100 metres freestyle
The 100 metres freestyle is often considered to be the highlight of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics.
The first swimmer to break the one-minute barrier was Johnny Weissmuller, in 1922. The current world records holders are César Cielo and Sarah Sjöström.
Australian Dawn Fraser won the event a record three times at the Olympics, and she is the only woman to win it more than once. Four men, American Duke Kahanamoku, Weissmuller, Russian Alexander Popov, and Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband won the event at the Olympics twice. Popov was also world champion three times.Men's champions
Olympic Games
World Championships
Edition | Winner | Time | Notes |
Belgrade 1973 | | 51.70 | |
Cali 1975 | | 51.25 | |
Berlin 1978 | | 50.24 | |
Guayaquil 1982 | | 50.18 | |
Madrid 1986 | | 48.94 | |
Perth 1991 | | 49.18 | |
Roma 1994 | | 49.12 | |
Perth 1998 | | 48.93 | |
Fukuoka 2001 | | 48.33 | |
Barcelona 2003 | | 48.42 | |
Montreal 2005 | | 48.12 | |
Melbourne 2007 |
| 48.43 | |
Rome 2009 | | 46.91 | |
Shanghai 2011 | | 47.63 | |
Barcelona 2013 | | 47.71 | |
Kazan 2015 | | 47.84 | |
Budapest 2017 | | 47.17 | |
Gwanju 2019 | | 46.96 | |
Olympic Games
World Championships