| Final 15:15 | time | gap | L | Y | | 1. Arne Borg |  Sweden | 19:51.8 | OR | 2 | 26 | | 2. Andrew Charlton |  Australia | 20:02.6 | +10.8s | 6 | 20 | | 3. Clarence Crabbe |  United States | 20:28.8 | +37.0s | 3 | 20 | | 4. Raymond Ruddy | United States | 21:05.0 | +1:13.2 | 4 | 16 | | 5. Alberto Zorrilla |  Argentina | 21:23.8 | +1:32.0 | 5 | 22 | | 6. Garnet Ault |  Canada | 21:46.0 | +1:54.2 | 1 | 22 |
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Borg was eight metres ahead at halfway, and increasing his lead in the last 150m and won bay 15m with 20m between second and third.
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Semifinals - Sunday, 5th August 14:00 | | 11 swimmers in 2 Semis. First 3 from each Semi advanced to Final. |
| Semi 1 10:00 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Arne Borg | Sweden | 20:42.0 | 1. | 6 | 26 | | 2. Alberto Zorrilla | Argentina | 21:17.0 | 4. | 5 | 22 | | 3. Garnet Ault | Canada | 21:33.4 | 6. | 4 | 22 | | 4. Nobuo Arai |  Japan | 21:42.4 | 8. | 3 | | | -. Takaji Takebayashi | Japan | DNF | | 2 | 18 |
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| Semi 2 10:35 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Clarence Crabbe | United States | 20:55.4 | 2. | | 20 | | 2. Andrew Charlton | Australia | 20:57.0 | 3. | | 20 | | 3. Raymond Ruddy | United States | 21:31.2 | 5. | | 16 | | 4. Giuseppe Perentin |  Italy | 21:35.8 | 7. | | 22 | | -. Austin Clapp | United States | DNS | | 1 | 17 | | -. Katsuo Takaishi | Japan | DNS | | | 21 |
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Heats - Saturday, 4th August 10:00 | | 26 swimmers were put in 1 heat with 6 and 5 heats of 5. First from each heat and best 3rd advanced to Semifinals - "Rule of Best 3rd". |
| Heat 1 10:00 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Austin Clapp | United States | 21:31.0 | 5. | 3 | 17 | | 2. Takaji Takebayashi | Japan | 22:30.4 | 11. | 6 | 18 | | 3. James Thompson | Canada | 22:56.6 | 14. | 4 | 22 | | 4. Giovanni Gambi | Italy | | | 1 | 20 | | 5. Jean Taris |  France | | | 5 | 19 | | -. Jack Hatfield |  Great Britain | DNS | | 2 | 34 |
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| Heat 2 10:25 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Nobuo Arai | Japan | 21:35.4 | 6. | 3 | | | 2. Giuseppe Perentin | Italy | 21:42.4 | 7. | 1 | 22 | | 3. Theodoor de Man |  Netherlands | 23:03.2 | 15. | 4 | 19 | | 4. David Lindsay |  New Zealand | | | 5 | 21 | | -. Edward Percival Peter | Great Britain | DNS | | 2 | 26 |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Katsuo Takaishi | Japan | 21:20.8 | 4. | 5 | 21 | | 2. Raymond Ruddy | United States | 22:12.0 | 8. | 3 | 16 | | 3. Václav Antoš |  Czechoslovakia | 22:43.0 | 12. | 1 | 23 | | -. Paolo Cosotli | Italy | DNS | | 4 | 18 | | -. Paul Radmilovic | Great Britain | DNS | | 2 | 42 |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Alberto Zorrilla | Argentina | 22:21.2 | 10. | 1 | 22 | | 2. Garnet Ault | Canada | 22:55.8 | 13. | 4 | 22 | | -. Oliver Halassy |  Hungary | DNS | | 3 | 19 | | -. D. D. Mulji |  India | DNS | | 2 | | | -. Albert Vandeplanque | France | DNS | | 5 | 17 |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | L | Y | | 1. Arne Borg | Sweden | 20:14.2 | 1. | 1 | 26 | | 2. Andrew Charlton | Australia | 20:17.4 | 2. | 3 | 20 | | 3. Clarence Crabbe | United States | 20:17.8 | 3. | 2 | 20 | | 4. Walter Handschuhmacher |  Germany | 22:18.6 | 9. | 4 | 24 | | 5. Taburan Tamse |  Philippines | | | 5 | |
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It happened 3 medalist were from Heat 5, proving the logic of "Rule of Best 3rd".
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