Men 100m Freestyle Swimming XVII Olympic Games 1960 Rome, Italy - Friday, 26th August

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	Australia	55.2s	OR		3	23
2. Lance Larson	United States	55.2s	OR		4	20
3. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	55.4s		+0.2s	6	21
4. Bruce Hunter	United States	55.6s		+0.4s	5	21
5. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.3s		+1.1s	2	22
6. Dick Pound	Canada	56.3s		+1.1s	1	18
7. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.3s		+1.1s	8	21
8. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	57.1s		+1.9s	7	20

51 Competitors from 34 Nations. Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto.
1964 Men 100m Freestyle	Men 100m Freestyle History	1956 Men 100m Freestyle

World Record: John Devitt, Australia54.6s Brisbanne , Australia 28th Januaty 1957

Olympic Record: Jon Henricks, Ausralia 55.4s Melbourne, 30 November 1956

Todor 66	index Swimming OG
index Rome 1960	index Swimming Rome 1960


Men 100m Freestyle	Women 100m Freestyle
Men 400m Freestyle	Women 400m Freestyle
Men 1500m Freestyle
Men 100m Backstroke	Women 100m Backstroke
Men 200m Breaststroke	Women 200m Breaststroke
Men 200m Butterfly	Women 100m Butterfly
Men 4x200m Freestyle Relay	Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Men 4x100m Medley Relay	Women 4x100m Medley Relay

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.

Semi-Finals (1/2) - Thursday, 26th October 20:30

Best 8 times advanced to Final.

Semi 1		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Lance Larson	United States	55.5s		4	20	1.
2. Bruce Hunter	United States	55.7s	+0.2s	3	21	2.
3. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.5s	+1.0s	5	21	7.
4. Keigo Shimizu	Japan	57.1s	+1.6s	2	21	11.
5. Igor Luzhkovsky	Soviet Union	57.5s	+2.0s	1	22	14.
6. Cameron Grout	Canada	58.0s	+2.5s	7	20	18.
7. Paul Voell	UT Germany	58.4s	+2.9s	8	25	20.
8. Alain Gottvalles	France	58.5s	+3.0s	6	18	22.

Semi 2		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. John Devitt	Australia	55.8s	+0.3s	4	23	3.
2. Dick Pound	Canada	56.5s	+1.0s	3	18	7.
3. Andrzej Salamon	Poland	56.9s	+1.4s	5	24	10.
4. Jon Henricks	Australia	57.2s	+1.7s	6	25	12.
5. Uwe Jacobsen	UT Germany	57.4s	+1.9s	1	19	13.
6. Laszlo Lantos	Hungary	58.0s	+2.5s	2	21	18.
7. Vitaly Sorokin	Soviet Union	58.7s	+3.2s	8	24	23.
7. Jorge Escalante	Mexico	59.0s	+3.5s	7	20	24.

1. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	56.3s	+0.8s	4	21	4.
2. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.3s	+0.8s	5	22	5.
3. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	56.4s	+0.9s	6	20	6.
4. Karri Kalervo Kayhko	Finland	56.6s	+1.1s	3	22	9.
5. Bernard Aluchna	Poland	57.8s	+2.3s	7	23	15.
6. Katsuki Ishihara	Japan	57.8s	+2.3s	2	21	15.
7. Ronald Ron Kroon	Netherlands	57.9s	+2.4s	1	17	17.
8. Ezio Della Savia	Italy	58.4s	+2.9s	8	18	20.

Heats - Friday 26th October 08:30

Best 24 times advanced to Semi-Finals (1/2)>.

Heat 7		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Lance Larson	United States	55.7s		4	20	1.
2. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.3s	+0.6s	6	21	3.
3. Katsuki Ishihara	Japan	57.5s	+1.8s	5	21	15.
4. Bernard Aluchna	Poland	57.9s	+2.2s	8	23	19.
5. Paul Voell	UT Germany	58.0s	+2.3s	3	25	22.
6. William O'Donnell	Great Britain	59.2s	+3.5s	2	18	33.
7. Gojko Arneri	Yugoslavia	1:00.5	+4.8s	7	24	39.
8. Itzhak Luria	Israel	1:00.9	+5.2s	1	19	42.

Heat 6		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Bruce Hunter	United States	56.6s	+0.9s	4	21	7.
2. Dick Pound	Canada	56.7s	+1.0s	6	18	8.
3. Ruben Alejandro Roca Rosillo	Cuba	58.3s	+2.6s	2	19	25.
4. Janez Kocmur	Yugoslavia	58.7s	+3.0s	5	22	28.
5. Giorgio Perondini	Italy	58.9s	+3.2s	3	22	30.
6. Phan Huu Dong	South Vietnam	1:01.3	+5.6s	7	21	44.
7. Unsal Fikirci	Turkey	1:03.0	+7.3s	1	20	46.

