Men 400m Freestyle Swimming XXIV Olympic Games 1988 Seoul, South Korea - Friday, 23rd September - Uwe Dassler, East Germany
Final time gap L Y 100m 200m 300m 1. Uwe Dassler East Germany3:46.95 WR 6 21 55.30s 1:53.17 2:51.40 2. Duncan Armstrong Australia3:47.15 AR +0.20s 1 20 56.41s 1:55.10 2:52.13 3. Artur Wojdat Poland3:47.34 NR +0.39s 3 20 54.78s 1:52.98 2:51.06 4. Matt Cetlinski United States3:48.09 +1.14s 8 23 54.57s 1:52.45 2:50.46 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland3:48.59 +1.64s 4 20 55.34s 1:53.52 2:51.65 6. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany3:49.96 +3.01s 5 22 56.17s 1:54.22 2:52.19 7. Kevin Boyd Great Britain3:50.16 +3.21s 2 22 55.68s 1:53.72 2:51.99 8. Anders Holmertz Sweden3:51.04 +4.09s 7 19 54.48s 1:52.32 2:51.08
World Record: Artur Wojdat, Poland 3:47.38 Orlando, United States 25th March 1988 Olympic Record: Thomas Fahrner, West Germany 3:50.91 Los Angeles, United States 2nd August 1984
4:10.10 LCM-time done since Jan 1, 1987
4:00.20 SCM-time done since Sep 1, 1987
Final B time gap L Y 100m 200m 300m 9. Joerg Hoffmann East Germany3:52.13 6 18 56.73s 1:55.93 2:54.25 10.Walter Kalaus Hungary3:53.24 +1.11s 3 18 56.61s 1:56.06 2:55.61 11.Turlough O'Hare Canada3:54.33 +2.20s 1 19 56.81s 1:56.45 2:56.15 12.Carlos Scanavino Uruguay3:54.36 +2.23s 2 24 56.70s 1:56.77 2:56.53 13.Ian Brown Australia3:54.63 +2.50s 4 23 56.08s 1:55.96 2:55.45 14.Dan Jorgensen United States3:55.34 +3.21s 5 20 56.11s 1:56.06 2:55.94 15.Salvador Vassallo Puerto Rico3:55.39 +3.26s 7 20 56.99s 1:56.26 2:56.17 16.Zoltan Szilagyi Hungary3:56.00 +3.87s 8 21 57.03s 1:56.93 2:57.01
The Olympic record was 3:50.91, set by West German Thomas Fahrner in winning the B final in Los Angeles. The standard in Seoul was so high that to qualify for the final, one had to better that record, the biggest casualty being 1986 World Champion and 1987 European runner-up, West German Rainer Henkel, who barely made the B final and elected not to contest that race. The high standard of qualifying set the stage for a dramatic final.
The current world record holder was Poland's Artur Wojdat, who trained in the USA and had swum 3:48.38 earlier in 1988 at the US Nationals. In the final the early leader was Sweden's Anders Holmertz followed by American Matt Cetlinski, the 1987 Pan Pacific champion. Cetlinski took the lead at 300 metres, followed by Wojdat and Holmertz, with East German Uwe Dassler in fourth, and Australian Duncan Armstrong, already the winner of the 200 free in Seoul, moving up slightly, but still in seventh. Cetlinski continued to lead at 350 but he was dying, and Wojdat and Dassler moved ahead on the final lap. Armstrong, who swam the final 100 in 55.02, finished very quickly and moved up to the silver medal, passing Wojdat. But he could not catch Dassler, who finished in 55.55 for gold, as Cetlinski dropped off the podium to fourth.
Dassler finished in 3:46.95 to break Wojdat's world record. But Wojdat also bettered it in third, with 3:47.34, as did Armstrong in second with 3:47.15, and it took a world record time just to get on the podium. Wojdat called it "The Race of the Century" which was echoed by Terry Stoddard, his Mission Viejo coach, who said "Yes, definitely. It was the greatest race in history."
