| | Event type
100 metres Backstroke, Women
| Date | 13 – 14 October 1964 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyogijo, Shibuya, Tokyo |
| Participants | 31 from 17 countries |
In June 1964 Kiki Caron of France bettered the world record of 1:08.6 and came to Tokyo as a slight favorite. She was expected to be challenged by America’s Ginny Duenkel, who had broken Caron’s mark in September by posting 1:08.3. Japan’s Satoko Tanaka was also highly considered, but she was better in the 200 backstroke, having set eight straight world records in that event from July 1960 to August 1963. Her 200 record had been broken just before the Tokyo Olympics by Cathy Ferguson, who was also entered in this event. In the final Ferguson, Caron and Duenkel were almost even at 50 metres. But Caron pulled ahead just after the turn, only to see Ferguson catch her near the end of the race and outtouch her to win the gold medal, 1:07.7 to 1:07.9. Duenkel held on for third, with Tanaka in fourth place.
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathy Ferguson |  USA | 1:08.8 (1 h3) | 1:07.7 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | Kiki Caron |  FRA | 1:08.5 (1 h4) | 1:07.9 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | Ginny Duenkel | USA | 1:08.9 (1 h2) | 1:08.0 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Satoko Tanaka |  JPN | 1:10.0 (2 h1) | 1:08.6 (4) | |||
| 5 | Nina Harmar | USA | 1:09.8 (1 h1) | 1:09.4 (5) | |||
| 6 | Linda Ludgrove |  GBR | 1:10.3 (3 h1) | 1:09.5 (6) | |||
| 7 | Eileen Weir |  CAN | 1:09.7 (2 h2) | 1:09.8 (7) | |||
| 8 | Jill Norfolk | GBR | 1:10.6 (2 h4) | 1:11.2 (8) | |||
| =9 | Michiko Kihara | JPN | 1:11.1 (3 h2) | – | |||
| =9 | Ingrid Schmidt |  GER | 1:11.1 (3 h4) | – | |||
| 11 | Kirsten Michaelsen |  DEN | 1:11.2 (4 h2) | – | |||
| =12 | Helga Neuber | GER | 1:11.4 (4 h1) | – | |||
| =12 | Nataliya Mikhaylova |  URS | 1:11.4 (4 h4) | – | |||
| 14 | Corrie Winkel |  NED | 1:11.6 (5 h4) | – | |||
| =15 | Tatyana Savelyeva | URS | 1:11.8 (5 h2) | – | |||
| =15 | Françoise Borie | FRA | 1:11.8 (2 h3) | – | |||
| 17 | Mária Balla |  HUN | 1:12.0 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 18 | Petra Nerger | GER | 1:12.1 (3 h3) | – | |||
| =19 | Sylvia Lewis | GBR | 1:12.2 (4 h3) | – | |||
| =19 | Ria van Velsen | NED | 1:12.2 (5 h3) | – | |||
| 21 | Nanette Duncan |  AUS | 1:12.4 (6 h4) | – | |||
| 22 | Louise Kennedy | CAN | 1:12.5 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 23 | Marlene Dayman | AUS | 1:12.9 (6 h3) | – | |||
| 24 | Bep Weeteling | NED | 1:13.1 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 25 | Susana Peper |  ARG | 1:13.2 (7 h4) | – | |||
| 26 | Ursula Seitz |  AUT | 1:13.3 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 27 | Anneliese Rockenbach |  VEN | 1:14.1 (7 h3) | – | |||
| 28 | Belinda Woosley | AUS | 1:15.3 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 29 | Margaret Harding |  PUR | 1:19.5 (8 h3) | – | |||
| 30 | Jovina Tseng |  MAS | 1:20.7 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 31 | Jeon Ok-Ja |  KOR | 1:21.7 (8 h4) | – |
Round One
| Date | 13 October 1964 — 12:10 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Kiki Caron | FRA | 1:08.5 | ||
| 2 | – | Cathy Ferguson | USA | 1:08.8 | ||
| 3 | – | Ginny Duenkel | USA | 1:08.9 | ||
| 4 | – | Eileen Weir | CAN | 1:09.7 | ||
| 5 | – | Nina Harmar | USA | 1:09.8 | ||
| 6 | – | Satoko Tanaka | JPN | 1:10.0 | ||
| 7 | – | Linda Ludgrove | GBR | 1:10.3 | ||
| 8 | – | Jill Norfolk | GBR | 1:10.6 | ||
| =9 | – | Michiko Kihara | JPN | 1:11.1 | ||
| =9 | – | Ingrid Schmidt | GER | 1:11.1 | ||
| 11 | – | Kirsten Michaelsen | DEN | 1:11.2 | ||
| =12 | – | Helga Neuber | GER | 1:11.4 | ||
| =12 | – | Nataliya Mikhaylova | URS | 1:11.4 | ||
| 14 | – | Corrie Winkel | NED | 1:11.6 | ||
| =15 | – | Tatyana Savelyeva | URS | 1:11.8 | ||
| =15 | – | Françoise Borie | FRA | 1:11.8 | ||
| 17 | – | Mária Balla | HUN | 1:12.0 | ||
| 18 | – | Petra Nerger | GER | 1:12.1 | ||
| =19 | – | Sylvia Lewis | GBR | 1:12.2 | ||
| =19 | – | Ria van Velsen | NED | 1:12.2 | ||
| 21 | – | Nanette Duncan | AUS | 1:12.4 | ||
| 22 | – | Louise Kennedy | CAN | 1:12.5 | ||
| 23 | – | Marlene Dayman | AUS | 1:12.9 | ||
| 24 | – | Bep Weeteling | NED | 1:13.1 | ||
| 25 | – | Susana Peper | ARG | 1:13.2 | ||
| 26 | – | Ursula Seitz | AUT | 1:13.3 | ||
| 27 | – | Anneliese Rockenbach | VEN | 1:14.1 | ||
| 28 | – | Belinda Woosley | AUS | 1:15.3 | ||
| 29 | – | Margaret Harding | PUR | 1:19.5 | ||
| 30 | – | Jovina Tseng | MAS | 1:20.7 | ||
| 31 | – | Jeon Ok-Ja | KOR | 1:21.7 |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Nina Harmar | USA | 1:09.8 | ||
| 2 | – | Satoko Tanaka | JPN | 1:10.0 | ||
| 3 | – | Linda Ludgrove | GBR | 1:10.3 | ||
| 4 | – | Helga Neuber | GER | 1:11.4 | ||
| 5 | – | Louise Kennedy | CAN | 1:12.5 | ||
| 6 | – | Belinda Woosley | AUS | 1:15.3 | ||
| 7 | – | Jovina Tseng | MAS | 1:20.7 |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Ginny Duenkel | USA | 1:08.9 | ||
| 2 | – | Eileen Weir | CAN | 1:09.7 | ||
| 3 | – | Michiko Kihara | JPN | 1:11.1 | ||
| 4 | – | Kirsten Michaelsen | DEN | 1:11.2 | ||
| 5 | – | Tatyana Savelyeva | URS | 1:11.8 | ||
| 6 | – | Mária Balla | HUN | 1:12.0 | ||
| 7 | – | Bep Weeteling | NED | 1:13.1 | ||
| 8 | – | Ursula Seitz | AUT | 1:13.3 |
Heat #3
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Cathy Ferguson | USA | 1:08.8 | ||
| 2 | – | Françoise Borie | FRA | 1:11.8 | ||
| 3 | – | Petra Nerger | GER | 1:12.1 | ||
| 4 | – | Sylvia Lewis | GBR | 1:12.2 | ||
| 5 | – | Ria van Velsen | NED | 1:12.2 | ||
| 6 | – | Marlene Dayman | AUS | 1:12.9 | ||
| 7 | – | Anneliese Rockenbach | VEN | 1:14.1 | ||
| 8 | – | Margaret Harding | PUR | 1:19.5 |
Heat #4
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Kiki Caron | FRA | 1:08.5 | ||
| 2 | – | Jill Norfolk | GBR | 1:10.6 | ||
| 3 | – | Ingrid Schmidt | GER | 1:11.1 | ||
| 4 | – | Nataliya Mikhaylova | URS | 1:11.4 | ||
| 5 | – | Corrie Winkel | NED | 1:11.6 | ||
| 6 | – | Nanette Duncan | AUS | 1:12.4 | ||
| 7 | – | Susana Peper | ARG | 1:13.2 | ||
| 8 | – | Jeon Ok-Ja | KOR | 1:21.7 |
Final Round
| Date | 14 October 1964 — 20:20 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Cathy Ferguson | USA | 1:07.7 | ||
| 2 | – | Kiki Caron | FRA | 1:07.9 | ||
| 3 | – | Ginny Duenkel | USA | 1:08.0 | ||
| 4 | – | Satoko Tanaka | JPN | 1:08.6 | ||
| 5 | – | Nina Harmar | USA | 1:09.4 | ||
| 6 | – | Linda Ludgrove | GBR | 1:09.5 | ||
| 7 | – | Eileen Weir | CAN | 1:09.8 | ||
| 8 | – | Jill Norfolk | GBR | 1:11.2 |