Heat 5		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Jon Henricks	Australia	56.9s	+1.2s	4	25	10.
2. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	57.1s	+1.4s	5	20	12.
3. Laszlo Lantos	Hungary	57.4s	+1.7s	3	21	14.
4. Stanley Clarke	Great Britain	59.1s	+3.4s	2	22	31.
5. Fernando Nabuco De Abreu	Brazil	1:00.1	+4.4s	7	16	36.
6. Gudmundur Gislasson	Iceland	1:00.8	+5.1s	6	19	41.
7. Frederico Elizalde	Philippines	1:03.0	+7.3s	1	20	46.
8. Christopher Dowling	Malta	1:08.9	+13.2s	8	16	51.

Heat 4		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.5s	+0.8s	4	22	5.
2. Vitaly Sorokin	Soviet Union	58.2s	+2.5s	3	24	23.
3. Bengt Nordwall	Sweden	58.5s	+2.8s	5	19	27.
4. Jan Bouwman	Netherlands	58.8s	+3.1s	6	24	29.
5. Amiram Trauber	Israel	59.7s	+4.0s	7	21	35.
6. Kin-Man Cheung	Hong Kong	1:01.1	+5.4s	2	28	43.

Heat 3		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	56.3s	+0.6s	4	21	3.
2. Andrzej Salamon	Poland	56.5s	+0.8s	8	24	5.
4. Jorge Escalante	Mexico	57.6s	+1.9s	3	20	16.
3. Cameron Grout	Canada	57.6s	+1.9s	6	20	16.
5. Ronald Ron Kroon	Netherlands	57.7s	+2.0s	5	17	18.
6. Gerard Gropaiz	France	59.3s	+3.6s	2	17	34.
7. Peter Bartschi	Switzerland	1:02.9	+7.2s	1	24	45.
-. Murray McLachlan	South Africa	DNS		7	19	-.

Heat 2		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. John Devitt	Australia	56.0s	+0.3s	4	23	2.
2. Alain Gottvalles	France	56.9s	+1.2s	3	18	10.
4. Uwe Jacobsen	UT Germany	57.9s	+2.2s	6	19	19.
3. Igor Luzhkovsky	Soviet Union	57.9s	+2.2s	5	22	19.
6. Luis Nicolao	Argentina	1:00.2	+4.5s	2	16	37.
8. Alfred Grixti	Malta	1:07.8	+12.1s	8	17	50.

Heat 1		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Karri Kalervo Kayhko	Finland	56.8s	+1.1s	4	22	9.
2. Keigo Shimizu	Japan	57.3s	+1.6s	5	21	13.
3. Ezio Della Savia	Italy	58.2s	+2.5s	2	18	23.
4. Gert Kolli	Austria	58.3s	+2.6s	3	20	25.
5. Achmad Dimyati	Indonesia	59.1s	+3.4s	7	21	31.
5. Herlander Felga Ribeiro	Portugal	1:00.2	+4.5s	7	17	37.
6. Leopoldo Rodes Pares	Spain	1:00.7	+5.0s	6	21	40.
7. Seow Jit Fong	Malaya	1:03.4	+7.7s	1	18	48.
7. Rene Wagner	Luxembourg	1:04.3	+8.6s	1	22	49.