Heats - Friday, 23rd September
Heat 7 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 3. Artur Wojdat Poland3:49.68 +0.17s - 20 1. 55.66s 1:54.38 2:53.30 4. Uwe Dassler East Germany3:49.90 +0.39s - 21 2. 55.79s 1:54.54 2:53.56 7. Duncan Armstrong Australia3:50.64 +1.13s - 20 3. 56.41s 1:56.39 2:54.42 11.Dan Jorgensen United States3:52.64 +3.13s - 20 4. 56.45s 1:55.92 2:54.70 17.Turlough O'Hare Canada3:55.35 +5.84s - 19 5. 56.96s 1:56.89 2:56.23 19.Roberto Gleria Italy3:56.33 +6.82s - 19 6. 55.96s 1:55.11 2:56.02 27.Aleksandr Bazanov Soviet Union3:58.74 +9.23s - 23 7. 57.35s 1:57.99 2:58.33 29.Jean-Marie Arnould Belgium3:59.91 +10.40s - 22 8. 57.33s 1:57.26 2:58.89
Heat 6 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 5. Kevin Boyd Great Britain3:50.01 +0.50s - 22 1. 56.27s 1:54.30 2:51.98 6. Anders Holmertz Sweden3:50.06 +0.55s - 19 2. 55.78s 1:54.31 2:53.10 8. Matt Cetlinski United States3:50.82 +1.31s - 23 3. 56.00s 1:54.34 2:52.78 9. Ian Brown Australia3:51.09 +1.58s - 23 4. 56.05s 1:54.78 2:53.37 12.Giorgio Lamberti Italy3:53.29 +3.78s - 19 5. 56.19s 1:54.99 2:54.55 15.Carlos Scanavino Uruguay3:54.86 +5.35s - 24 6. 57.01s 1:56.63 2:56.33 18.Zoltan Szilagyi Hungary3:56.29 +6.78s - 21 7. 56.57s 1:55.70 2:55.40 30.Franck Iacono France4:00.04 +10.53s - 22 8. 56.91s 1:56.06 2:57.51
Heat 5 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 1. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland3:49.51 OR - 20 1. 55.91s 1:54.07 2:52.14 2. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany3:49.52 +0.01s - 22 2. 56.53s 1:54.51 2:52.47 10.Rainer Henkel West Germany3:51.50 +1.99s - 24 3. 55.62s 1:53.63 2:52.52 13.Walter Kalaus Hungary3:53.44 +3.93s - 18 4. 56.11s 1:54.68 2:53.75 14.Joerg Hoffmann East Germany3:53.78 +4.27s - 18 5. 57.16s 1:55.78 2:55.02 20.Darjan Petric Yugoslavia3:56.94 +7.43s - 24 6. 57.11s 1:56.29 2:56.51 23.Cristiano Michelena Brazil3:57.79 +8.28s - 17 7. 57.19s 1:57.42 2:58.50 26.Gary Van Der Meulen Canada3:57.99 +8.48s - 23 8. 57.44s 1:57.10 2:57.73 31.Claus Christensen Denmark4:00.46 +10.95s - 20 6. 58.58s 1:58.52 2:59.16 32.Yoshiyuki Mizumoto Japan4:02.02 +12.51s - 19 7. 59.07s 2:00.15 3:01.22 38.Shigeo Ogata Japan4:05.68 +16.17s - 19 8. 57.42s 1:58.40 3:01.39
Heat 4 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 16.Salvador Vassallo Puerto Rico3:55.30 +5.79s - 20 1. 56.97s 1:56.23 2:55.56 21.Henrik Jangvall Sweden3:57.41 +7.90s - 21 2. 58.24s 1:57.86 2:57.86 22.Daniel Serra Spain3:57.46 +7.95s - 20 3. 57.66s 1:57.95 2:57.95 24.John Anthony Day Great Britain3:57.91 +8.40s - 23 4. 57.45s 1:57.10 2:57.26 25.Alberto Bottini Switzerland3:57.92 +8.41s - 21 5. 57.35s 1:57.54 2:58.33
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 28.Igor Majcen Yugoslavia3:58.90 +9.39s - 19 1. 59.01s 1:59.81 3:00.30 33.David Castro Brazil4:02.48 +12.97s - 24 2. 58.45s 2:00.17 3:01.89 34.Ignacio Escamilla Mexico4:03.16 +13.65s - 31 3. 58.63s 2:00.39 3:01.89 35.Carlos Romo Mexico4:04.02 +14.51s - 21 4. 59.21s 2:00.86 3:01.99 36.Jeff Ong Malaya4:04.57 +15.06s - 16 5. 57.79s 2:00.76 3:03.63 37.Ragnar Gudmundsson Iceland4:05.12 +15.61s - 20 6. 59.39s 2:00.97 3:03.33 39.Wook Yang South Korea4:05.81 +16.30s - 15 7. 59.26s 2:01.44 3:04.48 42.Soon-Kun Kwon South Korea4:08.02 +18.51s - 19 8. 58.75s 2:01.46 3:04.70
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 40.Ming-Sun Wu Taiwan4:06.66 +17.15s - 20 1. 59.70 2:01.99 3:04.74 41.Jonathan Sakovich Guam4:06.89 +17.38s - 18 2. 59.31s 2:02.61 3:06.32 43.Richard Bera Indonesia4:08.70 +19.19s - 16 3. 59.09s 2:02.57 3:05.84 44.Mun Kit Koh Singapore4:15.54 +26.03s - 15 4. 1:01.17 2:06.32 3:11.21 45.Arthur Li Hong Kong4:18.50 +28.99s - 16 5. 59.88s 2:04.16 3:11.27 46.Julian Bolling Sri Lanka4:18.88 +29.37s - 22 6. 1:01.15 2:06.28 3:13.07
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 100m 200m 300m 47.Bassam Al Ansari UA Emirates4:39.36 +49.85s - 1. 1:05.04 2:17.02 3:29.40 48.Emile Lahoud Lebanon4:47.09 +57.58s - 13 2. 1:07.94 2:21.73 3:35.88 49.Mohamed Bin Abid UA Emirates4:47.28 +57.77s - 19 3. 1:02.98 2:15.69 3:29.58
Final time gap L Y 100m 200m 300m 1. Uwe Dassler East Germany3:46.95 WR 6 21 55.30s 1:53.17 2:51.40 2. Duncan Armstrong Australia3:47.15 AR +0.20s 1 20 56.41s 1:55.10 2:52.13 3. Artur Wojdat Poland3:47.34 NR +0.39s 3 20 54.78s 1:52.98 2:51.06 4. Matt Cetlinski United States3:48.09 +1.14s 8 23 54.57s 1:52.45 2:50.46 5. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland3:48.59 +1.64s 4 20 55.34s 1:53.52 2:51.65 6. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany3:49.96 +3.01s 5 22 56.17s 1:54.22 2:52.19 7. Kevin Boyd Great Britain3:50.16 +3.21s 2 22 55.68s 1:53.72 2:51.99 8. Anders Holmertz Sweden3:51.04 +4.09s 7 19 54.48s 1:52.32 2:51.08 Final B time gap L Y 100m 200m 300m 9. Joerg Hoffmann East Germany3:52.13 6 18 56.73s 1:55.93 2:54.25 10.Walter Kalaus Hungary3:53.24 +1.11s 3 18 56.61s 1:56.06 2:55.61 11.Turlough O'Hare Canada3:54.33 +2.20s 1 19 56.81s 1:56.45 2:56.15 12.Carlos Scanavino Uruguay3:54.36 +2.23s 2 24 56.70s 1:56.77 2:56.53 13.Ian Brown Australia3:54.63 +2.50s 4 23 56.08s 1:55.96 2:55.45 14.Dan Jorgensen United States3:55.34 +3.21s 5 20 56.11s 1:56.06 2:55.94 15.Salvador Vassallo Puerto Rico3:55.39 +3.26s 7 20 56.99s 1:56.26 2:56.17 16.Zoltan Szilagyi Hungary3:56.00 +3.87s 8 21 57.03s 1:56.93 2:57.01 Heats time gap L Y 100m 200m 300m 1. Mariusz Podkoscielny Poland3:49.51 OR - 20 55.91s 1:54.07 2:52.14 2. Stefan Pfeiffer West Germany3:49.52 +0.01s - 22 56.53s 1:54.51 2:52.47 3. Artur Wojdat Poland3:49.68 +0.17s - 20 55.66s 1:54.38 2:53.30 4. Uwe Dassler East Germany3:49.90 +0.39s - 21 55.79s 1:54.54 2:53.56 5. Kevin Boyd Great Britain3:50.01 +0.50s - 22 56.27s 1:54.30 2:51.98 6. Anders Holmertz Sweden3:50.06 +0.55s - 19 55.78s 1:54.31 2:53.10 7. Duncan Armstrong Australia3:50.64 +1.13s - 20 56.41s 1:56.39 2:54.42 8. Matt Cetlinski United States3:50.82 +1.31s - 23 56.00s 1:54.34 2:52.78 9. Ian Brown Australia3:51.09 +1.58s - 23 56.05s 1:54.78 2:53.37 10.Rainer Henkel West Germany3:51.50 +1.99s - 24 55.62s 1:53.63 2:52.52 11.Dan Jorgensen United States3:52.64 +3.13s - 20 56.45s 1:55.92 2:54.70 12.Giorgio Lamberti Italy3:53.29 +3.78s - 19 56.19s 1:54.99 2:54.55 13.Walter Kalaus Hungary3:53.44 +3.93s - 18 56.11s 1:54.68 2:53.75 14.Joerg Hoffmann East Germany3:53.78 +4.27s - 18 57.16s 1:55.78 2:55.02 15.Carlos Scanavino Uruguay3:54.86 +5.35s - 24 57.01s 1:56.63 2:56.33 16.Salvador Vassallo Puerto Rico3:55.30 +5.79s - 20 56.97s 1:56.23 2:55.56 17.Turlough O'Hare Canada3:55.35 +5.84s - 19 56.96s 1:56.89 2:56.23 18.Zoltan Szilagyi Hungary3:56.29 +6.78s - 21 56.57s 1:55.70 2:55.40 19.Roberto Gleria Italy3:56.33 +6.82s - 19 55.96s 1:55.11 2:56.02 20.Darjan Petric Yugoslavia3:56.94 +7.43s - 24 57.11s 1:56.29 2:56.51 21.Henrik Jangvall Sweden3:57.41 +7.90s - 21 58.24s 1:57.86 2:57.86 22.Daniel Serra Spain3:57.46 +7.95s - 20 57.66s 1:57.95 2:57.95 23.Cristiano Michelena Brazil3:57.79 +8.28s - 17 57.19s 1:57.42 2:58.50 24.John Anthony Day Great Britain3:57.91 +8.40s - 23 57.45s 1:57.10 2:57.26 25.Alberto Bottini Switzerland3:57.92 +8.41s - 21 57.35s 1:57.54 2:58.33 26.Gary Van Der Meulen Canada3:57.99 +8.48s - 23 57.44s 1:57.10 2:57.73 27.Aleksandr Bazanov Soviet Union3:58.74 +9.23s - 23 57.35s 1:57.99 2:58.33 28.Igor Majcen Yugoslavia3:58.90 +9.39s - 19 59.01s 1:59.81 3:00.30 29.Jean-Marie Arnould Belgium3:59.91 +10.40s - 22 57.33s 1:57.26 2:58.89 30.Franck Iacono France4:00.04 +10.53s - 22 56.91s 1:56.06 2:57.51 31.Claus Christensen Denmark4:00.46 +10.95s - 20 58.58s 1:58.52 2:59.16 32.Yoshiyuki Mizumoto Japan4:02.02 +12.51s - 19 59.07s 2:00.15 3:01.22 33.David Castro Brazil4:02.48 +12.97s - 24 58.45s 2:00.17 3:01.89 34.Ignacio Escamilla Mexico4:03.16 +13.65s - 31 58.63s 2:00.39 3:01.89 35.Carlos Romo Mexico4:04.02 +14.51s - 21 59.21s 2:00.86 3:01.99 36.Jeff Ong Malaya4:04.57 +15.06s - 16 57.79s 2:00.76 3:03.63 37.Ragnar Gudmundsson Iceland4:05.12 +15.61s - 20 59.39s 2:00.97 3:03.33 38.Shigeo Ogata Japan4:05.68 +16.17s - 19 57.42s 1:58.40 3:01.39 39.Wook Yang South Korea4:05.81 +16.30s - 15 59.26s 2:01.44 3:04.48 40.Ming-Sun Wu Taiwan4:06.66 +17.15s - 20 59.70 2:01.99 3:04.74 41.Jonathan Sakovich Guam4:06.89 +17.38s - 18 59.31s 2:02.61 3:06.32 42.Soon-Kun Kwon South Korea4:08.02 +18.51s - 19 58.75s 2:01.46 3:04.70 43.Richard Bera Indonesia4:08.70 +19.19s - 16 59.09s 2:02.57 3:05.84 44.Mun Kit Koh Singapore4:15.54 +26.03s - 15 1:01.17 2:06.32 3:11.21 45.Arthur Li Hong Kong4:18.50 +28.99s - 16 59.88s 2:04.16 3:11.27 46.Julian Bolling Sri Lanka4:18.88 +29.37s - 22 1:01.15 2:06.28 3:13.07 47.Bassam Al Ansari UA Emirates4:39.36 +49.85s - 1:05.04 2:17.02 3:29.40 48.Emile Lahoud Lebanon4:47.09 +57.58s - 13 1:07.94 2:21.73 3:35.88 49.Mohamed Bin Abid UA Emirates4:47.28 +57.77s - 19 1:02.98 2:15.69 3:29.58
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Last updated: 15 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev