Men 400m Freestyle Swimming Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Wednesday, 4th August - Gold Medal: Bill Smith, United States
Final 20:00 time gap L Y 1. Bill Smith United States4:41.0 OR 4 24 2. James McLane United States4:43.4 +2.4s 6 17 3. John Marshall Australia4:47.4 +6.4s 3 18 4. Geza Kadas Hungary4:49.4 +8.4s 5 21 5. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:49.9 +8.9s 7 18 6. Alex Jany France4:51.4 +10.4s 2 19 7. Jack Hale Great Britain4:55.9 +14.9s 8 26 8. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:58.7 +17.7s 1 24
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
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.
Best 8 times advanced to Final .
Semi 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. James McLane United States4:49.5 +1.7s 5 17 3. 2. John Marshall Australia4:50.0 +2.2s 4 18 4. 3. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:50.8 +3.0s 7 18 5. 4. Jack Hale Great Britain4:51.4 +3.6s 6 26 7. 5. Marjan Stipetic Yugoslavia4:58.6 +10.8s 1 17 10. 6. Miroslav Bartusek Czechoslovakia4:58.7 +10.9s 2 26 11. 7. Branko Vidovic Yugoslavia4:59.4 +11.6s 8 24 13. -. Per-Olof Ostrand SwedenDNS 3 18 15.
Semi 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Geza Kadas Hungary4:47.8 4 21 1. 2. Bill Smith United States4:48.4 +0.6s 5 24 2. 3. Alex Jany France4:51.3 +3.5s 6 19 6. 4. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:57.3 +9.5s 3 24 8. 5. William Heusner United States4:57.4 +9.6s 2 21 9. 6. Ivan Puhar Yugoslavia4:58.7 +10.9s 8 28 11. 7. Donald Johnston South Africa4:59.5 +11.7s 7 18 14. -. Imre Nyeki HungaryDNS 1 19 16.
Heat 6 time gap L Y Rk 1. Bill Smith United States4:45.3 +3.1s 3 24 2. 2. John Marshall Australia4:51.4 +9.2s 7 18 3. 3. Ivan Puhar Yugoslavia5:00.8 +18.6s 5 28 14. 4. Luis Gonzalez Colombia5:02.1 +19.9s 2 _ 17. 5. Ari Gudmundsson Iceland5:16.2 +34.0s 1 20 29. 6. Thomas Patrick Holt Great Britain5:20.7 +38.5s 6 24 31.
Heat 5 time gap L Y Rk 1. Geza Kadas Hungary4:52.8 +10.6s 8 21 4. 2. Per-Olof Ostrand Sweden4:53.5 +11.3s 4 18 7. 3. Florbel Perez Uruguay5:04.7 +22.5s 1 20 20. 4. Rene Cornu France5:05.2 +23.0s 6 19 21. 6. Isidoro Perez Gonzalez Spain5:16.1 +33.9s 3 20 28. 7. Sambiao Basanung Philippines5:21.5 +39.3s 5 26 33. -. Sachin Nag IndiaDNS 2 28 -. -. Angel Maldonado Campos MexicoDNS 7 _ -.
Heat 4 time gap L Y Rk 1. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:56.0 +13.8s 2 18 9. 2. William Heusner United States4:58.3 +16.1s 8 21 12. 3. Branko Vidovic Yugoslavia4:58.7 +16.5s 7 24 13. 4. Isidoro Martinez Ferry Spain5:10.0 +27.8s 1 23 25. 5. Juan Garay Argentina5:10.4 +28.2s 6 19 26. 6. Derek Oatway Bermuda5:20.9 +38.7s 4 17 32. 7. Bimal Chandra India5:38.6 +56.4s 3 _ 38. -. Taha Youssef El Gamal EgyptDNS 5 25 -.
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 1. Jack Hale Great Britain4:53.3 +11.1s 1 26 5. 2. Alex Jany France4:53.3 +11.1s 3 19 5. 3. Marjan Stipetic Yugoslavia5:01.4 +19.2s 5 17 15. 4. Garrick Agnew Australia5:06.1 +23.9s 2 17 23. 5. Luis Child Velez Colombia5:08.5 +26.3s 6 _ 24. 6. Allan Gilchrist Canada5:21.5 +39.3s 7 16 33. 7. Anwar Aziz Chaudhry Pakistan6:17.4 +1:35.2s 4 _ 40.
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:53.8 +11.6s 6 24 8. 2. Donald Johnston South Africa4:57.4 +15.2s 4 18 10. 3. Miroslav Bartusek Czechoslovakia4:57.9 +15.7s 5 26 11. 4. Joseph Bernardo France5:03.8 +21.6s 1 19 19. 5. Franklin Douglas Gibson Canada5:13.4 +31.2s 8 _ 27. 6. Walter Schneider Switzerland5:25.5 +43.3s 3 20 35. 7. Walter Edward Bardgett Bermuda5:37.2 +55.0s 2 15 36. -. Ramon Bravo Prieta MexicoDNS 7 22 -.
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. James McLane United States4:42.2 OR 3 17 1. 2. Imre Nyeki Hungary5:01.8 +19.6s 5 19 16. 3. Roy Botham Great Britain5:03.4 +21.2s 6 25 18. 4. Jose Duranona Argentina5:05.8 +23.6s 4 25 22. 5. Alejandro Febrero Lorenzo Spain5:16.9 +34.7s 8 23 30. 6. Robert James Cook Bermuda5:37.9 +55.7s 2 15 37. 7. Jack Hakim Egypt5:40.3 +58.1s 7 16 39. 7. Sultan Karim Aly Pakistan7:16.9 +2:34.7s 4 _ 41. -. W F Jones IrelandDNS 1 _ -.
