| | Event type

1,500 metres Freestyle, Men

Date	4 – 6 August 1928
Status	Olympic
Location	Zwemstadion, Amsterdam
Participants	19 from 13 countries

Arne Borg would eventually set over thirty world records at a variety of distances but this victory in Amsterdam was his only Olympic gold medal though he competed in three Olympic Games. The “Swedish Sturgeon”, as he was dubbed by the press, dominated the competition from the heats and was never headed in the final as he swam away from the moment the gun sounded to finish ten seconds ahead of the “Manly Flying Fish”, Australia’s defending champion, Andrew “Boy” Charlton. Clarence “Buster” Crabbe secured the bronze though his nickname seemed tame by comparison.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Arne Borg	SWE	20:14.2 (1 h5)	20:42.0 (1 h1)	19:51.8 (1)	Gold
2	Boy Charlton	AUS	20:17.4 (2 h5)	20:57.0 (2 h2)	20:02.6 (2)	Silver
3	Buster Crabbe	USA	20:17.8 (3 h5)	20:55.4 (1 h2)	20:28.8 (3)	Bronze
4	Ray Ruddy	USA	22:12.0 (2 h3)	21:31.2 (3 h2)	21:05.0 (4)
5	Alberto Zorrilla	ARG	22:21.2 (1 h4)	21:17.0 (2 h1)	21:23.8 (5)
6	Garnet Ault	CAN	22:55.8 (2 h4)	21:33.4 (3 h1)	21:46.0 (6)
4 h1 r2/3	Nobuo Arai	JPN	21:35.4 (1 h2)	– (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r2/3	Giuseppe Perentin	ITA	21:42.4 (2 h2)	– (4 h2)	–
AC h1 r2/3	Takaji Takebayashi	JPN	22:30.4 (2 h1)	– (DNF h1)	–		DNF
1 h1 r1/3	Austin Clapp	USA	21:31.0 (1 h1)	– (DNS h1)	–
1 h3 r1/3	Katsuo Takaishi	JPN	21:20.8 (1 h3)	– (DNS h2)	–
3 h1 r1/3	Jimmy Thompson	CAN	22:56.6 (3 h1)	–	–
3 h2 r1/3	Dick de Man	NED	23:03.2 (3 h2)	–	–
3 h3 r1/3	Václav Antoš	TCH	22:43.0 (3 h3)	–	–
4 h1 r1/3	Giovanni Gambi	ITA	– (4 h1)	–	–
4 h2 r1/3	Dave Lindsay	NZL	– (4 h2)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	Walter Handschuhmacher	GER	22:18.6 (4 h5)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	Jean Taris	FRA	– (5 h1)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	Tuburan Tamse	PHI	– (5 h5)	–	–
DNS	D. D. Mulji	IND	– (DNS h4)	–	–
DNS	Jack Hatfield	GBR	– (DNS h1)	–	–
DNS	Percy Peter	GBR	– (DNS h2)	–	–
DNS	Paul Radmilovic	GBR	– (DNS h3)	–	–
DNS	Paolo Costoli	ITA	– (DNS h3)	–	–
DNS	Olivér Halassy	HUN	– (DNS h4)	–	–
DNS	Albert Vandeplancke	FRA	– (DNS h4)	–	–

Round One (4 August 1928 — 10:00)

Top two in each heat and the fastest third-place advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	3	Austin Clapp	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:31.0	Q
2	6	Takaji Takebayashi	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:30.4	Q
3	4	Jimmy Thompson	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:56.6
4	1	Giovanni Gambi	ITA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
5	5	Jean Taris	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	2	Jack Hatfield	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	3	Nobuo Arai	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:35.4	Q
2	1	Giuseppe Perentin	ITA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:42.4	Q
3	4	Dick de Man	NED	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	23:03.2
4	5	Dave Lindsay	NZL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	2	Percy Peter	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Three

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	5	Katsuo Takaishi	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:20.8	Q
2	3	Ray Ruddy	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:12.0	Q
3	1	Václav Antoš	TCH	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:43.0
DNS	2	Paul Radmilovic	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	4	Paolo Costoli	ITA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Four

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	1	Alberto Zorrilla	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:21.2	Q
2	4	Garnet Ault	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:55.8	Q
DNS	2	D. D. Mulji	IND	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	3	Olivér Halassy	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	5	Albert Vandeplancke	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Five

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	1	Arne Borg	SWE	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:14.2	Q
2	3	Boy Charlton	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:17.4	Q
3	2	Buster Crabbe	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:17.8	q
4	4	Walter Handschuhmacher	GER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:18.6
5	5	Tuburan Tamse	PHI	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Semi-Finals (5 August 1928 — 14:00)

Top three in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One (14:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	6	Arne Borg	SWE	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:42.0	Q
2	5	Alberto Zorrilla	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:17.0	Q
3	4	Garnet Ault	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:33.4	Q
4	3	Nobuo Arai	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNF	2	Takaji Takebayashi	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	1	Austin Clapp	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Two (14:35)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	1	Buster Crabbe	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:55.4	Q
2	3	Boy Charlton	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:57.0	Q
3	5	Ray Ruddy	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:31.2	Q
4	4	Giuseppe Perentin	ITA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	4	Katsuo Takaishi	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Final (6 August 1928 — 15:15)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	2	Arne Borg	SWE	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:51.8	OR
2	6	Boy Charlton	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:02.6
3	3	Buster Crabbe	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:28.8
4	4	Ray Ruddy	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:05.0
5	5	Alberto Zorrilla	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:23.8
6	1	Garnet Ault	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:46.0