Men 100m Freestyle Swimming XVII Olympic Games 1960 Rome, Italy - Friday, 26th August - Gold Medal: John Devitt, Australia
Final 21:10 time gap L Y 1. John Devitt Australia55.2s OR 3 23 2. Lance Larson United States55.2s OR 4 20 3. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil55.4s +0.2s 6 21 4. Bruce Hunter United States55.6s +0.4s 5 21 5. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.3s +1.1s 2 22 6. Dick Pound Canada56.3s +1.1s 1 18 7. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.3s +1.1s 8 21 8. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden57.1s +1.9s 7 20
World Record: John Devitt, Australia54.6s Brisbanne , Australia 28th Januaty 1957 Olympic Record: Jon Henricks, Ausralia 55.4s Melbourne, 30 November 1956
The heats of the 100 freestyle were uneventful, as Larson, Devitt, Henricks, and Manuel dos Santos (BRA) all won their heats. The semi-finals were marked only by Jon Henricks failing to qualify, with the three heats being won by Devitt, Dos Santos, and Larson. Larson had the fastest semi-final time of 55.5, with Devitt posting a 55.8, both far from Devitt's world record of 54.6.
The finals were held on Friday, 26 August, at 9:10 (21:10) at night. Dos Santos started the fastest and led at 50 metres, with Devitt and Larson equal second at the turn. Dos Santos faded over the last 50 metres and Devitt came on with a rush. Larson also closed, but more slowly, catching Devitt again at about 80 metres. It appeared to most observers that Larson barely out-touched Devitt, although the result was very close. Before getting out of the pool, Devitt congratulated Lance Larson.
Best 8 times advanced to Final .
Semi 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Lance Larson United States55.5s 4 20 1. 2. Bruce Hunter United States55.7s +0.2s 3 21 2. 3. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.5s +1.0s 5 21 7. 4. Keigo Shimizu Japan57.1s +1.6s 2 21 11. 5. Igor Luzhkovsky Soviet Union57.5s +2.0s 1 22 14. 6. Cameron Grout Canada58.0s +2.5s 7 20 18. 7. Paul Voell UT Germany58.4s +2.9s 8 25 20. 8. Alain Gottvalles France58.5s +3.0s 6 18 22.
Semi 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. John Devitt Australia55.8s +0.3s 4 23 3. 2. Dick Pound Canada56.5s +1.0s 3 18 7. 3. Andrzej Salamon Poland56.9s +1.4s 5 24 10. 4. Jon Henricks Australia57.2s +1.7s 6 25 12. 5. Uwe Jacobsen UT Germany57.4s +1.9s 1 19 13. 6. Laszlo Lantos Hungary58.0s +2.5s 2 21 18. 7. Vitaly Sorokin Soviet Union58.7s +3.2s 8 24 23. 7. Jorge Escalante Mexico59.0s +3.5s 7 20 24.
1. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil56.3s +0.8s 4 21 4. 2. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.3s +0.8s 5 22 5. 3. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden56.4s +0.9s 6 20 6. 4. Karri Kalervo Kayhko Finland56.6s +1.1s 3 22 9. 5. Bernard Aluchna Poland57.8s +2.3s 7 23 15. 6. Katsuki Ishihara Japan57.8s +2.3s 2 21 15. 7. Ronald Ron Kroon Netherlands57.9s +2.4s 1 17 17. 8. Ezio Della Savia Italy58.4s +2.9s 8 18 20.
Heats - Friday 26th October 08:30Best 24 times advanced to Semi-Finals (1/2)>.
Heat 7 time gap L Y Rk 1. Lance Larson United States55.7s 4 20 1. 2. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.3s +0.6s 6 21 3. 3. Katsuki Ishihara Japan57.5s +1.8s 5 21 15. 4. Bernard Aluchna Poland57.9s +2.2s 8 23 19. 5. Paul Voell UT Germany58.0s +2.3s 3 25 22. 6. William O'Donnell Great Britain59.2s +3.5s 2 18 33. 7. Gojko Arneri Yugoslavia1:00.5 +4.8s 7 24 39. 8. Itzhak Luria Israel1:00.9 +5.2s 1 19 42.
Heat 6 time gap L Y Rk 1. Bruce Hunter United States56.6s +0.9s 4 21 7. 2. Dick Pound Canada56.7s +1.0s 6 18 8. 3. Ruben Alejandro Roca Rosillo Cuba58.3s +2.6s 2 19 25. 4. Janez Kocmur Yugoslavia58.7s +3.0s 5 22 28. 5. Giorgio Perondini Italy58.9s +3.2s 3 22 30. 6. Phan Huu Dong South Vietnam1:01.3 +5.6s 7 21 44. 7. Unsal Fikirci Turkey1:03.0 +7.3s 1 20 46.
Heat 5 time gap L Y Rk 1. Jon Henricks Australia56.9s +1.2s 4 25 10. 2. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden57.1s +1.4s 5 20 12. 3. Laszlo Lantos Hungary57.4s +1.7s 3 21 14. 4. Stanley Clarke Great Britain59.1s +3.4s 2 22 31. 5. Fernando Nabuco De Abreu Brazil1:00.1 +4.4s 7 16 36. 6. Gudmundur Gislasson Iceland1:00.8 +5.1s 6 19 41. 7. Frederico Elizalde Philippines1:03.0 +7.3s 1 20 46. 8. Christopher Dowling Malta1:08.9 +13.2s 8 16 51.
Heat 4 time gap L Y Rk 1. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.5s +0.8s 4 22 5. 2. Vitaly Sorokin Soviet Union58.2s +2.5s 3 24 23. 3. Bengt Nordwall Sweden58.5s +2.8s 5 19 27. 4. Jan Bouwman Netherlands58.8s +3.1s 6 24 29. 5. Amiram Trauber Israel59.7s +4.0s 7 21 35. 6. Kin-Man Cheung Hong Kong1:01.1 +5.4s 2 28 43.
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 1. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil56.3s +0.6s 4 21 3. 2. Andrzej Salamon Poland56.5s +0.8s 8 24 5. 4. Jorge Escalante Mexico57.6s +1.9s 3 20 16. 3. Cameron Grout Canada57.6s +1.9s 6 20 16. 5. Ronald Ron Kroon Netherlands57.7s +2.0s 5 17 18. 6. Gerard Gropaiz France59.3s +3.6s 2 17 34. 7. Peter Bartschi Switzerland1:02.9 +7.2s 1 24 45. -. Murray McLachlan South AfricaDNS 7 19 -.
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. John Devitt Australia56.0s +0.3s 4 23 2. 2. Alain Gottvalles France56.9s +1.2s 3 18 10. 4. Uwe Jacobsen UT Germany57.9s +2.2s 6 19 19. 3. Igor Luzhkovsky Soviet Union57.9s +2.2s 5 22 19. 6. Luis Nicolao Argentina1:00.2 +4.5s 2 16 37. 8. Alfred Grixti Malta1:07.8 +12.1s 8 17 50.
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Karri Kalervo Kayhko Finland56.8s +1.1s 4 22 9. 2. Keigo Shimizu Japan57.3s +1.6s 5 21 13. 3. Ezio Della Savia Italy58.2s +2.5s 2 18 23. 4. Gert Kolli Austria58.3s +2.6s 3 20 25. 5. Achmad Dimyati Indonesia59.1s +3.4s 7 21 31. 5. Herlander Felga Ribeiro Portugal1:00.2 +4.5s 7 17 37. 6. Leopoldo Rodes Pares Spain1:00.7 +5.0s 6 21 40. 7. Seow Jit Fong Malaya1:03.4 +7.7s 1 18 48. 7. Rene Wagner Luxembourg1:04.3 +8.6s 1 22 49.
Final 21:10 time gap L Y Rk 1. John Devitt Australia55.2s OR 3 23 1. 2. Lance Larson United States55.2s OR 4 20 2. 3. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil55.4s +0.2s 6 21 3. 4. Bruce Hunter United States55.6s +0.4s 5 21 4. 5. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.3s +1.1s 2 22 5. 6. Dick Pound Canada56.3s +1.1s 1 18 6. 7. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.3s +1.1s 8 21 7. 8. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden57.1s +1.9s 7 20 8. Semis time gap L Y Rk 1. Lance Larson United States55.5s 4 20 1. 2. Bruce Hunter United States55.7s +0.2s 3 21 2. 1. John Devitt Australia55.8s +0.3s 4 23 3. 1. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil56.3s +0.8s 4 21 4. 2. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.3s +0.8s 5 22 5. 3. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden56.4s +0.9s 6 20 6. 3. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.5s +1.0s 5 21 7. 2. Dick Pound Canada56.5s +1.0s 3 18 7. 4. Karri Kalervo Kayhko Finland56.6s +1.1s 3 22 9. 3. Andrzej Salamon Poland56.9s +1.4s 5 24 10. 4. Keigo Shimizu Japan57.1s +1.6s 2 21 11. 4. Jon Henricks Australia57.2s +1.7s 6 25 12. 5. Uwe Jacobsen UT Germany57.4s +1.9s 1 19 13. 5. Igor Luzhkovsky Soviet Union57.5s +2.0s 1 22 14. 5. Bernard Aluchna Poland57.8s +2.3s 7 23 15. 6. Katsuki Ishihara Japan57.8s +2.3s 2 21 15. 7. Ronald Ron Kroon Netherlands57.9s +2.4s 1 17 17. 6. Cameron Grout Canada58.0s +2.5s 7 20 18. 6. Laszlo Lantos Hungary58.0s +2.5s 2 21 18. 8. Ezio Della Savia Italy58.4s +2.9s 8 18 20. 7. Paul Voell UT Germany58.4s +2.9s 8 25 20. 8. Alain Gottvalles France58.5s +3.0s 6 18 22. 7. Vitaly Sorokin Soviet Union58.7s +3.2s 8 24 23. 7. Jorge Escalante Mexico59.0s +3.5s 7 20 24. Heats time gap L Y Rk 1. Lance Larson United States55.7s 4 20 1. 1. John Devitt Australia56.0s +0.3s 4 23 2. 2. Aubrey Burer South Africa56.3s +0.6s 6 21 3. 1. Manuel Dos Santos Brazil56.3s +0.6s 4 21 3. 1. Gyula Dobai Hungary56.5s +0.8s 4 22 5. 2. Andrzej Salamon Poland56.5s +0.8s 8 24 5. 1. Bruce Hunter United States56.6s +0.9s 4 21 7. 2. Dick Pound Canada56.7s +1.0s 6 18 8. 1. Karri Kalervo Kayhko Finland56.8s +1.1s 4 22 9. 2. Alain Gottvalles France56.9s +1.2s 3 18 10. 1. Jon Henricks Australia56.9s +1.2s 4 25 10. 2. Per-Ola Lindberg Sweden57.1s +1.4s 5 20 12. 2. Keigo Shimizu Japan57.3s +1.6s 5 21 13. 3. Laszlo Lantos Hungary57.4s +1.7s 3 21 14. 3. Katsuki Ishihara Japan57.5s +1.8s 5 21 15. 4. Jorge Escalante Mexico57.6s +1.9s 3 20 16. 3. Cameron Grout Canada57.6s +1.9s 6 20 16. 5. Ronald Ron Kroon Netherlands57.7s +2.0s 5 17 18. 4. Bernard Aluchna Poland57.9s +2.2s 8 23 19. 4. Uwe Jacobsen UT Germany57.9s +2.2s 6 19 19. 3. Igor Luzhkovsky Soviet Union57.9s +2.2s 5 22 19. 5. Paul Voell UT Germany58.0s +2.3s 3 25 22. 3. Ezio Della Savia Italy58.2s +2.5s 2 18 23. 2. Vitaly Sorokin Soviet Union58.2s +2.5s 3 24 23. 4. Gert Kolli Austria58.3s +2.6s 3 20 25. 3. Ruben Alejandro Roca Rosillo Cuba58.3s +2.6s 2 19 25. 3. Bengt Nordwall Sweden58.5s +2.8s 5 19 27. 4. Janez Kocmur Yugoslavia58.7s +3.0s 5 22 28. 