Women 400m Freestyle Swimming XIV Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August - Gold Medal: Ann Curtis, United States
Final time gap L Y 1. Ann Curtis United States5:17.8 OR 6 22 2. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:21.2 +3.4s 5 23 3. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:22.5 +4.7s 2 17 4. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:25.3 +7.5s 4 28 5. Brenda Helser United States5:26.0 +8.2s 3 24 6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva Brazil5:29.4 +11.6s 8 28 7. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.4 +11.6s 7 23 8. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:32.9 +15.1s 1 22
19 Competitors from 11 Nations. Empire Pool.
World Record: Ragnhild Hveger, Denmark 5:00.1 Kopenhagen, Denmark 15th September 1940 Olympic Record: Hendrika Mastenbroek, Netherlands 5:26.4 Berlin, Germany 15th August 1936
The same protagonists from the 100m were favoured in the 400m freestyle although American Ann Curtis was considered stronger at this event than at the shorter distances. The shock of the heats was the collapse of the 100m gold medallist and hot favourite, Greta Andersen, who blacked out in the water just beyond the 200m mark and had to be rescued from the pool. Karen Harup, also of Denmark, broke the Olympic record in the semi-finals and emerged as the greatest threat to an American victory. In the final Curtis held her effort until the final 100m then breezed past the opposition to record a clear victory. Harup narrowly held on to silver with a fast finishing Cathie Gibson gaining the host nation's only aquatic medal of the 1948 games with the bronze
Best 8 times advanced to Final .
Semi 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:25.7 OR 3 23 1. 2. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:26.1 +0.4s 5 28 2. 3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva Brazil5:31.1 +5.4s 6 28 7. 4. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:31.9 +6.2s 4 22 8. 5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen Great Britain5:39.5 +13.8s 2 18 12. 6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt Mexico5:42.4 +16.7s 8 18 13. 7. Vivien King Canada5:52.7 +27.0s 1 18 15. -. Gisela Thidholm SwedenDNS 7 18 -.
Semi 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Ann Curtis United States5:26.4 +0.7s 3 22 3. 2. Brenda Helser United States5:28.1 +2.4s 6 24 4. 3. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.5 +3.8s 4 23 5. 4. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:31.0 +5.3s 5 17 6. 5. Colette Thomas France5:35.3 +9.6s 7 19 9. 6. Denise Spencer Australia5:35.6 +9.9s 8 18 10. 7. Margaret Wellington Great Britain5:38.2 +12.5s 2 21 11. 8. Eileen Holt Argentina5:52.4 +26.7s 1 _ 14.
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 1. Brenda Helser United States5:30.0 +3.1s 1 24 5. 2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva Brazil5:30.2 +3.3s 2 28 6. 3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen Great Britain5:40.4 +13.5s 7 18 12. 4. Denise Spencer Australia5:40.9 +14.0s 8 18 13. 5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt Mexico5:43.8 +16.9s 6 18 14. 6. Eileen Holt Argentina5:44.9 +18.0s 4 _ 15. -. Greta Andersen DenmarkDNF 3 21 -. -. Josette Arene FranceDNS 5 23 -.
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:26.9 3 17 1. 2. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:29.2 +2.3s 2 28 2. 3. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.4 +2.5s 1 23 3. 4. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:29.6 +2.7s 6 22 4. 5. Vivien King Canada5:54.8 +27.9s 5 18 16. -. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues BrazilDNS 4 13 -. -. Eva Szekely HungaryDNS 7 21 -.
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:31.7 +4.8s 3 23 7. 2. Ann Curtis United States5:32.0 +5.1s 7 22 8. 3. Colette Thomas France5:32.9 +6.0s 5 19 9. 4. Gisela Thidholm Sweden5:34.5 +7.6s 8 18 10. 5. Margaret Wellington Great Britain5:40.0 +13.1s 1 21 11. 6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson Canada5:58.7 +31.8s 4 17 17. 7. Enriqueta Duarte Argentina6:14.4 +47.5s 6 19 18. -. Hannie Termeulen NetherlandsDNS 2 19 -.
Final time gap L Y Rk 1. Ann Curtis United States5:17.8 OR 6 22 1. 2. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:21.2 +3.4s 5 23 2. 3. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:22.5 +4.7s 2 17 3. 4. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:25.3 +7.5s 4 28 4. 5. Brenda Helser United States5:26.0 +8.2s 3 24 5. 6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva Brazil5:29.4 +11.6s 8 28 6. 7. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.4 +11.6s 7 23 7. 8. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:32.9 +15.1s 1 22 8. Semis time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:25.7 OR 3 23 1. 2. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:26.1 +0.4s 5 28 2. 1. Ann Curtis United States5:26.4 +0.7s 3 22 3. 2. Brenda Helser United States5:28.1 +2.4s 6 24 4. 3. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.5 +3.8s 4 23 5. 4. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:31.0 +5.3s 5 17 6. 3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva Brazil5:31.1 +5.4s 6 28 7. 4. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:31.9 +6.2s 4 22 8. 5. Colette Thomas France5:35.3 +9.6s 7 19 9. 6. Denise Spencer Australia5:35.6 +9.9s 8 18 10. 7. Margaret Wellington Great Britain5:38.2 +12.5s 2 21 11. 5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen Great Britain5:39.5 +13.8s 2 18 12. 6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt Mexico5:42.4 +16.7s 8 18 13. 8. Eileen Holt Argentina5:52.4 +26.7s 1 _ 14. 7. Vivien King Canada5:52.7 +27.0s 1 18 15. -. Gisela Thidholm SwedenDNS 7 18 -. Heats time gap L Y Rk 1. Catherine Gibson Great Britain5:26.9 3 17 1. 2. Fernande Caroen Belgium5:29.2 +2.3s 2 28 2. 3. Fritze Carstensen Denmark5:29.4 +2.5s 1 23 3. 4. Nancy Merki Lees United States5:29.6 +2.7s 6 22 4. 1. Brenda Helser United States5:30.0 +3.1s 1 24 5. 2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva Brazil5:30.2 +3.3s 2 28 6. 1. Karen Margrethe Harup Denmark5:31.7 +4.8s 3 23 7. 2. Ann Curtis United States5:32.0 +5.1s 7 22 8. 3. Colette Thomas France5:32.9 +6.0s 5 19 9. 4. Gisela Thidholm Sweden5:34.5 +7.6s 8 18 10. 5. Margaret Wellington Great Britain5:40.0 +13.1s 1 21 11. 3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen Great Britain5:40.4 +13.5s 7 18 12. 4. Denise Spencer Australia5:40.9 +14.0s 8 18 13. 5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt Mexico5:43.8 +16.9s 6 18 14. 6. Eileen Holt Argentina5:44.9 +18.0s 4 _ 15. 5. Vivien King Canada5:54.8 +27.9s 5 18 16. 6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson Canada5:58.7 +31.8s 4 17 17. 7. Enriqueta Duarte Argentina6:14.4 +47.5s 6 19 18. -. Greta Andersen DenmarkDNF 3 21 -. -. Josette Arene FranceDNS 5 23 -. -. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues BrazilDNS 4 13 -. -. Eva Szekely HungaryDNS 7 21 -. -. Hannie Termeulen NetherlandsDNS 2 19 -.
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Last updated: 17 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev