| | Event type

100 metres Freestyle, Women

Date	26 – 28 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Uimastadion, Helsinki
Participants	41 from 19 countries

The 100m Freestyle was one of the most ferociously contested events of any sport in the 1952 Olympics. With ten metres to go the lead was held by the sixteen year old South African Joan Harrison but such was the closeness of the race that Harrison was not even to win a medal. Hungary’s Judit Temes held a lead for much of the race but with six swimmers fighting for the victory, the Hungarian Katalin Szőke found a final burst of energy to touch first. Only a third of a second covered the next five finishers.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	580	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:07.1 (1 h3)	1:07.2 (2 h2)	1:06.8 (1)	Gold
2	158	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.3 (1 h2)	1:07.1 (3 h1)	1:07.0 (2)	Silver
3	579	Judit Temes	HUN	1:05.5 (1 h5)	1:07.4 (5 h1)	1:07.1 (3)	Bronze
4	139	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:06.5 (1 h4)	1:07.2 (1 h2)	1:07.1 (4)
5	–	Jody Alderson	USA	1:07.4 (2 h4)	1:06.6 (1 h1)	1:07.1 (5)
6	–	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:06.7 (1 h1)	1:06.7 (2 h1)	1:07.3 (6)
7	633	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:07.7 (1 h6)	1:07.4 (4 h1)	1:08.0 (7)
8	212	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:07.6 (3 h4)	1:07.2 (3 h2)	1:08.6 (8)
9	549	Ragnhild Hveger	DEN	1:08.6 (2 h5)	1:07.7 (6 h1)	–
10	581	Ilona Novák	HUN	1:07.7 (2 h1)	1:07.8 (4 h2)	–
11	159	Koosje van Voorn	NED	1:07.4 (2 h3)	1:08.1 (5 h2)	–
=12	38	Marjory McQuade	AUS	1:07.9 (2 h6)	1:08.2 (7 h1)	–
=12	548	Greta Andersen	DEN	1:08.0 (2 h2)	1:08.2 (6 h2)	–
=12	632	Judy Roberts	USA	1:08.2 (3 h2)	1:08.2 (7 h2)	–
15	506	Elisabeth Rechlin	GER	1:08.5 (3 h1)	1:08.5 (8 h2)	–
16	482	Ingegärd Fredin	SWE	1:08.0 (4 h4)	1:08.7 (8 h1)	–
17	440	Josette Arène	FRA	1:09.1 (3 h3)	–	–
18	547	Mette Ove Petersen	DEN	1:09.6 (4 h1)	–	–
19	480	Maud Berglund	SWE	1:09.8 (3 h5)	–	–
20	214	Lillian Preece	GBR	1:10.0 (4 h5)	–	–
21	213	Jean Botham	GBR	1:10.5 (4 h3)	–	–
=22	–	Ana María Schultz	ARG	1:10.6 (3 h6)	–	–
=22	442	Gaby Tanguy	FRA	1:10.6 (4 h6)	–	–
24	481	Marianne Lundquist	SWE	1:10.8 (4 h2)	–	–
25	507	Wera Schäferkordt	GER	1:10.9 (5 h2)	–	–
26	248	Romana Calligaris	ITA	1:11.0 (6 h2)	–	–
27	526	Ritva Järvinen	FIN	1:11.5 (5 h5)	–	–
28	37	Denise Norton	AUS	1:11.8 (5 h4)	–	–
29	323	Kay McNamee	CAN	1:12.9 (5 h6)	–	–
=30	249	Maria Nardi	ITA	1:13.2 (5 h1)	–	–
=30	290	Sadako Yamashita	JPN	1:13.2 (6 h1)	–	–
32	322	Gladys Priestley	CAN	1:13.4 (6 h4)	–	–
33	528	Raili Riuttala	FIN	1:13.5 (7 h4)	–	–
34	56	Sybille Verckist	BEL	1:13.7 (6 h5)	–	–
35	291	Fumiko Sakaguchi	JPN	1:14.6 (5 h3)	–	–
36	324	Irene Strong	CAN	1:15.1 (6 h3)	–	–
37	292	Shizue Miyabe	JPN	1:16.6 (7 h5)	–	–
=38	171	Cynthia Eager	HKG	1:16.8 (7 h1)	–	–
=38	539	Susy Vaterlaus	SUI	1:16.8 (6 h6)	–	–
40	527	Ritva Koivula	FIN	1:17.3 (7 h6)	–	–
41	187	Dolly Nazir	IND	1:24.6 (7 h2)	–	–
DNS	441	Ginette Jany	FRA	– (DNS h1)	–	–
DNS	593	Ragnhild Goetz	VEN	– (DNS h3)	–	–

Round One

Date	26 July 1952 — 17:00
Format	Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Judit Temes	HUN	1:05.5	QOR
2	–	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:06.5	Q
3	–	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:06.7	Q
4	–	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:07.1	Q
5	–	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.3	Q
=6	–	Koosje van Voorn	NED	1:07.4	Q
=6	–	Jody Alderson	USA	1:07.4	Q
8	–	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:07.6	Q
=9	–	Ilona Novák	HUN	1:07.7	Q
=9	–	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:07.7	Q
11	–	Marjory McQuade	AUS	1:07.9	Q
=12	–	Greta Andersen	DEN	1:08.0	Q
=12	–	Ingegärd Fredin	SWE	1:08.0	Q
14	–	Judy Roberts	USA	1:08.2	Q
15	–	Elisabeth Rechlin	GER	1:08.5	Q
16	–	Ragnhild Hveger	DEN	1:08.6	Q
17	–	Josette Arène	FRA	1:09.1
18	–	Mette Ove Petersen	DEN	1:09.6
19	–	Maud Berglund	SWE	1:09.8
20	–	Lillian Preece	GBR	1:10.0
21	–	Jean Botham	GBR	1:10.5
=22	–	Ana María Schultz	ARG	1:10.6
=22	–	Gaby Tanguy	FRA	1:10.6
24	–	Marianne Lundquist	SWE	1:10.8
25	–	Wera Schäferkordt	GER	1:10.9
26	–	Romana Calligaris	ITA	1:11.0
27	–	Ritva Järvinen	FIN	1:11.5
28	–	Denise Norton	AUS	1:11.8
29	–	Kay McNamee	CAN	1:12.9
=30	–	Maria Nardi	ITA	1:13.2
=30	–	Sadako Yamashita	JPN	1:13.2
32	–	Gladys Priestley	CAN	1:13.4
33	–	Raili Riuttala	FIN	1:13.5
34	–	Sybille Verckist	BEL	1:13.7
35	–	Fumiko Sakaguchi	JPN	1:14.6
36	–	Irene Strong	CAN	1:15.1
37	–	Shizue Miyabe	JPN	1:16.6
=38	–	Cynthia Eager	HKG	1:16.8
=38	–	Susy Vaterlaus	SUI	1:16.8
40	–	Ritva Koivula	FIN	1:17.3
41	–	Dolly Nazir	IND	1:24.6
DNS	–	Ginette Jany	FRA	–
DNS	–	Ragnhild Goetz	VEN	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:06.7	Q
2	–	Ilona Novák	HUN	1:07.7	Q
3	–	Elisabeth Rechlin	GER	1:08.5	Q
4	–	Mette Ove Petersen	DEN	1:09.6
5	–	Maria Nardi	ITA	1:13.2
6	–	Sadako Yamashita	JPN	1:13.2
7	–	Cynthia Eager	HKG	1:16.8
DNS	–	Ginette Jany	FRA	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.3	Q
2	–	Greta Andersen	DEN	1:08.0	Q
3	–	Judy Roberts	USA	1:08.2	Q
4	–	Marianne Lundquist	SWE	1:10.8
5	–	Wera Schäferkordt	GER	1:10.9
6	–	Romana Calligaris	ITA	1:11.0
7	–	Dolly Nazir	IND	1:24.6

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:07.1	Q
2	–	Koosje van Voorn	NED	1:07.4	Q
3	–	Josette Arène	FRA	1:09.1
4	–	Jean Botham	GBR	1:10.5
5	–	Fumiko Sakaguchi	JPN	1:14.6
6	–	Irene Strong	CAN	1:15.1
DNS	–	Ragnhild Goetz	VEN	–

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:06.5	Q
2	–	Jody Alderson	USA	1:07.4	Q
3	–	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:07.6	Q
4	–	Ingegärd Fredin	SWE	1:08.0	Q
5	–	Denise Norton	AUS	1:11.8
6	–	Gladys Priestley	CAN	1:13.4
7	–	Raili Riuttala	FIN	1:13.5

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Judit Temes	HUN	1:05.5	QOR
2	–	Ragnhild Hveger	DEN	1:08.6	Q
3	–	Maud Berglund	SWE	1:09.8
4	–	Lillian Preece	GBR	1:10.0
5	–	Ritva Järvinen	FIN	1:11.5
6	–	Sybille Verckist	BEL	1:13.7
7	–	Shizue Miyabe	JPN	1:16.6

Heat #6

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:07.7	Q
2	–	Marjory McQuade	AUS	1:07.9	Q
3	–	Ana María Schultz	ARG	1:10.6
4	–	Gaby Tanguy	FRA	1:10.6
5	–	Kay McNamee	CAN	1:12.9
6	–	Susy Vaterlaus	SUI	1:16.8
7	–	Ritva Koivula	FIN	1:17.3

Semi-Finals

Date	27 July 1952 — 17:00
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Jody Alderson	USA	1:06.6	Q
2	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:06.7	Q
3	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.1	Q
=4	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:07.2	Q
=4	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:07.2	Q
=4	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:07.2	Q
=7	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:07.4	Q
=7	Judit Temes	HUN	1:07.4	Q
9	Ragnhild Hveger	DEN	1:07.7
10	Ilona Novák	HUN	1:07.8
11	Koosje van Voorn	NED	1:08.1
=12	Marjory McQuade	AUS	1:08.2
=12	Greta Andersen	DEN	1:08.2
=12	Judy Roberts	USA	1:08.2
15	Elisabeth Rechlin	GER	1:08.5
16	Ingegärd Fredin	SWE	1:08.7

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Jody Alderson	USA	1:06.6	Q
2	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:06.7	Q
3	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.1	Q
4	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:07.4	Q
5	Judit Temes	HUN	1:07.4	Q
6	Ragnhild Hveger	DEN	1:07.7
7	Marjory McQuade	AUS	1:08.2
8	Ingegärd Fredin	SWE	1:08.7

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:07.2	Q
2	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:07.2	Q
3	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:07.2	Q
4	Ilona Novák	HUN	1:07.8
5	Koosje van Voorn	NED	1:08.1
6	Greta Andersen	DEN	1:08.2
7	Judy Roberts	USA	1:08.2
8	Elisabeth Rechlin	GER	1:08.5

Final Round

Date	28 July 1952 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Katalin Szőke	HUN	1:06.8
2	–	Hannie Termeulen	NED	1:07.0
3	–	Judit Temes	HUN	1:07.1
4	–	Joan Harrison	RSA	1:07.1
5	–	Jody Alderson	USA	1:07.1
6	–	Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher	NED	1:07.3
7	–	Marilee Stepan	USA	1:08.0
8	–	Angela Barnwell	GBR	1:08.6