4. Jan Bouwman Netherlands58.8s +3.1s 6 24 29. 5. Giorgio Perondini Italy58.9s +3.2s 3 22 30. 4. Stanley Clarke Great Britain59.1s +3.4s 2 22 31. 5. Achmad Dimyati Indonesia59.1s +3.4s 7 21 31. 6. William O'Donnell Great Britain59.2s +3.5s 2 18 33. 6. Gerard Gropaiz France59.3s +3.6s 2 17 34. 5. Amiram Trauber Israel59.7s +4.0s 7 21 35. 5. Fernando Nabuco De Abreu Brazil1:00.1 +4.4s 7 16 36. 6. Luis Nicolao Argentina1:00.2 +4.5s 2 16 37. 5. Herlander Felga Ribeiro Portugal1:00.2 +4.5s 7 17 37. 7. Gojko Arneri Yugoslavia1:00.5 +4.8s 7 24 39. 6. Leopoldo Rodes Pares Spain1:00.7 +5.0s 6 21 40. 6. Gudmundur Gislasson Iceland1:00.8 +5.1s 6 19 41. 8. Itzhak Luria Israel1:00.9 +5.2s 1 19 42. 6. Kin-Man Cheung Hong Kong1:01.1 +5.4s 2 28 43. 6. Phan Huu Dong South Vietnam1:01.3 +5.6s 7 21 44. 7. Peter Bartschi Switzerland1:02.9 +7.2s 1 24 45. 7. Frederico Elizalde Philippines1:03.0 +7.3s 1 20 46. 7. Unsal Fikirci Turkey1:03.0 +7.3s 1 20 46. 7. Seow Jit Fong Malaya1:03.4 +7.7s 1 18 48. 7. Rene Wagner Luxembourg1:04.3 +8.6s 1 22 49. 8. Alfred Grixti Malta1:07.8 +12.1s 8 17 50. 8. Christopher Dowling Malta1:08.9 +13.2s 8 16 51. -. Murray McLachlan South AfricaDNS 7 19 -.
The 1960 Olympics were held in the days prior to automatic starting pistols, automatic touch pads, and electronic timing. There was an electronic timer at Rome, but it was used as a back-up system only. Results in 1960 were decided by finish judges who relied on their eyes and did not use replays. There were three first-place judges and three second-place judges. Of the three first-place judges, they were split, 2-1, favoring Devitt. The three second-place judges also favored Devitt for second, by 2-1. Therefore, the six judges were split, 3-3, in terms of who won.
There were three official timers in 1960 for each lane and swimmer, all timing by hand. All three timers for Devitt, in lane three, timed him in 55.2 seconds. The three timers for lane four, had timed Larson in 55.0, 55.1, and 55.1 seconds; thus timing seemed to favor Larson. The judges then turned to the electronic back-up timer to break the tie. The electronic timing had Larson in 55.10 seconds and Devitt in 55.16 seconds, a difference of about 4 inches. Using both the hand times and the electronic times, Larson's time should have been listed as 55.1 seconds, with Devitt at 55.2.
After a long delay, the chief judge, Henry Runstr's of Sweden cast the deciding vote and declared Devitt the winner. He ruled that Larson would be given the time of 55.2 seconds. However, the rules at that time did not provide for the chief judge to have a vote or give him the right to break ties. Ties were supposed to be broken by referring to the timing machine. The United States' team appealed. The appeal jury, headed by Jan de Vries (NED), also the President of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) in 1960, rejected the appeal, keeping Devitt the winner.
Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev
todor1966@yahoo.com
Last updated: 17 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev