Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle

The women's 100 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme.[1] It was the first appearance of a women's event in Olympic swimming, followed closely by the 4×100 metre free relay. The competition was held from Monday to Friday, 8 to 12 July 1912.

Women's 100 metre freestyle
at the Games of the V Olympiad
Fanny Durack, Mina Wylie and Jennie Fletcher at the 1912 Olympics
VenueDjurgårdsbrunnsviken
Dates8–12 July
Competitors27 from 8 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Fanny Durack  Australasia
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Mina Wylie  Australasia
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Jennie Fletcher  Great Britain
1920 →

Twenty-seven swimmers from eight nations competed.

Durack also won the gold medal, with compatriot Wylie close behind for silver.

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.

World Record 1:20.6   Daisy Curwen Birkenhead (GBR) 10 June 1912
Olympic Record none

Belle Moore, swimming in the first heat, set the first Olympic record with 1 minute 29.8 seconds. In the second heat Daisy Curwen bettered the record with 1 minute 23.6 seconds, and in the fourth heat Fanny Durack set a new world record with 1 minute 19.8 seconds.

Results

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Quarterfinals

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The top two in each heat advanced along with the fastest loser overall.

Heat 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Belle Moore (GBR) 1:29.8 QS OR
2   Louise Otto (GER) 1:34.4 QS
3   Klara Milch (AUT) 1:37.2
4   Greta Johansson (SWE) 1:41.4
5   Tyyne Järvi (FIN) 1:42.4
  Aagot Norman (NOR) DNF

Heat 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Daisy Curwen (GBR) 1:23.6 QS OR
2   Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:26.2 QS
3   Berta Zahourek (AUT) 1:38.6
4   Josefa Kellner (AUT) 1:41.2
5   Karin Lundgren (SWE) 1:44.8
6   Sonja Johnsson (SWE)

Heat 3

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:26.8 QS
2   Mary Langford (GBR) 1:28.0 QS
3   Hermine Stindt (GER) 1:29.2
4   Josephine Sticker (AUT) 1:31.8
5   Claire Guttenstein (BEL)
6   Elsa Björklund (SWE)

Heat 4

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:19.8 QS WR
2   Irene Steer (GBR) 1:27.2 QS
3   Wally Dressel (GER) 1:28.6 qs
4   Margarete Adler (AUT) 1:34.4
5   Greta Carlsson (SWE)
6   Regina Kari (FIN)

Heat 5

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:25.0 QS
2   Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:25.6 QS
3   Vera Thulin (SWE) 1:44.0

Semifinals

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The top two from each heat and the faster of the two third place swimmers advanced.

Semifinal 1

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:20.2 QF
2   Daisy Curwen (GBR) 1:26.8 QF
3   Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:27.0 qf
4   Belle Moore (GBR) 1:27.4
5   Mary Langford (GBR) 1:29.2
6   Louise Otto (GER) 1:32.0

Semifinal 2

Place Swimmer Time Qual.
1   Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:27.0 QF
2   Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:27.2 QF
3   Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:29.2 *
4   Wally Dressel (GER) 1:33.4
  Irene Steer (GBR) DQ

Curwen had to undergo an operation for appendicitis and missed the final. Rosenberg advanced to the final to replace her.

Final

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The final
Place Swimmer Time
1   Fanny Durack (ANZ) 1:22.2
2   Mina Wylie (ANZ) 1:25.4
3   Jennie Fletcher (GBR) 1:27.0
4   Grete Rosenberg (GER) 1:27.2
5   Annie Speirs (GBR) 1:27.4
  Daisy Curwen (GBR) DNS

References

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  1. ^ "Swimming at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Women's 100 metres Freestyle". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2016.

Notes

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  • Bergvall, Erik (ed.) (1913). Adams-Ray, Edward (trans.). (ed.). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 29 January 2007.