6. Paulo Williemsens Da Fonseca Y Brazil1:09.8 +2.5s 2 _ 9. 7. Bruce Bourke Australia1:11.2 +3.9s 8 19 12. 8. Cornelis Marinus Kievit Netherlands1:11.3 +4.0s 1 17 13.
Semi 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Robert Cowell United States1:08.5 +1.2s 5 24 3. 2. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.2 +1.9s 3 24 5. 2. Johannes Wild South Africa1:09.2 +1.9s 4 19 5. 4. Howard Fenno Patterson United States1:09.9 +2.6s 6 20 10. 5. Helio De Oliveira E Silva Brazil1:10.1 +2.8s 7 22 11. 6. Lucien Zins France1:11.5 +4.2s 2 25 14. 7. Ilo Monteiro Da Fonseca Brazil1:11.6 +4.3s 1 18 15. 8. Rene Pirolley France1:12.9 +5.6s 8 16 16.
Heat 6 time gap L Y Rk 1. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:07.4 +0.8s 7 20 3. 2. Howard Fenno Patterson United States1:09.3 +2.7s 3 20 6. 3. Helio De Oliveira E Silva Brazil1:10.5 +3.9s 5 22 11. 4. Federico Neumayer Argentina1:11.8 +5.2s 4 24 17. 5. Peter Mingie Canada1:13.2 +6.6s 2 17 22. 6. Hans Blumer Switzerland1:18.5 +11.9s 6 _ 33. -. Iftikhar Ahmed Shah PakistanDNS 1 _ -.
Heat 5 time gap L Y Rk 1. Robert Cowell United States1:06.9 +0.3s 7 24 2. 2. Rene Pirolley France1:11.4 +4.8s 5 16 16. 3. Donald Shanks Bermuda1:17.1 +10.5s 1 _ 32. 4. Dorri Abdel Kader El Said Egypt1:19.0 +12.4s 3 21 34. 5. Gudmundur Ingolfsson Iceland1:19.4 +12.8s 4 19 35. -. Laszlo Gyongyosi HungaryDNS 2 20 -. -. Helmut Koppelstatter AustriaDNS 6 18 -.
Heat 4 time gap L Y Rk 1. Allen Stack United States1:06.6 6 20 1. 2. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.7 +3.1s 1 24 8. 3. Paulo Williemsens Da Fonseca Y Brazil1:10.0 +3.4s 2 _ 10. 4. Thomas Philip Summers Great Britain1:11.2 +4.6s 7 24 14. 5. Gyula Valent Hungary1:11.8 +5.2s 3 21 17. 6. Manuel Guerra Perez Spain1:14.8 +8.2s 4 20 28. 7. Pratip Mitra India1:24.5 +17.9s 5 _ 38.
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 1. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.2 +2.6s 4 19 5. 2. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.5 +2.9s 6 19 7. 3. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.7 +3.1s 1 _ 8. 4. Lucien Zins France1:10.9 +4.3s 5 25 13. 5. Mario Simas Portugal1:12.8 +6.2s 3 26 20. 6. Fritz Zwazl Austria1:13.5 +6.9s 2 22 23. 7. Nicolaos Melafonidis Greece1:22.0 +15.4s 7 _ 37.
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Bruce Bourke Australia1:11.3 +4.7s 1 19 15. 2. Ilo Monteiro Da Fonseca Brazil1:11.9 +5.3s 3 18 19. 3. Jiri Kovar Czechoslovakia1:12.9 +6.3s 7 _ 21. 4. Carlos Noreiga Uruguay1:15.0 +8.4s 2 26 29. 6. Tonatiuh Gutierrez Mexico1:15.6 +9.0s 6 18 30. 5. Martin Lunden Sweden1:15.6 +9.0s 5 23 30. 7. Jaffar Ali Shah Pakistan1:30.2 +23.6s 4 _ 39.
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Johannes Wild South Africa1:08.5 +1.9s 6 19 4. 2. Cornelis Marinus Kievit Netherlands1:10.8 +4.2s 1 17 12. 3. Jose Vegazzi Argentina1:13.8 +7.2s 5 _ 24. 4. Francisco Calamita Gonzalez Spain1:14.2 +7.6s 3 25 25. 5. Eric Jubb Canada1:14.3 +7.7s 4 _ 26. 6. Per-Olof Olsson Sweden1:14.6 +8.0s 7 29 27. 7. Khamlillal Shah India1:19.9 +13.3s 2 27 36.
Final 20:00 time gap L Y Rk 1. Allen Stack United States1:06.4 5 20 1. 2. Robert Cowell United States1:06.5 +0.1s 6 24 2. 3. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:07.8 +1.4s 4 20 3. 4. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.0 +2.6s 1 _ 4. 4. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.0 +2.6s 8 19 4. 6. Johannes Wild South Africa1:09.1 +2.7s 2 19 6. 7. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.2 +2.8s 3 19 7. 8. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.6 +3.2s 7 24 8. Semis time gap L Y Rk 1. Allen Stack United States1:07.3 5 20 1. 2. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:08.3 +1.0s 4 20 2. 1. Robert Cowell United States1:08.5 +1.2s 5 24 3. 3. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.1 +1.8s 6 19 4. 2. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.2 +1.9s 3 24 5. 2. Johannes Wild South Africa1:09.2 +1.9s 4 19 5. 4. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.6 +2.3s 3 19 7. 5. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.8 +2.5s 7 _ 8. 6. Paulo Williemsens Da Fonseca Y Brazil1:09.8 +2.5s 2 _ 9. 4. Howard Fenno Patterson United States1:09.9 +2.6s 6 20 10. 5. Helio De Oliveira E Silva Brazil1:10.1 +2.8s 7 22 11. 7. Bruce Bourke Australia1:11.2 +3.9s 8 19 12. 8. Cornelis Marinus Kievit Netherlands1:11.3 +4.0s 1 17 13. 6. Lucien Zins France1:11.5 +4.2s 2 25 14. 7. Ilo Monteiro Da Fonseca Brazil1:11.6 +4.3s 1 18 15. 8. Rene Pirolley France1:12.9 +5.6s 8 16 16. Heats time gap L Y Rk 1. Allen Stack United States1:06.6 6 20 1. 1. Robert Cowell United States1:06.9 +0.3s 7 24 2. 1. Georges Vallerey Jr. France1:07.4 +0.8s 7 20 3. 1. Johannes Wild South Africa1:08.5 +1.9s 6 19 4. 1. William John Brockway Great Britain1:09.2 +2.6s 4 19 5. 2. Howard Fenno Patterson United States1:09.3 +2.7s 3 20 6. 2. Clemente Mejia Mexico1:09.5 +2.9s 6 19 7. 3. Mario Chaves Argentina1:09.7 +3.1s 1 _ 8. 2. Albert Kinnear Great Britain1:09.7 +3.1s 1 24 8. 3. Paulo Williemsens Da Fonseca Y Brazil1:10.0 +3.4s 2 _ 10. 3. Helio De Oliveira E Silva Brazil1:10.5 +3.9s 5 22 11. 2. Cornelis Marinus Kievit Netherlands1:10.8 +4.2s 1 17 12. 4. Lucien Zins France1:10.9 +4.3s 5 25 13. 4. Thomas Philip Summers Great Britain1:11.2 +4.6s 7 24 14. 1. Bruce Bourke Australia1:11.3 +4.7s 1 19 15. 2. Rene Pirolley France1:11.4 +4.8s 5 16 16. 4. Federico Neumayer Argentina1:11.8 +5.2s 4 24 17. 5. Gyula Valent Hungary1:11.8 +5.2s 3 21 17. 2. Ilo Monteiro Da Fonseca Brazil1:11.9 +5.3s 3 18 19. 5. Mario Simas Portugal1:12.8 +6.2s 3 26 20. 3. Jiri Kovar Czechoslovakia1:12.9 +6.3s 7 _ 21. 5. Peter Mingie Canada1:13.2 +6.6s 2 17 22. 6. Fritz Zwazl Austria1:13.5 +6.9s 2 22 23. 3. Jose Vegazzi Argentina1:13.8 +7.2s 5 _ 24. 4. Francisco Calamita Gonzalez Spain1:14.2 +7.6s 3 25 25. 5. Eric Jubb Canada1:14.3 +7.7s 4 _ 26. 6. Per-Olof Olsson Sweden1:14.6 +8.0s 7 29 27. 6. Manuel Guerra Perez Spain1:14.8 +8.2s 4 20 28. 4. Carlos Noreiga Uruguay1:15.0 +8.4s 2 26 29. 6. Tonatiuh Gutierrez Mexico1:15.6 +9.0s 6 18 30. 5. Martin Lunden Sweden1:15.6 +9.0s 5 23 30. 3. Donald Shanks Bermuda1:17.1 +10.5s 1 _ 32. 6. Hans Blumer Switzerland1:18.5 +11.9s 6 _ 33. 4. Dorri Abdel Kader El Said Egypt1:19.0 +12.4s 3 21 34. 5. Gudmundur Ingolfsson Iceland1:19.4 +12.8s 4 19 35. 7. Khamlillal Shah India1:19.9 +13.3s 2 27 36. 7. Nicolaos Melafonidis Greece1:22.0 +15.4s 7 _ 37. 7. Pratip Mitra India1:24.5 +17.9s 5 _ 38. 7. Jaffar Ali Shah Pakistan1:30.2 +23.6s 4 _ 39. -. Laszlo Gyongyosi HungaryDNS 2 20 -. -. Helmut Koppelstatter AustriaDNS 6 18 -. -. Iftikhar Ahmed Shah PakistanDNS 1 _ -.
Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev
todor1966@yahoo.com
Last updated: 17 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev