Women 400m Freestyle Swimming XIV Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August

Women 400m Freestyle Swimming XIV Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August - Gold Medal: Ann Curtis, United States

Final		time		gap	L	Y
1. Ann Curtis	United States	5:17.8	OR		6	22
2. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:21.2		+3.4s	5	23
3. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:22.5		+4.7s	2	17
4. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:25.3		+7.5s	4	28
5. Brenda Helser	United States	5:26.0		+8.2s	3	24
6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva	Brazil	5:29.4		+11.6s	8	28
7. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.4		+11.6s	7	23
8. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:32.9		+15.1s	1	22

19 Competitors from 11 Nations. Empire Pool.

World Record: Ragnhild Hveger, Denmark 5:00.1 Kopenhagen, Denmark 15th September 1940

Olympic Record: Hendrika Mastenbroek, Netherlands 5:26.4 Berlin, Germany 15th August 1936

Todor 66	index Swimming OG
index London 1948	index Swimming London 1948


Men 100m Freestyle	Women 100m Freestyle
Men 400m Freestyle	Women 400m Freestyle
Men 1500m Freestyle
Men 100m Backstroke	Women 100m Backstroke
Men 200m Breaststroke	Women 200m Breaststroke
Men 4x200m Freestyle Relay	Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay

1936 Women 400m Freestyle

Women 400m Freestyle History

1952 Women 400m Freestyle

The same protagonists from the 100m were favoured in the 400m freestyle although American Ann Curtis was considered stronger at this event than at the shorter distances. The shock of the heats was the collapse of the 100m gold medallist and hot favourite, Greta Andersen, who blacked out in the water just beyond the 200m mark and had to be rescued from the pool. Karen Harup, also of Denmark, broke the Olympic record in the semi-finals and emerged as the greatest threat to an American victory. In the final Curtis held her effort until the final 100m then breezed past the opposition to record a clear victory. Harup narrowly held on to silver with a fast finishing Cathie Gibson gaining the host nation's only aquatic medal of the 1948 games with the bronze

Semi-Finals (1/2) - Friday, 6th August

Best 8 times advanced to Final.

Semi 1		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:25.7	OR		3	23	1.
2. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:26.1		+0.4s	5	28	2.
3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva	Brazil	5:31.1		+5.4s	6	28	7.
4. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:31.9		+6.2s	4	22	8.
5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen	Great Britain	5:39.5		+13.8s	2	18	12.
6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt	Mexico	5:42.4		+16.7s	8	18	13.
7. Vivien King	Canada	5:52.7		+27.0s	1	18	15.
-. Gisela Thidholm	Sweden	DNS			7	18	-.

Semi 2		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Ann Curtis	United States	5:26.4	+0.7s	3	22	3.
2. Brenda Helser	United States	5:28.1	+2.4s	6	24	4.
3. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.5	+3.8s	4	23	5.
4. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:31.0	+5.3s	5	17	6.
5. Colette Thomas	France	5:35.3	+9.6s	7	19	9.
6. Denise Spencer	Australia	5:35.6	+9.9s	8	18	10.
7. Margaret Wellington	Great Britain	5:38.2	+12.5s	2	21	11.
8. Eileen Holt	Argentina	5:52.4	+26.7s	1	_	14.

Heats - Friday 5th August

Best 16 times advanced to Semi-Finals (1/2).

Heat 3		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Brenda Helser	United States	5:30.0	+3.1s	1	24	5.
2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva	Brazil	5:30.2	+3.3s	2	28	6.
3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen	Great Britain	5:40.4	+13.5s	7	18	12.
4. Denise Spencer	Australia	5:40.9	+14.0s	8	18	13.
5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt	Mexico	5:43.8	+16.9s	6	18	14.
6. Eileen Holt	Argentina	5:44.9	+18.0s	4	_	15.
-. Greta Andersen	Denmark	DNF		3	21	-.
-. Josette Arene	France	DNS		5	23	-.

Heat 2		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:26.9		3	17	1.
2. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:29.2	+2.3s	2	28	2.
3. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.4	+2.5s	1	23	3.
4. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:29.6	+2.7s	6	22	4.
5. Vivien King	Canada	5:54.8	+27.9s	5	18	16.
-. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues	Brazil	DNS		4	13	-.
-. Eva Szekely	Hungary	DNS		7	21	-.

Heat 1		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:31.7	+4.8s	3	23	7.
2. Ann Curtis	United States	5:32.0	+5.1s	7	22	8.
3. Colette Thomas	France	5:32.9	+6.0s	5	19	9.
4. Gisela Thidholm	Sweden	5:34.5	+7.6s	8	18	10.
5. Margaret Wellington	Great Britain	5:40.0	+13.1s	1	21	11.
6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson	Canada	5:58.7	+31.8s	4	17	17.
7. Enriqueta Duarte	Argentina	6:14.4	+47.5s	6	19	18.
-. Hannie Termeulen	Netherlands	DNS		2	19	-.

Final		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Ann Curtis	United States	5:17.8	OR		6	22	1.
2. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:21.2		+3.4s	5	23	2.
3. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:22.5		+4.7s	2	17	3.
4. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:25.3		+7.5s	4	28	4.
5. Brenda Helser	United States	5:26.0		+8.2s	3	24	5.
6. Piedade Coutinho da Silva	Brazil	5:29.4		+11.6s	8	28	6.
7. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.4		+11.6s	7	23	7.
8. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:32.9		+15.1s	1	22	8.
Semis		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:25.7	OR		3	23	1.
2. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:26.1		+0.4s	5	28	2.
1. Ann Curtis	United States	5:26.4		+0.7s	3	22	3.
2. Brenda Helser	United States	5:28.1		+2.4s	6	24	4.
3. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.5		+3.8s	4	23	5.
4. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:31.0		+5.3s	5	17	6.
3. Piedade Coutinho da Silva	Brazil	5:31.1		+5.4s	6	28	7.
4. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:31.9		+6.2s	4	22	8.
5. Colette Thomas	France	5:35.3		+9.6s	7	19	9.
6. Denise Spencer	Australia	5:35.6		+9.9s	8	18	10.
7. Margaret Wellington	Great Britain	5:38.2		+12.5s	2	21	11.
5. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen	Great Britain	5:39.5		+13.8s	2	18	12.
6. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt	Mexico	5:42.4		+16.7s	8	18	13.
8. Eileen Holt	Argentina	5:52.4		+26.7s	1	_	14.
7. Vivien King	Canada	5:52.7		+27.0s	1	18	15.
-. Gisela Thidholm	Sweden	DNS			7	18	-.
Heats		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Catherine Gibson	Great Britain	5:26.9			3	17	1.
2. Fernande Caroen	Belgium	5:29.2		+2.3s	2	28	2.
3. Fritze Carstensen	Denmark	5:29.4		+2.5s	1	23	3.
4. Nancy Merki Lees	United States	5:29.6		+2.7s	6	22	4.
1. Brenda Helser	United States	5:30.0		+3.1s	1	24	5.
2. Piedade Coutinho da Siilva	Brazil	5:30.2		+3.3s	2	28	6.
1. Karen Margrethe Harup	Denmark	5:31.7		+4.8s	3	23	7.
2. Ann Curtis	United States	5:32.0		+5.1s	7	22	8.
3. Colette Thomas	France	5:32.9		+6.0s	5	19	9.
4. Gisela Thidholm	Sweden	5:34.5		+7.6s	8	18	10.
5. Margaret Wellington	Great Britain	5:40.0		+13.1s	1	21	11.
3. Patricia Eleanor Nielsen	Great Britain	5:40.4		+13.5s	7	18	12.
4. Denise Spencer	Australia	5:40.9		+14.0s	8	18	13.
5. Magda Bruggemann Schmidt	Mexico	5:43.8		+16.9s	6	18	14.
6. Eileen Holt	Argentina	5:44.9		+18.0s	4	_	15.
5. Vivien King	Canada	5:54.8		+27.9s	5	18	16.
6. Kathleen McNamee-Ferguson	Canada	5:58.7		+31.8s	4	17	17.
7. Enriqueta Duarte	Argentina	6:14.4		+47.5s	6	19	18.
-. Greta Andersen	Denmark	DNF			3	21	-.
-. Josette Arene	France	DNS			5	23	-.
-. Talita De Alencar Rodrigues	Brazil	DNS			4	13	-.
-. Eva Szekely	Hungary	DNS			7	21	-.
-. Hannie Termeulen	Netherlands	DNS			2	19	-.

Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev

todor1966@yahoo.com
Last updated: 17 Apr 2023
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