Men 400m Freestyle Swimming Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Wednesday, 4th August - Gold Medal: Bill Smith, United States
Final 20:00 time gapLY
1. Bill SmithUSA United States4:41.0OR 424
2. James McLaneUSA United States4:43.4 +2.4s617
3. John MarshallAUS Australia4:47.4 +6.4s318
4. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:49.4 +8.4s521
5. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:49.9 +8.9s718
6. Alex JanyFRA France4:51.4 +10.4s219
7. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:55.9 +14.9s826
8. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:58.7 +17.7s124
41 Competitors from 19 Nations. Empire Pool.
World Record: Alex Jany, France 4:35.2 Monte Carlo, Monaco 12th September 1947
Olympic Record: Jack Medina, United States 4:44.5 Berlin, Germany 12th August 1936
Todor 66index Swimming OG
index London 1948index Swimming London 1948
Men 100m FreestyleWomen 100m Freestyle
Men 400m FreestyleWomen 400m Freestyle
Men 1500m Freestyle
Men 100m BackstrokeWomen 100m Backstroke
Men 200m BreaststrokeWomen 200m Breaststroke
Men 4x200m Freestyle RelayWomen 4x100m Freestyle Relay
1936 Men 400m FreestyleMen 400m Freestyle History1952 Men 400m Freestyle
Frenchman Alex Jany entered the competition as world record holder and a solid favourite for all three freestyle titles but he had disappointed in the sprint event and would withdraw from the 1500m. Jany did reach the final of the 400m but his qualification was overshadowed by a duo of Americans, Bill Smith and Jimmy McLane, and by the 100m bronze medallist, Hungary’s Géza Kádas.
It was Smith who set the pace in the final and only his team-mate McLane, who started slowly but then moved through the pack, could challenge him. At the 200m mark the two Americans battled for the lead but Smith had enough in hand to pull away to a comfortable victory breaking the Olympic record in the process. McLane finished in second with the Australian John Marshal holding off the Hungarian challenge for the bronze medal. Jany finished sixth in a time fully fifteen seconds off his best. Bill Smith had contracted Typhoid as a child and took to swimming as a way to rebuild his strength.
Hironoshi Furuhashi of Japan set a world record for this event in 1949 and would have been amongst the favourites if Japan had been permitted to compete.

Semi-Finals (1/2) - Monday, 2nd August 22:00

Best 8 times advanced to Final.
Semi 1 time gapLYRk
1. James McLaneUSA United States4:49.5 +1.7s5173.
2. John MarshallAUS Australia4:50.0 +2.2s4184.
3. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:50.8 +3.0s7185.
4. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:51.4 +3.6s6267.
5. Marjan StipeticYUG Yugoslavia4:58.6 +10.8s11710.
6. Miroslav BartusekTCH Czechoslovakia4:58.7 +10.9s22611.
7. Branko VidovicYUG Yugoslavia4:59.4 +11.6s82413.
-. Per-Olof OstrandSWE SwedenDNS 31815.
Semi 2 time gapLYRk
1. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:47.8 4211.
2. Bill SmithUSA United States4:48.4 +0.6s5242.
3. Alex JanyFRA France4:51.3 +3.5s6196.
4. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:57.3 +9.5s3248.
5. William HeusnerUSA United States4:57.4 +9.6s2219.
6. Ivan PuharYUG Yugoslavia4:58.7 +10.9s82811.
7. Donald JohnstonSAF South Africa4:59.5 +11.7s71814.
-. Imre NyekiHUN HungaryDNS 11916.

Heats - Saturday, 31st July 20:00

Best 16 times advanced to Semi-Finals (1/2).
Heat 6 time gapLYRk
1. Bill SmithUSA United States4:45.3 +3.1s3242.
2. John MarshallAUS Australia4:51.4 +9.2s7183.
3. Ivan PuharYUG Yugoslavia5:00.8 +18.6s52814.
4. Luis GonzalezCOL Colombia5:02.1 +19.9s2_17.
5. Ari GudmundssonISL Iceland5:16.2 +34.0s12029.
6. Thomas Patrick HoltGBR Great Britain5:20.7 +38.5s62431.
Heat 5 time gapLYRk
1. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:52.8 +10.6s8214.
2. Per-Olof OstrandSWE Sweden4:53.5 +11.3s4187.
3. Florbel PerezURU Uruguay5:04.7 +22.5s12020.
4. Rene CornuFRA France5:05.2 +23.0s61921.
6. Isidoro Perez GonzalezESP Spain5:16.1 +33.9s32028.
7. Sambiao BasanungPHI Philippines5:21.5 +39.3s52633.
-. Sachin NagIND IndiaDNS 228-.
-. Angel Maldonado CamposMEX MexicoDNS 7_-.
Heat 4 time gapLYRk
1. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:56.0 +13.8s2189.
2. William HeusnerUSA United States4:58.3 +16.1s82112.
3. Branko VidovicYUG Yugoslavia4:58.7 +16.5s72413.
4. Isidoro Martinez FerryESP Spain5:10.0 +27.8s12325.
5. Juan GarayARG Argentina5:10.4 +28.2s61926.
6. Derek OatwayBER Bermuda5:20.9 +38.7s41732.
7. Bimal ChandraIND India5:38.6 +56.4s3_38.
-. Taha Youssef El GamalEGY EgyptDNS 525-.
Heat 3 time gapLYRk
1. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:53.3 +11.1s1265.
2. Alex JanyFRA France4:53.3 +11.1s3195.
3. Marjan StipeticYUG Yugoslavia5:01.4 +19.2s51715.
4. Garrick AgnewAUS Australia5:06.1 +23.9s21723.
5. Luis Child VelezCOL Colombia5:08.5 +26.3s6_24.
6. Allan GilchristCAN Canada5:21.5 +39.3s71633.
7. Anwar Aziz ChaudhryPAK Pakistan6:17.4 +1:35.2s4_40.
Heat 2 time gapLYRk
1. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:53.8 +11.6s6248.
2. Donald JohnstonSAF South Africa4:57.4 +15.2s41810.
3. Miroslav BartusekTCH Czechoslovakia4:57.9 +15.7s52611.
4. Joseph BernardoFRA France5:03.8 +21.6s11919.
5. Franklin Douglas GibsonCAN Canada5:13.4 +31.2s8_27.
6. Walter SchneiderSUI Switzerland5:25.5 +43.3s32035.
7. Walter Edward BardgettBER Bermuda5:37.2 +55.0s21536.
-. Ramon Bravo PrietaMEX MexicoDNS 722-.
Heat 1 time gapLYRk
1. James McLaneUSA United States4:42.2OR 3171.
2. Imre NyekiHUN Hungary5:01.8 +19.6s51916.
3. Roy BothamGBR Great Britain5:03.4 +21.2s62518.
4. Jose DuranonaARG Argentina5:05.8 +23.6s42522.
5. Alejandro Febrero LorenzoESP Spain5:16.9 +34.7s82330.
6. Robert James CookBER Bermuda5:37.9 +55.7s21537.
7. Jack HakimEGY Egypt5:40.3 +58.1s71639.
7. Sultan Karim AlyPAK Pakistan7:16.9 +2:34.7s4_41.
-. W F JonesIRL IrelandDNS 1_-.
Final 20:00 time gapLYRk
1. Bill SmithUSA United States4:41.0OR 4241.
2. James McLaneUSA United States4:43.4 +2.4s6172.
3. John MarshallAUS Australia4:47.4 +6.4s3183.
4. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:49.4 +8.4s5214.
5. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:49.9 +8.9s7185.
6. Alex JanyFRA France4:51.4 +10.4s2196.
7. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:55.9 +14.9s8267.
8. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:58.7 +17.7s1248.
Semis time gapLYRk
1. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:47.8 4211.
2. Bill SmithUSA United States4:48.4 +0.6s5242.
1. James McLaneUSA United States4:49.5 +1.7s5173.
2. John MarshallAUS Australia4:50.0 +2.2s4184.
3. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:50.8 +3.0s7185.
3. Alex JanyFRA France4:51.3 +3.5s6196.
4. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:51.4 +3.6s6267.
4. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:57.3 +9.5s3248.
5. William HeusnerUSA United States4:57.4 +9.6s2219.
5. Marjan StipeticYUG Yugoslavia4:58.6 +10.8s11710.
6. Miroslav BartusekTCH Czechoslovakia4:58.7 +10.9s22611.
6. Ivan PuharYUG Yugoslavia4:58.7 +10.9s82811.
7. Branko VidovicYUG Yugoslavia4:59.4 +11.6s82413.
7. Donald JohnstonSAF South Africa4:59.5 +11.7s71814.
-. Per-Olof OstrandSWE SwedenDNS 31815.
-. Imre NyekiHUN HungaryDNS 11916.
Heats time gapLYRk
1. James McLaneUSA United States4:42.2OR 3171.
1. Bill SmithUSA United States4:45.3 +3.1s3242.
2. John MarshallAUS Australia4:51.4 +9.2s7183.
1. Geza KadasHUN Hungary4:52.8 +10.6s8214.
1. Jack HaleGBR Great Britain4:53.3 +11.1s1265.
2. Alex JanyFRA France4:53.3 +11.1s3195.
2. Per-Olof OstrandSWE Sweden4:53.5 +11.3s4187.
1. Severo Alfredo YantornoARG Argentina4:53.8 +11.6s6248.
1. Gyorgy MitroHUN Hungary4:56.0 +13.8s2189.
2. Donald JohnstonSAF South Africa4:57.4 +15.2s41810.
3. Miroslav BartusekTCH Czechoslovakia4:57.9 +15.7s52611.
2. William HeusnerUSA United States4:58.3 +16.1s82112.
3. Branko VidovicYUG Yugoslavia4:58.7 +16.5s72413.
3. Ivan PuharYUG Yugoslavia5:00.8 +18.6s52814.
3. Marjan StipeticYUG Yugoslavia5:01.4 +19.2s51715.
2. Imre NyekiHUN Hungary5:01.8 +19.6s51916.
4. Luis GonzalezCOL Colombia5:02.1 +19.9s2_17.
3. Roy BothamGBR Great Britain5:03.4 +21.2s62518.
4. Joseph BernardoFRA France5:03.8 +21.6s11919.
3. Florbel PerezURU Uruguay5:04.7 +22.5s12020.
4. Rene CornuFRA France5:05.2 +23.0s61921.
4. Jose DuranonaARG Argentina5:05.8 +23.6s42522.
4. Garrick AgnewAUS Australia5:06.1 +23.9s21723.
5. Luis Child VelezCOL Colombia5:08.5 +26.3s6_24.
4. Isidoro Martinez FerryESP Spain5:10.0 +27.8s12325.
5. Juan GarayARG Argentina5:10.4 +28.2s61926.
5. Franklin Douglas GibsonCAN Canada5:13.4 +31.2s8_27.
6. Isidoro Perez GonzalezESP Spain5:16.1 +33.9s32028.
5. Ari GudmundssonISL Iceland5:16.2 +34.0s12029.
5. Alejandro Febrero LorenzoESP Spain5:16.9 +34.7s82330.
6. Thomas Patrick HoltGBR Great Britain5:20.7 +38.5s62431.
6. Derek OatwayBER Bermuda5:20.9 +38.7s41732.
7. Sambiao BasanungPHI Philippines5:21.5 +39.3s52633.
6. Allan GilchristCAN Canada5:21.5 +39.3s71633.
6. Walter SchneiderSUI Switzerland5:25.5 +43.3s32035.
7. Walter Edward BardgettBER Bermuda5:37.2 +55.0s21536.
6. Robert James CookBER Bermuda5:37.9 +55.7s21537.
7. Bimal ChandraIND India5:38.6 +56.4s3_38.
7. Jack HakimEGY Egypt5:40.3 +58.1s71639.
7. Anwar Aziz ChaudhryPAK Pakistan6:17.4 +1:35.2s4_40.
7. Sultan Karim AlyPAK Pakistan7:16.9 +2:34.7s4_41.
-. W F JonesIRL IrelandDNS 1_-.
-. Ramon Bravo PrietaMEX MexicoDNS 722-.
-. Taha Youssef El GamalEGY EgyptDNS 525-.
-. Sachin NagIND IndiaDNS 228-.
-. Angel Maldonado CamposMEX MexicoDNS 7_-.
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Last updated: 17 Apr 2023
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