Women 400m Freestyle Swimming XIV Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August - Gold Medal: Ann Curtis, United States
Final time gap L Y 1. Ann Curtis 5:17.8 OR 6 22 2. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:21.2 +3.4s 5 23 3. Catherine Gibson 5:22.5 +4.7s 2 17 4. Fernande Caroen 5:25.3 +7.5s 4 28 5. Brenda Helser 5:26.0 +8.2s 3 24 6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva 5:29.4 +11.6s 8 28 7. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.4 +11.6s 7 23 8. Nancy Merki Lees 5:32.9 +15.1s 1 22
19 Competitors from 11 Nations. Empire Pool.
World Record: Ragnhild Hveger, Denmark 5:00.1 Kopenhagen, Denmark 15th September 1940 Olympic Record: Hendrika Mastenbroek, Netherlands 5:26.4 Berlin, Germany 15th August 1936
The same protagonists from the 100m were favoured in the 400m freestyle although American Ann Curtis was considered stronger at this event than at the shorter distances. The shock of the heats was the collapse of the 100m gold medallist and hot favourite, Greta Andersen, who blacked out in the water just beyond the 200m mark and had to be rescued from the pool. Karen Harup, also of Denmark, broke the Olympic record in the semi-finals and emerged as the greatest threat to an American victory. In the final Curtis held her effort until the final 100m then breezed past the opposition to record a clear victory. Harup narrowly held on to silver with a fast finishing Cathie Gibson gaining the host nation's only aquatic medal of the 1948 games with the bronze
Best 8 times advanced to Final .
Semi 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:25.7 OR 3 23 1. 2. Fernande Caroen 5:26.1 +0.4s 5 28 2. 3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva 5:31.1 +5.4s 6 28 7. 4. Nancy Merki Lees 5:31.9 +6.2s 4 22 8. 5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen 5:39.5 +13.8s 2 18 12. 6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt 5:42.4 +16.7s 8 18 13. 7. Vivien King 5:52.7 +27.0s 1 18 15. -. Gisela Thidholm DNS 7 18 -.
Semi 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Ann Curtis 5:26.4 +0.7s 3 22 3. 2. Brenda Helser 5:28.1 +2.4s 6 24 4. 3. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.5 +3.8s 4 23 5. 4. Catherine Gibson 5:31.0 +5.3s 5 17 6. 5. Colette Thomas 5:35.3 +9.6s 7 19 9. 6. Denise Spencer 5:35.6 +9.9s 8 18 10. 7. Margaret Wellington 5:38.2 +12.5s 2 21 11. 8. Eileen Holt 5:52.4 +26.7s 1 _ 14.
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 1. Brenda Helser 5:30.0 +3.1s 1 24 5. 2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva 5:30.2 +3.3s 2 28 6. 3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen 5:40.4 +13.5s 7 18 12. 4. Denise Spencer 5:40.9 +14.0s 8 18 13. 5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt 5:43.8 +16.9s 6 18 14. 6. Eileen Holt 5:44.9 +18.0s 4 _ 15. -. Greta Andersen DNF 3 21 -. -. Josette Arene DNS 5 23 -.
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 1. Catherine Gibson 5:26.9 3 17 1. 2. Fernande Caroen 5:29.2 +2.3s 2 28 2. 3. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.4 +2.5s 1 23 3. 4. Nancy Merki Lees 5:29.6 +2.7s 6 22 4. 5. Vivien King 5:54.8 +27.9s 5 18 16. -. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues DNS 4 13 -. -. Eva Szekely DNS 7 21 -.
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:31.7 +4.8s 3 23 7. 2. Ann Curtis 5:32.0 +5.1s 7 22 8. 3. Colette Thomas 5:32.9 +6.0s 5 19 9. 4. Gisela Thidholm 5:34.5 +7.6s 8 18 10. 5. Margaret Wellington 5:40.0 +13.1s 1 21 11. 6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson 5:58.7 +31.8s 4 17 17. 7. Enriqueta Duarte 6:14.4 +47.5s 6 19 18. -. Hannie Termeulen DNS 2 19 -.
Final time gap L Y Rk 1. Ann Curtis 5:17.8 OR 6 22 1. 2. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:21.2 +3.4s 5 23 2. 3. Catherine Gibson 5:22.5 +4.7s 2 17 3. 4. Fernande Caroen 5:25.3 +7.5s 4 28 4. 5. Brenda Helser 5:26.0 +8.2s 3 24 5. 6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva 5:29.4 +11.6s 8 28 6. 7. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.4 +11.6s 7 23 7. 8. Nancy Merki Lees 5:32.9 +15.1s 1 22 8. Semis time gap L Y Rk 1. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:25.7 OR 3 23 1. 2. Fernande Caroen 5:26.1 +0.4s 5 28 2. 1. Ann Curtis 5:26.4 +0.7s 3 22 3. 2. Brenda Helser 5:28.1 +2.4s 6 24 4. 3. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.5 +3.8s 4 23 5. 4. Catherine Gibson 5:31.0 +5.3s 5 17 6. 3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva 5:31.1 +5.4s 6 28 7. 4. Nancy Merki Lees 5:31.9 +6.2s 4 22 8. 5. Colette Thomas 5:35.3 +9.6s 7 19 9. 6. Denise Spencer 5:35.6 +9.9s 8 18 10. 7. Margaret Wellington 5:38.2 +12.5s 2 21 11. 5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen 5:39.5 +13.8s 2 18 12. 6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt 5:42.4 +16.7s 8 18 13. 8. Eileen Holt 5:52.4 +26.7s 1 _ 14. 7. Vivien King 5:52.7 +27.0s 1 18 15. -. Gisela Thidholm DNS 7 18 -. Heats time gap L Y Rk 1. Catherine Gibson 5:26.9 3 17 1. 2. Fernande Caroen 5:29.2 +2.3s 2 28 2. 3. Fritze Carstensen 5:29.4 +2.5s 1 23 3. 4. Nancy Merki Lees 5:29.6 +2.7s 6 22 4. 1. Brenda Helser 5:30.0 +3.1s 1 24 5. 2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva 5:30.2 +3.3s 2 28 6. 1. Karen Margrethe Harup 5:31.7 +4.8s 3 23 7. 2. Ann Curtis 5:32.0 +5.1s 7 22 8. 3. Colette Thomas 5:32.9 +6.0s 5 19 9. 4. Gisela Thidholm 5:34.5 +7.6s 8 18 10. 5. Margaret Wellington 5:40.0 +13.1s 1 21 11. 3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen 5:40.4 +13.5s 7 18 12. 4. Denise Spencer 5:40.9 +14.0s 8 18 13. 5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt 5:43.8 +16.9s 6 18 14. 6. Eileen Holt 5:44.9 +18.0s 4 _ 15. 5. Vivien King 5:54.8 +27.9s 5 18 16. 6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson 5:58.7 +31.8s 4 17 17. 7. Enriqueta Duarte 6:14.4 +47.5s 6 19 18. -. Greta Andersen DNF 3 21 -. -. Josette Arene DNS 5 23 -. -. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues DNS 4 13 -. -. Eva Szekely DNS 7 21 -. -. Hannie Termeulen DNS 2 19 -.
Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev
todor1966@yahoo.com Last updated: 17 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev
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