Men 1500m Freestyle Swimming XXIV Olympic Games 1988 Seoul, South Korea - Sunday, 25th September - Vladimir Salnikov, Soviet Union
Final time gap L Y 400m 800m 1200m 1. Vladimir Salnikov Soviet Union15:00.40 5 28 3:59.76 8:00.67 11:59.42 2. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany15:02.69 +2.29s 3 22 4:00.55 8:02.14 12:02.61 3. Uwe Dassler East Germany15:06.15 +5.75s 6 21 4:00.34 8:03.24 12:07.47 4. Matt Cetlinski United States15:06.42 +6.02s 4 23 3:59.52 8:01.11 12:06.03 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland15:14.76 +14.36s 2 20 4:01.61 8:06.79 12:12.57 6. Rainer Henkel West Germany15:18.19 +17.79s 7 24 4:02.47 8:06.07 12:11.47 7. Kevin Boyd Great Britain15:21.16 +20.76s 8 22 4:02.72 8:08.64 12:15.81 8. Darjan Petric Yugoslavia15:37.12 +36.72s 1 24 4:02.90 8:11.37 12:24.87
World Record: Vladimir Salnikov, Soviet Union 14:54.76 Moskva, Soviet Union 22th February Olympic Record: Vladimir Salnikov, Soviet Union 14:58.27 Moskva, Soviet Union 22th July 1980
16:36.10 LCM-time done since Jan 1, 1987
16:01.80 SCM-time done since Sep 1, 1987
Vladimir Salnikov was unbeaten in this race between 1977 and early 1986. He had broken the 15-minute barrier at the 1980 Olympics, and was still the only swimmer under the barrier, having bettered it four times, with three world records. But by 1988 he was far from the swimmer he had once been. He had placed fourth in this event at the 1986 Worlds, won by West Germany's Rainer Henkel, and had not qualified for the final of the 1987 Europeans. The Soviet swim coaches did not choose him for the 1988 Olympic team, but the Soviet Minister of Sport intervened and Salnikov was placed on the team, and he pushed his training in an attempt to regain his old form.
In the final Salnikov swam behind American Matt Cetlinski for the first 600 metres, pulling slightly ahead at 700. West German Stefan Pfeiffe] moved into second at 950 metres, as Salnikov continued to increase his lead, and Cetlinski dropped back to third. Just before 1,400 m the 400 gold medalist, Uwe Dassler of the GDR, caught Cetlinski. Salnikov continued to power ahead until the final 100, when Pfeiffer closed slightly. But it was not enough as Salnikov won his second gold medal in the event, with Pfeiffer second, and Dassler third. For Cetlinski, it was further disappointment as he placed fourth, as he had in the 400.
That night in the Olympic Village, Salnikov went to the cafeteria for a snack. When he entered all the athletes and coaches, from all nations and all sports, spontaneously stood and cheered the great Russian swimmer.
Heats - Saturday, 24th September
Heats 5 time gap L Y Rk. 400m 800m 1200m 1. Matt Cetlinski United States15:07.41 Q - 23 1. 7. Rainer Henkel West Germany15:14.64 Q +7.23s - 24 2. 8. Darjan Petric Yugoslavia15:16.99 Q +9.58s - 24 3. 10.Luca Pellegrini Italy15:18.80 +11.39s - 24 4. 13.Franck Iacono France15:22.66 +15.25s - 22 6. 14.Jason Plummer Australia15:22.85 +15.44s - 19 5. 17.Stefan Persson Sweden15:24.33 +16.92s - 21 6. 21.Artur Wojdat Poland15:37.52 +30.11s - 20 8. 22.John Anthony Day Great Britain15:38.75 +31.34s - 23 7. 24.Dali Wang China15:45.96 +38.55s - 20 8.
Heats 4 time gap L Y Rk. 400m 800m 1200m 2. Vladimir Salnikov Soviet Union15:07.83 Q +0.42s - 28 1. 4. Uwe Dassler East Germany15:08.91 Q +1.50s - 21 2. 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland15:11.19 Q +3.78s - 20 3. 6. Joerg Hoffmann East Germany15:14.13 WD +6.72s - 18 4. 11.Michael Mckenzie Australia15:19.36 +11.95s - 21 5. 18.Igor Majcen Yugoslavia15:29.16 +21.75s - 19 7. 20.Stefano Battistelli Italy15:36.54 +29.13s - 18 6.
Heats 3 time gap L Y Rk. 400m 800m 1200m 3. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany15:07.85 Q +0.44s - 22 1. 9. Kevin Boyd Great Britain15:17.56 Q +10.15s - 22 2. 12.Christophe Marchand France15:22.19 +14.78s - 18 3. 16.Christopher Chalmers Canada15:23.22 +15.81s - 20 4. 19.Harry Taylor Canada15:30.31 +22.90s - 20 5. 23.Lars Jorgensen United States15:39.51 +32.10s - 18 7. 32.David Castro Brazil15:57.89 +50.48s - 24 8.
