| Date | 23 – 24 July 1980 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Plavatelny basseyn, Sportivny kompleks Olimpiysky, Moskva |
| Participants | 24 from 17 countries |
Mary T was not in Moscow, which made this event less than the best, despite the presence of the GDR women. Mary T. Meagher had set the world record of 59.26 in Austin, Texas in April 1980. In 1981 at the US Nationals she set a world record 57.93 that lasted for 18 years. In her absence the East German swept the medals, led by Caren Metschuck, who won in 1:00.42. She would win four medals in Moscow, adding golds in both relays, and a silver in the 100 freestyle.
Bronze medalist Christiane Knacke never swam much after 1980, her body ravaged by the effects of the drugs she had been given by the East German sporting system. In 1998 she joined other swimmers in suing former East German coaches and doctors, accusing them of ruining their health. One doctor, Rolf Gläser publically apologized to her and Knacke became the first Olympic athlete to offer to return her Olympic medal.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74 | Caren Metschuck |  GDR | 1:01.08 (1 h3) | 1:00.42 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 76 | Andrea Pollack | GDR | 1:00.91 (1 h4) | 1:00.90 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 70 | Christiane Knacke | GDR | 1:01.32 (1 h2) | 1:01.44 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 57 | Ann Osgerby |  GBR | 1:01.93 (2 h4) | 1:02.21 (4) | |||
| 5 | 2 | Lisa Curry |  AUS | 1:02.92 (3 h1) | 1:02.40 (5) | |||
| 6 | 143 | Agneta Mårtensson |  SWE | 1:02.79 (1 h1) | 1:02.61 (6) | |||
| 7 | 26 | María París |  CRC | 1:02.80 (2 h1) | 1:02.89 (7) | |||
| 8 | – | Janet Osgerby | GBR | 1:02.84 (3 h4) | 1:02.90 (8) | |||
| 9 | 47 | Susan Cooper | GBR | 1:02.95 (2 h2) | – | |||
| 10 | 101 | Éva Miklósfalvy |  HUN | 1:03.17 (2 h3) | – | |||
| 11 | 95 | Wilma van Velsen |  NED | 1:03.31 (3 h2) | – | |||
| 12 | 107 | Cinzia Savi Scarponi |  ITA | 1:03.41 (3 h3) | – | |||
| 13 | 9 | Karen Van de Graaf | AUS | 1:03.62 (4 h2) | – | |||
| 14 | – | Dorota Brzozowska |  POL | 1:04.04 (4 h3) | – | |||
| 15 | 156 | Alla Grishchenkova |  URS | 1:04.10 (4 h4) | – | |||
| 16 | 10 | Sonja Hausladen |  AUT | 1:04.39 (5 h4) | – | |||
| 17 | 136 | Armi Airaksinen | SWE | 1:04.40 (5 h3) | – | |||
| 18 | 164 | Larisa Polivoda | URS | 1:04.50 (4 h1) | – | |||
| 19 | 132 | Mariana Paraschiv |  ROU | 1:05.34 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 20 | 134 | Carole Brook |  SUI | 1:05.93 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 21 | – | Celeste García |  PER | 1:06.25 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 22 | 15 | Marion Michel |  BEL | 1:07.81 (6 h4) | – | |||
| 23 | – | Bako Ratsifa |  MAD | 1:09.43 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 24 | 110 | Nadia Fezzani |  LBA | 1:12.94 (6 h3) | – | |||
| 115 | Dagmar Erdman |  MEX | – (DNS h3) | – |
| Date | 23 July 1980 — 10:30 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Andrea Pollack | GDR | 1:00.91 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Caren Metschuck | GDR | 1:01.08 | ||
| 3 | 4 | Christiane Knacke | GDR | 1:01.32 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Ann Osgerby | GBR | 1:01.93 | ||
| 5 | 5 | Agneta Mårtensson | SWE | 1:02.79 | ||
| 6 | 4 | María París | CRC | 1:02.80 | ||
| 7 | 3 | Janet Osgerby | GBR | 1:02.84 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Lisa Curry | AUS | 1:02.92 | ||
| 9 | 5 | Susan Cooper | GBR | 1:02.95 | ||
| 10 | 6 | Éva Miklósfalvy | HUN | 1:03.17 | ||
| 11 | 6 | Wilma van Velsen | NED | 1:03.31 | ||
| 12 | 5 | Cinzia Savi Scarponi | ITA | 1:03.41 | ||
| 13 | 3 | Karen Van de Graaf | AUS | 1:03.62 | ||
| 14 | 2 | Dorota Brzozowska | POL | 1:04.04 | ||
| 15 | 6 | Alla Grishchenkova | URS | 1:04.10 | ||
| 16 | 2 | Sonja Hausladen | AUT | 1:04.39 | ||
| 17 | 3 | Armi Airaksinen | SWE | 1:04.40 | ||
| 18 | 6 | Larisa Polivoda | URS | 1:04.50 | ||
| 19 | 2 | Mariana Paraschiv | ROU | 1:05.34 | ||
| 20 | 2 | Carole Brook | SUI | 1:05.93 | ||
| 21 | 7 | Celeste García | PER | 1:06.25 | ||
| 22 | 7 | Marion Michel | BEL | 1:07.81 | ||
| 23 | 7 | Bako Ratsifa | MAD | 1:09.43 | ||
| 24 | 1 | Nadia Fezzani | LBA | 1:12.94 | ||
| 7 | Dagmar Erdman | MEX | – |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Agneta Mårtensson | SWE | 1:02.79 | ||
| 2 | 4 | María París | CRC | 1:02.80 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Lisa Curry | AUS | 1:02.92 | ||
| 4 | 6 | Larisa Polivoda | URS | 1:04.50 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Carole Brook | SUI | 1:05.93 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Bako Ratsifa | MAD | 1:09.43 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Christiane Knacke | GDR | 1:01.32 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Susan Cooper | GBR | 1:02.95 | ||
| 3 | 6 | Wilma van Velsen | NED | 1:03.31 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Karen Van de Graaf | AUS | 1:03.62 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Mariana Paraschiv | ROU | 1:05.34 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Celeste García | PER | 1:06.25 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Caren Metschuck | GDR | 1:01.08 | ||
| 2 | 6 | Éva Miklósfalvy | HUN | 1:03.17 | ||
| 3 | 5 | Cinzia Savi Scarponi | ITA | 1:03.41 | ||
| 4 | 2 | Dorota Brzozowska | POL | 1:04.04 | ||
| 5 | 3 | Armi Airaksinen | SWE | 1:04.40 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Nadia Fezzani | LBA | 1:12.94 | ||
| 7 | Dagmar Erdman | MEX | – |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Andrea Pollack | GDR | 1:00.91 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Ann Osgerby | GBR | 1:01.93 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Janet Osgerby | GBR | 1:02.84 | ||
| 4 | 6 | Alla Grishchenkova | URS | 1:04.10 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Sonja Hausladen | AUT | 1:04.39 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Marion Michel | BEL | 1:07.81 |
| Date | 24 July 1980 — 18:30 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Caren Metschuck | GDR | 1:00.42 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Andrea Pollack | GDR | 1:00.90 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Christiane Knacke | GDR | 1:01.44 | ||
| 4 | 6 | Ann Osgerby | GBR | 1:02.21 | ||
| 5 | 8 | Lisa Curry | AUS | 1:02.40 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Agneta Mårtensson | SWE | 1:02.61 | ||
| 7 | 7 | María París | CRC | 1:02.89 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Janet Osgerby | GBR | 1:02.90 |