Final 21:10		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. John Devitt	Australia	55.2s	OR		3	23	1.
2. Lance Larson	United States	55.2s	OR		4	20	2.
3. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	55.4s		+0.2s	6	21	3.
4. Bruce Hunter	United States	55.6s		+0.4s	5	21	4.
5. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.3s		+1.1s	2	22	5.
6. Dick Pound	Canada	56.3s		+1.1s	1	18	6.
7. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.3s		+1.1s	8	21	7.
8. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	57.1s		+1.9s	7	20	8.
Semis		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Lance Larson	United States	55.5s			4	20	1.
2. Bruce Hunter	United States	55.7s		+0.2s	3	21	2.
1. John Devitt	Australia	55.8s		+0.3s	4	23	3.
1. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	56.3s		+0.8s	4	21	4.
2. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.3s		+0.8s	5	22	5.
3. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	56.4s		+0.9s	6	20	6.
3. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.5s		+1.0s	5	21	7.
2. Dick Pound	Canada	56.5s		+1.0s	3	18	7.
4. Karri Kalervo Kayhko	Finland	56.6s		+1.1s	3	22	9.
3. Andrzej Salamon	Poland	56.9s		+1.4s	5	24	10.
4. Keigo Shimizu	Japan	57.1s		+1.6s	2	21	11.
4. Jon Henricks	Australia	57.2s		+1.7s	6	25	12.
5. Uwe Jacobsen	UT Germany	57.4s		+1.9s	1	19	13.
5. Igor Luzhkovsky	Soviet Union	57.5s		+2.0s	1	22	14.
5. Bernard Aluchna	Poland	57.8s		+2.3s	7	23	15.
6. Katsuki Ishihara	Japan	57.8s		+2.3s	2	21	15.
7. Ronald Ron Kroon	Netherlands	57.9s		+2.4s	1	17	17.
6. Cameron Grout	Canada	58.0s		+2.5s	7	20	18.
6. Laszlo Lantos	Hungary	58.0s		+2.5s	2	21	18.
8. Ezio Della Savia	Italy	58.4s		+2.9s	8	18	20.
7. Paul Voell	UT Germany	58.4s		+2.9s	8	25	20.
8. Alain Gottvalles	France	58.5s		+3.0s	6	18	22.
7. Vitaly Sorokin	Soviet Union	58.7s		+3.2s	8	24	23.
7. Jorge Escalante	Mexico	59.0s		+3.5s	7	20	24.
Heats		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Lance Larson	United States	55.7s			4	20	1.
1. John Devitt	Australia	56.0s		+0.3s	4	23	2.
2. Aubrey Burer	South Africa	56.3s		+0.6s	6	21	3.
1. Manuel Dos Santos	Brazil	56.3s		+0.6s	4	21	3.
1. Gyula Dobai	Hungary	56.5s		+0.8s	4	22	5.
2. Andrzej Salamon	Poland	56.5s		+0.8s	8	24	5.
1. Bruce Hunter	United States	56.6s		+0.9s	4	21	7.
2. Dick Pound	Canada	56.7s		+1.0s	6	18	8.
1. Karri Kalervo Kayhko	Finland	56.8s		+1.1s	4	22	9.
2. Alain Gottvalles	France	56.9s		+1.2s	3	18	10.
1. Jon Henricks	Australia	56.9s		+1.2s	4	25	10.
2. Per-Ola Lindberg	Sweden	57.1s		+1.4s	5	20	12.
2. Keigo Shimizu	Japan	57.3s		+1.6s	5	21	13.
3. Laszlo Lantos	Hungary	57.4s		+1.7s	3	21	14.
3. Katsuki Ishihara	Japan	57.5s		+1.8s	5	21	15.
4. Jorge Escalante	Mexico	57.6s		+1.9s	3	20	16.
3. Cameron Grout	Canada	57.6s		+1.9s	6	20	16.
5. Ronald Ron Kroon	Netherlands	57.7s		+2.0s	5	17	18.
4. Bernard Aluchna	Poland	57.9s		+2.2s	8	23	19.
4. Uwe Jacobsen	UT Germany	57.9s		+2.2s	6	19	19.
3. Igor Luzhkovsky	Soviet Union	57.9s		+2.2s	5	22	19.
5. Paul Voell	UT Germany	58.0s		+2.3s	3	25	22.
3. Ezio Della Savia	Italy	58.2s		+2.5s	2	18	23.
2. Vitaly Sorokin	Soviet Union	58.2s		+2.5s	3	24	23.
4. Gert Kolli	Austria	58.3s		+2.6s	3	20	25.
3. Ruben Alejandro Roca Rosillo	Cuba	58.3s		+2.6s	2	19	25.
3. Bengt Nordwall	Sweden	58.5s		+2.8s	5	19	27.
4. Janez Kocmur	Yugoslavia	58.7s		+3.0s	5	22	28.
4. Jan Bouwman	Netherlands	58.8s		+3.1s	6	24	29.
5. Giorgio Perondini	Italy	58.9s		+3.2s	3	22	30.
4. Stanley Clarke	Great Britain	59.1s		+3.4s	2	22	31.
5. Achmad Dimyati	Indonesia	59.1s		+3.4s	7	21	31.
6. William O'Donnell	Great Britain	59.2s		+3.5s	2	18	33.
6. Gerard Gropaiz	France	59.3s		+3.6s	2	17	34.
5. Amiram Trauber	Israel	59.7s		+4.0s	7	21	35.
5. Fernando Nabuco De Abreu	Brazil	1:00.1		+4.4s	7	16	36.
6. Luis Nicolao	Argentina	1:00.2		+4.5s	2	16	37.
5. Herlander Felga Ribeiro	Portugal	1:00.2		+4.5s	7	17	37.
7. Gojko Arneri	Yugoslavia	1:00.5		+4.8s	7	24	39.
6. Leopoldo Rodes Pares	Spain	1:00.7		+5.0s	6	21	40.
6. Gudmundur Gislasson	Iceland	1:00.8		+5.1s	6	19	41.
8. Itzhak Luria	Israel	1:00.9		+5.2s	1	19	42.
6. Kin-Man Cheung	Hong Kong	1:01.1		+5.4s	2	28	43.
6. Phan Huu Dong	South Vietnam	1:01.3		+5.6s	7	21	44.
7. Peter Bartschi	Switzerland	1:02.9		+7.2s	1	24	45.
7. Frederico Elizalde	Philippines	1:03.0		+7.3s	1	20	46.
7. Unsal Fikirci	Turkey	1:03.0		+7.3s	1	20	46.
7. Seow Jit Fong	Malaya	1:03.4		+7.7s	1	18	48.
7. Rene Wagner	Luxembourg	1:04.3		+8.6s	1	22	49.
8. Alfred Grixti	Malta	1:07.8		+12.1s	8	17	50.
8. Christopher Dowling	Malta	1:08.9		+13.2s	8	16	51.
-. Murray McLachlan	South Africa	DNS			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 FÃ©dÃ©ration 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 2023
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