Men 100m Backstroke Swimming XXIV Olympic Games 1988 Seoul, South Korea - Saturday, 24th September - Gold Medal: daicih Suzuki, Japan
Final time gap L Y 50m 1. Daichi Suzuki Japan55.05s 3 21 25.97s 2. David Berkoff United States55.18s +0.13s 4 21 25.47s 3. Igor Polyanski Soviet Union55.20s +0.15s 5 21 26.06s 4. Sergey Zabolotnov Soviet Union55.37s +0.32s 6 25 28.38s 5. Mark Tewksbury Canada56.09s +1.04s 1 20 26.66s 6. Frank Baltrusch East Germany56.10s +1.05s 8 24 27.22s 7. Frank Hoffmeister West Germany56.19s +1.14s 2 22 26.71s 8. Sean Murphy Canada56.32s +1.27s 7 24 26.34s
World Record: David Berkoff, United States 54.91s Austin, United States 13 August 1988 World Record: Victor Davies, Canada 2:13.34 Los Angeles United States 2nd August 1984 Olympic Record: Rick Carey, United States 55.41s Los Angeles, United States 4 August 1984
1:01.30 LCM-time done since Jan 1, 1987
59.20s SCM-time done since Sep 1, 1987
Final B time gap L Y 50m 9. Dirk Richter East Germany56.66s 4 24 27.22s 10.Franck Schott France56.98s +0.32s 5 18 27.16s 11.Jay Mortensen United States57.06s +0.40s 6 21 26.83s 12.Shigemori Maruyama Japan57.13s +0.47s 7 21 26.79s 13.Georgi Mikhalev Bulgaria57.17s +0.51s 3 20 27.37s 14.David Lim Singapore57.72s +1.06s 2 22 27.12s 14.Manuel Guzmán Puerto Rico57.95s +1.29s 1 18 27.38s 16.Eðvarð Þór Eðvarðsson $ISL Iceland ~$58.20s +1.54s 8 21 8.
The world record had been broken five times already in 1988, the first three by Soviet Igor Polyansky, and then twice by American Dave Berkoff at the US Olympic Trials. Polyansky was the 1986 World Champion in both backstroke events, but Berkoff had pioneered a new technique. He swam as far as he could underwater after the push-off, often not emerging on top of the water until the 35-40 metre mark. This usually gave him a big lead at the turn, and it was so advantageous that the other swimmers had to adopt the technique, although Berkoff usually still led through the first 40. Berkoff used it in Seoul to break the world record in the preliminaries, recording 54.51.
But in the Seoul final, Berkoff used the technique but only led Japan's Daichi Suzuki by about a body length at the turn. That was less than expected and it was not enough, as Suzuki came home faster to win the gold medal. Berkoff won silver, barely holding off Polyansky. In fifth place was Canada's Mark Tewksbury, the 1991 Pan Pacific Champion, who never adapted well to the new underwater technique. He would not need it long. As soon as the Seoul Olympics ended, Berkoff's underwater start was banned, with the new rule requiring that backstrokers surface and begin stroking on top of the water by 10 metres. This was later changed to 15 metres.
Heats - Saturday, 24th September Morning
Heat 7 time gap L Y Rk 50m 1. David Berkoff United States54.51s WR - 21 1. 25.23s 3. Daichi Suzuki Japan55.90s Q +1.39s - 21 2. 26.29s 4. Sergey Zabolotnov Soviet Union56.13s Q +1.62s - 25 3. 26.74s 5. Frank Hoffmeister West Germany56.19s Q +1.68s - 22 4. 26.80s 19.Paul Kingsman New Zealand57.80s +3.29s - 21 5. 27.76s 21.Lars Sorensen Denmark58.01s +3.50s - 20 6. 28.01s 27.Carl Wilson Australia58.40s +3.89s - 21 7. 27.72s 37.Valerio Giambalvo Italy59.48s +4.97s - 20 8. 28.26s
Heat 6 time gap L Y Rk 50m 2. Igor Polyanski Soviet Union55.04s OR +0.53s - 21 2. 26.08s 6. Mark Tewksbury Canada56.20s Q +1.69s - 20 2. 26.66s 8. Frank Baltrusch East Germany56.45s Q +1.94s - 24 3. 27.30s 10.Franck Schott France56.76s q +2.25s - 18 4. 27.06s 11.Georgi Mikhalev Bulgaria57.06s q +2.55s - 20 5. 27.09s 18.Laijiu Lin China57.74s +3.23s - 20 6. 27.63s 20.Rogerio Aoki Romero Brazil57.91s +3.40s - 18 7. 27.91s -. Paul Yelle BarbadosDNS - 24 -.
Heat 5 time gap L Y Rk 50m 6. Sean Murphy Canada56.20s Q +1.69s - 24 1. 26.10s 9. Dirk Richter East Germany56.52s q +2.01s - 24 2. 27.11s 12.Jens-Peter Berndt West Germany57.08s WD +2.57s - 25 3. 27.63s 13.Jay Mortensen United States57.19s q +2.68s - 21 4. 27.02s 15.Shigemori Maruyama Japan57.54s q +3.03s - 21 5. 27.31s 17.Eðvarð Þór Eðvarðsson Iceland57.70s q +3.19s - 21 6. 27.49s 30.Pavel Vokoun Czechoslovakia58.88s +4.37s - 18 7. 27.79s 32.Simon Upton Australia59.06s +4.55s - 19 8. 29.09s
Heat 4 time gap L Y Rk 50m 16.Manuel Guzmán Puerto Rico57.62s q +3.11s - 18 1. 27.46s 22.Neil Harper Great Britain58.02s +3.51s - 23 2. 27.38s 23.Martin López-Zubero Spain58.06s +3.55s - 19 3. 28.21s 24.Patrick Ferland Switzerland58.17s +3.66s - 23 4. 27.86s 28.Tamas Deutsch Hungary58.65s +4.14s - 18 5. 28.29s 31.Renaud Boucher France58.90s +4.39s - 24 6. 28.49s 35.Guo-Xiong Huang China59.36s +4.85s - 17 7. 28.56s 38.Wladimir Ribeiro Brazil59.76s +5.25s - 21 8. 27.62s
Heat 3 time gap L Y Rk 50m 14.David Lim Singapore57.34s q +2.83s - 22 1. 27.23s 25.Neil Cochran Great Britain58.25s +3.74s - 23 2. 27.64s 26.Alejandro Alvizuri Peru58.37s +3.86s - 20 3. 28.59s 29.Stephen Cullen Ireland58.82s +4.31s - 17 4. 27.81s 33.Ernesto Vila Mexico59.19s +4.68s - 19 5. 28.56s 34.Ilias Malamas Greece59.24s +4.73s - 22 6. 28.52s 36.Richard Gheel Ireland59.37s +4.86s - 19 7. 28.41s 39.Amin Amer Egypt1:00.76 +6.25s - 22 8. 28.47s
Heat 2 time gap L Y Rk 50m 40.Dong-Pil Park South Korea1:01.25 +6.74s - 20 1. 29.03s 41.Patrick Sagisi Guam1:01.86 +7.35s - 17 2. 29.40s 42.Horst Niehaus Costa Rica1:01.91 +7.40s - 20 3. 29.81s 42.Hor-Man Yip Hong Kong1:01.91 +7.40s - 18 4. 29.49s 44.Brett Halford Zimbabwe1:02.95 +8.44s - 17 5. 29.54s 45.Eric Greenwood Costa Rica1:03.11 +8.60s - 21 6. 29.51s 46.Rodolfo Barahona Honduras1:03.90 +9.39s - 18 7. 30.94s 47.Bruno N'diaye Senegal1:05.06 +10.55s - 19 8. 30.91s
Heat 1 time gap L Y Rk 50m 48.Filippo Piva San Marino1:07.63 +13.12s - 21 1. 32.04s 49.Mohammed Abdulla UA Emirates1:08.91 +14.40s - - 2. 32.76s 50.Rami Kantari Lebanon1:09.35 +14.84s - 25 3. 32.75s 51.Mohamed Bin Abid UA Emirates1:10.01 +15.50s - 19 4. 33.49s 52.Yul Mark Du Pont Eswatini1:12.50 +17.99s - 17 5. 34.58s -. Ranjoy Punja IndiaDNS - 21 -.
Final time gap L Y 50m 1. Daichi Suzuki Japan55.05s 3 21 25.97s 2. David Berkoff United States55.18s +0.13s 4 21 25.47s 3. Igor Polyanski Soviet Union55.20s +0.15s 5 21 26.06s 4. Sergey Zabolotnov Soviet Union55.37s +0.32s 6 25 28.38s 5. Mark Tewksbury Canada56.09s +1.04s 1 20 26.66s 6. Frank Baltrusch East Germany56.10s +1.05s 8 24 27.22s 7. Frank Hoffmeister West Germany56.19s +1.14s 2 22 26.71s 8. Sean Murphy Canada56.32s +1.27s 7 24 26.34s Final B time gap L Y 50m 9. Dirk Richter East Germany56.66s 4 24 27.22s 10.Franck Schott France56.98s +0.32s 5 18 27.16s 11.Jay Mortensen United States57.06s +0.40s 6 21 26.83s 12.Shigemori Maruyama Japan57.13s +0.47s 7 21 26.79s 13.Georgi Mikhalev Bulgaria57.17s +0.51s 3 20 27.37s 14.David Lim Singapore57.72s +1.06s 2 22 27.12s 14.Manuel Guzmán Puerto Rico57.95s +1.29s 1 18 27.38s 16.Eðvarð Þór Eðvarðsson $ISL Iceland ~$58.20s +1.54s 8 21 8. Heats time gap L Y 50m 1. David Berkoff United States54.51s WR - 21 25.23s 2. Igor Polyanski Soviet Union55.04s OR +0.53s - 21 26.08s 3. Daichi Suzuki Japan55.90s Q +1.39s - 21 26.29s 4. Sergey Zabolotnov Soviet Union56.13s Q +1.62s - 25 26.74s 5. Frank Hoffmeister West Germany56.19s Q +1.68s - 22 26.80s 6. Sean Murphy Canada56.20s Q +1.69s - 24 26.10s 6. Mark Tewksbury Canada56.20s Q +1.69s - 20 26.66s 8. Frank Baltrusch East Germany56.45s Q +1.94s - 24 27.30s 9. Dirk Richter East Germany56.52s q +2.01s - 24 27.11s 10.Franck Schott France56.76s q +2.25s - 18 27.06s 11.Georgi Mikhalev Bulgaria57.06s q +2.55s - 20 27.09s 12.Jens-Peter Berndt West Germany57.08s WD +2.57s - 25 27.63s 13.Jay Mortensen United States57.19s q +2.68s - 21 27.02s 14.David Lim Singapore57.34s q +2.83s - 22 27.23s 15.Shigemori Maruyama Japan57.54s q +3.03s - 21 27.31s 16.Manuel Guzmán Puerto Rico57.62s q +3.11s - 18 27.46s 17.Eðvarð Þór Eðvarðsson Iceland57.70s q +3.19s - 21 27.49s 18.Laijiu Lin China57.74s +3.23s - 20 27.63s 19.Paul Kingsman New Zealand57.80s +3.29s - 21 27.76s 20.Rogerio Aoki Romero Brazil57.91s +3.40s - 18 27.91s 21.Lars Sorensen Denmark58.01s +3.50s - 20 28.01s 22.Neil Harper Great Britain58.02s +3.51s - 23 27.38s 23.Martin López-Zubero Spain58.06s +3.55s - 19 28.21s 24.Patrick Ferland Switzerland58.17s +3.66s - 23 27.86s 25.Neil Cochran Great Britain58.25s +3.74s - 23 27.64s 26.Alejandro Alvizuri Peru58.37s +3.86s - 20 28.59s 27.Carl Wilson Australia58.40s +3.89s - 21 27.72s 28.Tamas Deutsch Hungary58.65s +4.14s - 18 28.29s 29.Stephen Cullen Ireland58.82s +4.31s - 17 27.81s 30.Pavel Vokoun Czechoslovakia58.88s +4.37s - 18 27.79s 31.Renaud Boucher France58.90s +4.39s - 24 28.49s 32.Simon Upton Australia59.06s +4.55s - 19 29.09s 33.Ernesto Vila Mexico59.19s +4.68s - 19 28.56s 34.Ilias Malamas Greece59.24s +4.73s - 22 28.52s 35.Guo-Xiong Huang China59.36s +4.85s - 17 28.56s 36.Richard Gheel Ireland59.37s +4.86s - 19 28.41s 37.Valerio Giambalvo Italy59.48s +4.97s - 20 28.26s 38.Wladimir Ribeiro Brazil59.76s +5.25s - 21 27.62s 39.Amin Amer Egypt1:00.76 +6.25s - 22 28.47s 40.Dong-Pil Park South Korea1:01.25 +6.74s - 20 29.03s 41.Patrick Sagisi Guam1:01.86 +7.35s - 17 29.40s 42.Horst Niehaus Costa Rica1:01.91 +7.40s - 20 29.81s 42.Hor-Man Yip Hong Kong1:01.91 +7.40s - 18 29.49s 44.Brett Halford Zimbabwe1:02.95 +8.44s - 17 29.54s 45.Eric Greenwood Costa Rica1:03.11 +8.60s - 21 29.51s 46.Rodolfo Barahona Honduras1:03.90 +9.39s - 18 30.94s 47.Bruno N'diaye Senegal1:05.06 +10.55s - 19 30.91s 48.Filippo Piva San Marino1:07.63 +13.12s - 21 32.04s 49.Mohammed Abdulla UA Emirates1:08.91 +14.40s - - 32.76s 50.Rami Kantari Lebanon1:09.35 +14.84s - 25 32.75s 51.Mohamed Bin Abid UA Emirates1:10.01 +15.50s - 19 33.49s 52.Yul Mark Du Pont Eswatini1:12.50 +17.99s - 17 34.58s -. Paul Yelle BarbadosDNS - 24 -. Ranjoy Punja IndiaDNS - 21
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Last updated: 15 Apr 2023Facebook Todor Krastev