100 metres Freestyle, Men

The top swim sprinters in the world were present for this race. Charlie Daniels would win the 1906-07 Amateur Swimming Association (ASA/Britain) titles, and was U.S. champion over 100 yards in 1905-08, and 220 yards in 1904-08 and 1910. Zoltán Halmay was ASA champion over 100 yards in 1905 and 220 yards in 1907, and held the world record in the event at the time, with a mark of 1:05 4/5. Cecil Healy would win the ASA 220 yard title in 1906.

Heats of the 100-meter freestyle were held on 24 April [11 April]. There were two heats and, strangely, they are not reported in the official results. But they were definitely held, as they were reported in all the newspapers of the time. However, their omission from the official results makes the heat make-ups the only events for the 1906 Olympics for which we are not 100% positive of the precise competitors. These have been pieced together from various newspapers and consultations with various experts.

The two heats were won by Charlie Daniels, who won the first heat narrowly over Australia’s Healy; and Britain’s Paul Radmilovic, who won the second heat narrowly over Hungary’s Zoltán Halmay.

The final was scheduled for 25 April [12 April], but was postponed to the next day because of the weather conditions. It appears that nine swimmers advanced to the final, although the original rules noted that only the first four finishers in each heat would go on to the finals, making a field of eight competitors. However, the Hungarian József Ónody is listed as having competed in the final in several 1906 sources. The final turned into a battle early on between Daniels and Halmay. Daniels won by a few meters over Halmay, with Australia’s Cecil Healy far back in third place.