Published: August 1, 2012
Racing Against History
One (imaginary) race with every medalist ever
Based on the athletes’ average speeds, if every Olympic medalist ever raced each other, France’s Alain Bernard (from the 2008 Games) would win, with a wide distribution of Olympians behind him, including Wednesday's winner, Nathan Adrian. Below, where each swimmer would be when Bernard finishes his race.
The position of the swimmers is based on their average speed. I. Zoltán Halmaj won the event in 1904 when it was 100 yards; his projected finish is used here based on the same speed. Before 1906, the times of the top three finishers are not all known, so only medalists with known times are plotted above. This chart and medal totals include medals for the U.S., Austria and Hungary in the "Intermediary" Games of 1906, which the I.O.C. does not formally recognize.
Notable winners of the 100-meter freestyle
Hungarian Olympic Committee
Alfréd Hajós
Hungary
Hungary's first Olympic gold medalist, Hajós swam in 55-degree open water, in the Bay of Zea outside Piraeus, Greece. He also won the 1,200-meter swim.
| 1896, Athens | 1:22.2 | OR |
I.O.C.
Johnny Weissmuller
United States
The first swimmer to break a minute in the Olympics. Later went on to play Tarzan in “Tarzan the Ape Man,” which made him internationally famous.
| 1924, Paris | 59.0 | OR |
| 1928, Amsterdam | 58.6 | OR |
Associated Press
Mark Spitz
United States
Won seven gold medals in the 1972 Games in Munich; nearly withdrew from the 100-meter event because he wasn't sure if he would win. (He did, setting a world record.)
| 1968, Mexico City | 53.0 | |
| 1972, Munich | 51.22 | WR |
Lyndon Mechielsen/Associated Press
Alexander Popov
Russia
One of only three athletes with three medals in this event; the first person in 68 years to win back-to-back golds after Weismuller did it in 1928.
| 1992, Barcelona | 49.02 | |
| 1996, Atlanta | 48.74 | |
| 2000, Sydney | 48.69 |
All the medalists
The Times examines modern Olympic results in the context of 116 years of the Games.
