2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
- SwimSwam Event Previews
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
Men’s 100 Freestyle
- World Record: Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 46.91 (2009)
- Olympic Record: Eamon Sullivan (AUS) – 47.05 (2008)
- World Junior Record: David Popovici (ROU) – 47.30 (2021)
- 2016 Olympic Champion: Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 47.58
- SwimSwam Event Preview – Men’s 100 freestyle
One of the most anticipated finals on Day 5 in Tokyo will the that of the men’s 100 freestyle. While it is a perennial favorite with fans the world over, what makes this year’s race even more exciting is its potential to be the fastest 100 freestyle final in history.
On the potential chopping block will be Eamon Sullivan’s Olympic Record of 47.05 from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Cesar Cielo’s World Record of 46.91 from the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Both records were set during the “super suit” era, when swimmers raced in full-body suits that incorporated polyurethane, a rubbery substance, with woven elastane-nylon into the suit’s material, giving swimmers extra buoyancy and reducing fatigue. Beginning in 2010, FINA banned the super suits and only allowed suits made out of textiles.
Over 200 World Records were broken in 2008 and 2009 combined.
Now, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the finalist in the men’s 100 freestyle have finally shown themselves to be the fastest in history. The men’s final, scheduled for Thursday morning in Tokyo, will have been the hardest to qualify for, with the fastest qualifier in lane 4 – Russian Olympic Committee’s Kliment Kolesnikov (47.11) – and the fastest qualifier in lane 8 – France’s Maxime Grousset (47.82). Meanwhile, USA’s Caeleb Dressel is the only finalist who has already been under 47 seconds in his career.
In fact, Serbia’s Andrej Barna (47.94), who finished 9th in the semifinals, would have made the final in 2009 ahead of South Africa’s Lyndon Ferns (47.96) and France’s Frederick Bousquet (47.98). And Barna, Russia’s Andrei Minakov (48.08), USA’s Zach Apple (48.04), Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (48.05), Great Britain’s Jacob Whittle (48.11), and Canada’s Joshua Liendo (48.19) were all faster than 2016’s 8th qualifier, Marcelo Chierighini of Brazil (48.23).
Top 8 Qualifiers for Final (2009 vs 2016 vs 2020)
Below are the top eight finishers out of the semifinals of the 2009 World Championships, where the World Record was set, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo:
2009 Worlds | 2016 Olympics | 2020 Olympics | |||||||
Rank | Name | Nation | Time | Name | Nation | Time | Name | Nation | Time |
1 | Alain Bernard | France | 47.27 | Nathan Adrian | United States | 47.83 | Kliment Kolesnikov | ROC | 47.11 |
2 | César Cielo | Brazil | 47.48 | Kyle Chalmers | Australia | 47.88 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 47.23 |
3 | Stefan Nystrand | Sweden | 47.53 | Santo Condorelli | Canada | 47.93 | Alessandro Miressi | Italy | 47.52 |
4 | Nicolas Oliveira | Brazil | 47.78 | Cameron McEvoy | Australia | 47.93 | Hwang Sun-woo | South Korea | 47.56 |
5 | Brent Hayden | Canada | 47.88 | Caeleb Dressel | United States | 47.97 | David Popovici | Romania | 47.72 |
6 | David Walters | USA | 47.92 | Pieter Timmers | Belgium | 48.14 | Kyle Chalmers | Australia | 47.80 |
7 | Lyndon Ferns | South Africa | 47.96 | Duncan Scott | Great Britain | 48.20 | Nándor Németh | Hungary | 47.81 |
8 | Frédérick Bousquet | France | 47.98 | Marcelo Chierighini | Brazil | 48.23 | Maxime Grousset | France | 47.82 |
13 out of the top 20 men’s 100 free performances of all time, and 5 of the top-10 performers, come out of the 2008-2009 era. Kolesnikov’s 47.11 made him the 8th-fastest performer. All eyes will be on Kolesnikov, USA’s Caeleb Dressel, defending Olympic Champion Kyle Chalmers of Australia, World Junior Record-holder David Popovici of Romania, and the rest of the field as they try to make history tomorrow morning.
ALL-TIME PERFORMERS
Rank | Swimmer | Time | Date |
1 | Cesar Cielo (BRA) | 46.91 | 2009 |
2 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 46.94 | 2009 |
3 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 46.96 | 2019 |
4 | Cameron McEvoy (AUS) | 47.04 | 2016 |
5 | Eamon Sullivan (AUS) | 47.05 | 2008 |
6 | Kyle Chalmers (AUS) | 47.08 | 2019 |
7 | James Magnussen (AUS) | 47.10 | 2012 |
8 | Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) | 47.11 | 2021 |
9 | Frederick Bousquet (FRA) | 47.15 | 2009 |
10 | Brent Hayden (CAN) | 47.27 | 2009 |
ALL-TIME PERFORMANCES
Rank | Swimmer | Time | Date |
1 | Cesar Cielo (BRA) | 46.91 | 2009 |
2 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 46.94 | 2009 |
3 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 46.96 | 2019 |
4 | Cameron McEvoy (AUS) | 47.04 | 2016 |
5 | Eamon Sullivan (AUS) | 47.05 | 2008 |
6 | Kyle Chalmers (AUS) | 47.08 | 2019 |
7 | Cesar Cielo (BRA) | 47.09 | 2009 |
8 | James Magnussen (AUS) | 47.10 | 2012 |
9 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 47.12 | 2009 |
10 | Cesar Cielo (BRA) | 47.13 | 2009 |
11 | Frederick Bousquet (FRA) | 47.15 | 2009 |
12 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 47.17 | 2017 |
13 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 47.20 | 2008 |
14 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 47.21 | 2008 |
15 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 47.22 | 2017 |
16 | Eamon Sullivan (AUS) | 47.24 | 2008 |
17 | Frederick Bousquet (FRA) | 47.25 | 2009 |
18 | Caeleb Dressel (USA) | 47.26 | 2017 |
19 | Alain Bernard (FRA) | 47.27 | 2009 |
19 | Brent Hayden (CAN) | 47.27 | 2009 |
So the Aussies pre race agreed, that the 4 x 200m would be a complete swap.
Interesting.
So are they blaming Dressel for the poor 4 x 200
I’m sure it was offered to him but he declined.
He has said all year that he wanted to be on that final relay. Dave Durden along with other coaches failed to put him into the line-up.
Where did you see that it was offered to him?
I’m sure it was offered to him. Isn’t he the great sprint sensation?
No seriously……..if he jumped up and down hard enough he would’ve been added.
Just my view.
So you’re not sure he was offered it. Glad that’s settled.
I use 21.64 and 47.84 as my benchmarks for holy crap times.
Perhaps I should lower them after this year.
WOW the top qualifier in Rio (Nathan Adrian 47.83) wouldn’t qualify for this final (47.82). Insane and great improvement from these athletes
It was pretty fast I’d have to say. Go Dressel! Beat the ROC!