Final 20:00 time gap L Y Rk 1. Bill Smith United States4:41.0 OR 4 24 1. 2. James McLane United States4:43.4 +2.4s 6 17 2. 3. John Marshall Australia4:47.4 +6.4s 3 18 3. 4. Geza Kadas Hungary4:49.4 +8.4s 5 21 4. 5. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:49.9 +8.9s 7 18 5. 6. Alex Jany France4:51.4 +10.4s 2 19 6. 7. Jack Hale Great Britain4:55.9 +14.9s 8 26 7. 8. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:58.7 +17.7s 1 24 8. Semis time gap L Y Rk 1. Geza Kadas Hungary4:47.8 4 21 1. 2. Bill Smith United States4:48.4 +0.6s 5 24 2. 1. James McLane United States4:49.5 +1.7s 5 17 3. 2. John Marshall Australia4:50.0 +2.2s 4 18 4. 3. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:50.8 +3.0s 7 18 5. 3. Alex Jany France4:51.3 +3.5s 6 19 6. 4. Jack Hale Great Britain4:51.4 +3.6s 6 26 7. 4. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:57.3 +9.5s 3 24 8. 5. William Heusner United States4:57.4 +9.6s 2 21 9. 5. Marjan Stipetic Yugoslavia4:58.6 +10.8s 1 17 10. 6. Miroslav Bartusek Czechoslovakia4:58.7 +10.9s 2 26 11. 6. Ivan Puhar Yugoslavia4:58.7 +10.9s 8 28 11. 7. Branko Vidovic Yugoslavia4:59.4 +11.6s 8 24 13. 7. Donald Johnston South Africa4:59.5 +11.7s 7 18 14. -. Per-Olof Ostrand SwedenDNS 3 18 15. -. Imre Nyeki HungaryDNS 1 19 16. Heats time gap L Y Rk 1. James McLane United States4:42.2 OR 3 17 1. 1. Bill Smith United States4:45.3 +3.1s 3 24 2. 2. John Marshall Australia4:51.4 +9.2s 7 18 3. 1. Geza Kadas Hungary4:52.8 +10.6s 8 21 4. 1. Jack Hale Great Britain4:53.3 +11.1s 1 26 5. 2. Alex Jany France4:53.3 +11.1s 3 19 5. 2. Per-Olof Ostrand Sweden4:53.5 +11.3s 4 18 7. 1. Severo Alfredo Yantorno Argentina4:53.8 +11.6s 6 24 8. 1. Gyorgy Mitro Hungary4:56.0 +13.8s 2 18 9. 2. Donald Johnston South Africa4:57.4 +15.2s 4 18 10. 3. Miroslav Bartusek Czechoslovakia4:57.9 +15.7s 5 26 11. 2. William Heusner United States4:58.3 +16.1s 8 21 12. 3. Branko Vidovic Yugoslavia4:58.7 +16.5s 7 24 13. 3. Ivan Puhar Yugoslavia5:00.8 +18.6s 5 28 14. 3. Marjan Stipetic Yugoslavia5:01.4 +19.2s 5 17 15. 2. Imre Nyeki Hungary5:01.8 +19.6s 5 19 16. 4. Luis Gonzalez Colombia5:02.1 +19.9s 2 _ 17. 3. Roy Botham Great Britain5:03.4 +21.2s 6 25 18. 4. Joseph Bernardo France5:03.8 +21.6s 1 19 19. 3. Florbel Perez Uruguay5:04.7 +22.5s 1 20 20. 4. Rene Cornu France5:05.2 +23.0s 6 19 21. 4. Jose Duranona Argentina5:05.8 +23.6s 4 25 22. 4. Garrick Agnew Australia5:06.1 +23.9s 2 17 23. 5. Luis Child Velez Colombia5:08.5 +26.3s 6 _ 24. 4. Isidoro Martinez Ferry Spain5:10.0 +27.8s 1 23 25. 5. Juan Garay Argentina5:10.4 +28.2s 6 19 26. 5. Franklin Douglas Gibson Canada5:13.4 +31.2s 8 _ 27. 6. Isidoro Perez Gonzalez Spain5:16.1 +33.9s 3 20 28. 5. Ari Gudmundsson Iceland5:16.2 +34.0s 1 20 29. 5. Alejandro Febrero Lorenzo Spain5:16.9 +34.7s 8 23 30. 6. Thomas Patrick Holt Great Britain5:20.7 +38.5s 6 24 31. 6. Derek Oatway Bermuda5:20.9 +38.7s 4 17 32. 7. Sambiao Basanung Philippines5:21.5 +39.3s 5 26 33. 6. Allan Gilchrist Canada5:21.5 +39.3s 7 16 33. 6. Walter Schneider Switzerland5:25.5 +43.3s 3 20 35. 7. Walter Edward Bardgett Bermuda5:37.2 +55.0s 2 15 36. 6. Robert James Cook Bermuda5:37.9 +55.7s 2 15 37. 7. Bimal Chandra India5:38.6 +56.4s 3 _ 38. 7. Jack Hakim Egypt5:40.3 +58.1s 7 16 39. 7. Anwar Aziz Chaudhry Pakistan6:17.4 +1:35.2s 4 _ 40. 7. Sultan Karim Aly Pakistan7:16.9 +2:34.7s 4 _ 41. -. W F Jones IrelandDNS 1 _ -. -. Ramon Bravo Prieta MexicoDNS 7 22 -. -. Taha Youssef El Gamal EgyptDNS 5 25 -. -. Sachin Nag IndiaDNS 2 28 -. -. Angel Maldonado Campos MexicoDNS 7 _ -.
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Last updated: 17 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev