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4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men

Date28 August 1972
StatusOlympic
LocationSchwimmhalle, Olympiapark, München
Participants63 from 14 countries

This was the first relay event of the Munich Olympics, and the final came only 40 minutes after Mark Spitz had won his first gold in the 200 butterfly. The United States had qualified with the fastest time by almost four seconds over the Soviet Union, breaking the world record with 3:28.84, despite resting Spitz and John Murphy for the final. The final saw the US shatter that mark with 3:26.42 for the gold medal, with Spitz swimming the anchor leg for his second gold medal of the Munich Olympics. The Soviet Union placed second in 3:29.72 with East Germany well back for the bronze.

PosNumberCompetitorsNOCR1Final
1–United StatesUSA3:28.84 (1 h2)3:26.42 (1)Gold
555Dave Edgar ––
568John Murphy ––
560Jerry Heidenreich ––
571Mark Spitz ––
–Dave Fairbank ––
–Gary Conelly ––
2–Soviet UnionURS3:32.72 (1 h1)3:29.72 (2)Silver
524Vladimir Bure ––
533Viktor Mazanov ––
522Viktor Aboimov ––
–Igor Grivennikov ––
532Georgijs Kuļikovs ––
3–East GermanyGDR3:35.13 (2 h2)3:32.42 (3)Bronze
207Roland Matthes ––
200Wilfried Hartung ––
196Peter Bruch ––
214Lutz Unger ––
209Udo Poser ––
4–BrazilBRA3:35.84 (4 h2)3:33.14 (4)
45Ruy Oliveira ––
53Paulo Zanetti ––
–Paul Becskehazy ––
48José Roberto Aranha ––
5–CanadaCAN3:35.64 (3 h2)3:33.20 (5)
85Bruce Robertson ––
84Brian Phillips ––
68Timothy Bach ––
79Bob Kasting ––
6–West GermanyFRG3:37.59 (3 h1)3:33.90 (6)
244Klaus Steinbach ––
236Werner Lampe ––
232Rainer Jacob ––
224Hans Faßnacht ––
–Gerhard Schiller ––
249Hans-Günther Vosseler ––
–Kersten Meier ––
7–FranceFRA3:35.84 (2 h1)3:34.13 (7)
163Gilles Vigne ––
161Alain Mosconi ––
158Alain Hermitte ––
162Michel Rousseau ––
8–SpainESP3:38.77 (4 h1)3:38.21 (8)
134Jorge Comas ––
136Antonio Culebras ––
139Enrique Melo ––
140José Pujol ––
9–ItalyITA3:38.81 (5 h1)–
332Roberto Pangaro ––
316Paolo Barelli ––
327Marcello Guarducci ––
320Alberto Castagnetti ––
10–AustraliaAUS3:40.47 (5 h2)–
17Neil Rogers ––
20Graham White ––
–Bruce Featherston ––
16Greg Rogers ––
8Brad Cooper DNS––
19Mike Wenden DNS––
11–NetherlandsNED3:41.36 (6 h1)–
274Peter Prijdekker ––
272Bert Bergsma ––
276Roger van Hamburg ––
273Hans Elzerman ––
12–MexicoMEX3:43.46 (7 h1)–
390Jorge Urreta ––
388José Joaquín Santibáñez ––
380Guillermo García ––
389Roberto Strauss ––
13–PhilippinesPHI3:47.39 (6 h2)–
423Luis Ayesa ––
426Dae Imlani ––
425Carlos Brosas ––
427Jairulla Jaitulla ––
14–El SalvadorESA3:49.14 (7 h2)–
–Salvador Vilanova ––
–Reynaldo Patiño ––
–Tomás Rengifo ––
–Antonio Ferracuti ––

Round One

Date28 August 1972 — 12:15
FormatFastest eight advanced to the final.
PosTeamNOCTime
1United StatesUSA3:28.84Q=WR
2Soviet UnionURS3:32.72Q
3East GermanyGDR3:35.13Q
4CanadaCAN3:35.64Q
=5FranceFRA3:35.84Q
=5BrazilBRA3:35.84Q
7West GermanyFRG3:37.59Q
8SpainESP3:38.77Q
9ItalyITA3:38.81
10AustraliaAUS3:40.47
11NetherlandsNED3:41.36
12MexicoMEX3:43.46
13PhilippinesPHI3:47.39
14El SalvadorESA3:49.14

Heat #1

PosCompetitorsNOCTimeSplitExchange
1Soviet UnionURS3:32.72– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offVladimir Bure –53.00 (1)– (–)
2nd LegViktor Mazanov –52.88 (1)1:45.88 (1)
3rd LegViktor Aboimov –52.84 (1)2:38.72 (1)
AnchorGeorgijs Kuļikovs –54.00 (3)– (–)
2FranceFRA3:35.84– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offGilles Vigne –54.63 (3)– (–)
2nd LegAlain Mosconi –54.52 (=5)1:49.15 (4)
3rd LegAlain Hermitte –53.69 (2)2:42.84 (3)
AnchorMichel Rousseau –52.98 (1)– (–)
3West GermanyFRG3:37.59– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offGerhard Schiller –54.59 (2)– (–)
2nd LegRainer Jacob –54.27 (3)1:48.86 (3)
3rd LegHans-Günther Vosseler –53.82 (3)2:42.68 (2)
AnchorKersten Meier –54.90 (4)– (–)
4SpainESP3:38.77– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offJorge Comas –54.88 (5)– (–)
2nd LegAntonio Culebras –54.52 (=5)1:49.40 (5)
3rd LegEnrique Melo –55.39 (5)2:44.79 (5)
AnchorJosé Pujol –53.97 (2)– (–)
5ItalyITA3:38.81– (–)– (–)
Lead-offRoberto Pangaro –54.64 (4)– (–)
2nd LegPaolo Barelli –54.10 (2)1:48.74 (2)
3rd LegMarcello Guarducci –54.39 (4)2:43.13 (4)
AnchorAlberto Castagnetti –55.67 (5)– (–)
6NetherlandsNED3:41.36– (–)– (–)
Lead-offPeter Prijdekker –55.30 (7)– (–)
2nd LegBert Bergsma –54.41 (4)1:49.71 (6)
3rd LegRoger van Hamburg –55.74 (6)2:45.45 (6)
AnchorHans Elzerman –55.89 (6)– (–)
7MexicoMEX3:43.46– (–)– (–)
Lead-offJorge Urreta –55.27 (6)– (–)
2nd LegJosé Joaquín Santibáñez –– (–)– (–)
3rd LegGuillermo García –– (–)– (–)
AnchorRoberto Strauss –– (–)– (–)

Heat #2

PosCompetitorsNOCTimeSplitExchange
1United StatesUSA3:28.84– (–)– (–)Q=WR
Lead-offDave Fairbank –52.61 (1)– (–)
2nd LegGary Conelly –51.69 (1)1:44.30 (1)
3rd LegJerry Heidenreich –51.89 (1)2:36.19 (1)
AnchorDave Edgar –52.63 (1)– (–)
2East GermanyGDR3:35.13– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offWilfried Hartung –54.03 (2)– (–)
2nd LegPeter Bruch –53.49 (2)1:47.52 (2)
3rd LegUdo Poser –54.31 (3)2:41.83 (2)
AnchorLutz Unger –53.29 (4)– (–)
3CanadaCAN3:35.64– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offBrian Phillips –54.64 (4)– (–)
2nd LegBruce Robertson –53.63 (3)1:48.27 (3)
3rd LegTimothy Bach –54.17 (2)2:42.44 (3)
AnchorBob Kasting –53.19 (3)– (–)
4BrazilBRA3:35.84– (–)– (–)Q
Lead-offRuy Oliveira –54.48 (3)– (–)
2nd LegPaulo Zanetti –53.82 (4)1:48.30 (4)
3rd LegPaul Becskehazy –54.69 (4)2:42.99 (4)
AnchorJosé Roberto Aranha –52.84 (2)– (–)
5AustraliaAUS3:40.47– (–)– (–)
Lead-offNeil Rogers –55.12 (5)– (–)
2nd LegGraham White –55.33 (5)1:50.45 (5)
3rd LegBruce Featherston –55.43 (5)2:45.88 (5)
AnchorGreg Rogers –54.57 (5)– (–)
6PhilippinesPHI3:47.39– (–)– (–)
Lead-offLuis Ayesa –55.33 (6)– (–)
2nd LegDae Imlani –57.58 (6)1:52.91 (6)
3rd LegCarlos Brosas –57.30 (6)2:50.21 (6)
AnchorJairulla Jaitulla –57.16 (7)– (–)
7El SalvadorESA3:49.14– (–)– (–)
Lead-offSalvador Vilanova –55.85 (7)– (–)
2nd LegReynaldo Patiño –59.57 (7)1:55.42 (7)
3rd LegTomás Rengifo –57.72 (7)2:53.14 (7)
AnchorAntonio Ferracuti –55.98 (6)– (–)

Final Round

Date28 August 1972 — 18:40
PosLaneCompetitorsNOCTimeSplitExchange
1–United StatesUSA3:26.42– (–)– (–)WR
Lead-off–Dave Edgar –52.69 (2)– (–)
2nd Leg–John Murphy –52.04 (1)1:44.73 (1)
3rd Leg–Jerry Heidenreich –50.78 (1)2:35.51 (1)
Anchor–Mark Spitz –50.90 (1)– (–)
2–Soviet UnionURS3:29.72– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Vladimir Bure –52.26 (1)– (–)IWR
2nd Leg–Viktor Mazanov –53.13 (4)1:45.39 (2)
3rd Leg–Viktor Aboimov –52.75 (2)2:38.14 (2)
Anchor–Igor Grivennikov –51.57 (2)– (–)
3–East GermanyGDR3:32.42– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Roland Matthes –52.89 (3)– (–)
2nd Leg–Wilfried Hartung –53.31 (5)1:46.20 (4)
3rd Leg–Peter Bruch –53.20 (3)2:39.40 (3)
Anchor–Lutz Unger –53.01 (6)– (–)
4–BrazilBRA3:33.14– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Ruy Oliveira –53.62 (6)– (–)
2nd Leg–Paulo Zanetti –53.61 (6)1:47.23 (6)
3rd Leg–Paul Becskehazy –53.73 (5)2:40.96 (6)
Anchor–José Roberto Aranha –52.17 (4)– (–)
5–CanadaCAN3:33.20– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Bruce Robertson –53.52 (5)– (–)
2nd Leg–Brian Phillips –52.56 (2)1:46.08 (3)
3rd Leg–Timothy Bach –54.41 (7)2:40.49 (5)
Anchor–Bob Kasting –52.70 (5)– (–)
6–West GermanyFRG3:33.90– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Klaus Steinbach –53.45 (4)– (–)
2nd Leg–Werner Lampe –52.81 (3)1:46.26 (5)
3rd Leg–Rainer Jacob –53.81 (6)2:40.07 (4)
Anchor–Hans Faßnacht –53.82 (7)– (–)
7–FranceFRA3:34.13– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Gilles Vigne –54.47 (8)– (–)
2nd Leg–Alain Mosconi –54.57 (7)1:49.04 (7)
3rd Leg–Alain Hermitte –53.41 (4)2:42.45 (7)
Anchor–Michel Rousseau –51.66 (3)– (–)
8–SpainESP3:38.21– (–)– (–)
Lead-off–Jorge Comas –54.32 (7)– (–)
2nd Leg–Antonio Culebras –55.02 (8)1:49.34 (8)
3rd Leg–Enrique Melo –54.77 (8)2:44.11 (8)
Anchor–José Pujol –54.09 (8)– (–)