Start date 1976 | ||
The men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 1976 Olympic Games took place between July 24 and 25. This swimming event used freestyle swimming, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated (unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events). Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of two lengths of the pool.
Contents
This was the first time in history that the 100m freestyle was swum under 50 seconds.
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
Heats
Heat 1
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Heat 2
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Heat 3
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Heat 4
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Heat 5
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Heat 6
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Swim-Off for 16th Place
Key: Q = Qualified, q = Qualified for Swim-Off, WR = World record
Semifinals
Heat 1
Key: Q = Qualified, WR = Olympic record
Heat 2
Key: Q = Qualified
Final
Key: WR = World record