Heats 2 time gap L Y Rk. 400m 800m 1200m 15.Walter Kalaus Hungary15:23.01 +15.60s - 18 1. 25.Masashi Kato Japan15:47.35 +39.94s - 18 2. 26.Cristiano Michelena Brazil15:50.50 +43.09s - 17 3. 27.Yoshiyuki Mizumoto Japan15:52.06 +44.65s - 19 4. 28.Norbert Agh Hungary15:52.80 +45.39s - 18 5. 29.Jeff Ong Malaya15:53.67 +46.26s - 16 6. 30.Artur Manuel Costa Portugal15:56.13 +48.72s - 18 7. 31.Ragnar Gudmundsson Iceland15:57.54 +50.13s - 20 8.
Heats 1 time gap L Y Rk. 400m 800m 1200m 33.Ming-Sun Wu Taiwan15:59.74 +52.33s - 20 1. 34.Wook Yang South Korea16:21.10 +1:13.69s - 15 2. 35.Jonathan Sakovich Guam16:26.77 +1:19.36s - 18 3.
Final time gap L Y 400m 800m 1200m 1. Vladimir Salnikov Soviet Union15:00.40 5 28 3:59.76 8:00.67 11:59.42 2. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany15:02.69 +2.29s 3 22 4:00.55 8:02.14 12:02.61 3. Uwe Dassler East Germany15:06.15 +5.75s 6 21 4:00.34 8:03.24 12:07.47 4. Matt Cetlinski United States15:06.42 +6.02s 4 23 3:59.52 8:01.11 12:06.03 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland15:14.76 +14.36s 2 20 4:01.61 8:06.79 12:12.57 6. Rainer Henkel West Germany15:18.19 +17.79s 7 24 4:02.47 8:06.07 12:11.47 7. Kevin Boyd Great Britain15:21.16 +20.76s 8 22 4:02.72 8:08.64 12:15.81 8. Darjan Petric Yugoslavia15:37.12 +36.72s 1 24 4:02.90 8:11.37 12:24.87 Heats time gap L Y 400m 800m 1200m 1. Matt Cetlinski United States15:07.41 Q - 23 2. Vladimir Salnikov Soviet Union15:07.83 Q +0.42s - 28 3. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany15:07.85 Q +0.44s - 22 4. Uwe Dassler East Germany15:08.91 Q +1.50s - 21 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland15:11.19 Q +3.78s - 20 6. Joerg Hoffmann East Germany15:14.13 WD +6.72s - 18 7. Rainer Henkel West Germany15:14.64 Q +7.23s - 24 8. Darjan Petric Yugoslavia15:16.99 Q +9.58s - 24 9. Kevin Boyd Great Britain15:17.56 Q +10.15s - 22 10.Luca Pellegrini Italy15:18.80 +11.39s - 24 11.Michael Mckenzie Australia15:19.36 +11.95s - 21 12.Christophe Marchand France15:22.19 +14.78s - 18 13.Franck Iacono France15:22.66 +15.25s - 22 14.Jason Plummer Australia15:22.85 +15.44s - 19 15.Walter Kalaus Hungary15:23.01 +15.60s - 18 16.Christopher Chalmers Canada15:23.22 +15.81s - 20 17.Stefan Persson Sweden15:24.33 +16.92s - 21 18.Igor Majcen Yugoslavia15:29.16 +21.75s - 19 19.Harry Taylor Canada15:30.31 +22.90s - 20 20.Stefano Battistelli Italy15:36.54 +29.13s - 18 21.Artur Wojdat Poland15:37.52 +30.11s - 20 22.John Anthony Day Great Britain15:38.75 +31.34s - 23 23.Lars Jorgensen United States15:39.51 +32.10s - 18 24.Dali Wang China15:45.96 +38.55s - 20 25.Masashi Kato Japan15:47.35 +39.94s - 18 26.Cristiano Michelena Brazil15:50.50 +43.09s - 17 27.Yoshiyuki Mizumoto Japan15:52.06 +44.65s - 19 28.Norbert Agh Hungary15:52.80 +45.39s - 18 29.Jeff Ong Malaya15:53.67 +46.26s - 16 30.Artur Manuel Costa Portugal15:56.13 +48.72s - 18 31.Ragnar Gudmundsson Iceland15:57.54 +50.13s - 20 32.David Castro Brazil15:57.89 +50.48s - 24 33.Ming-Sun Wu Taiwan15:59.74 +52.33s - 20 34.Wook Yang South Korea16:21.10 +1:13.69s - 15 35.Jonathan Sakovich Guam16:26.77 +1:19.36s - 18
Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev
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Last updated: 15 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev