Whereas the Paris Olympics are actually within the rear view mirror, the competitors introduced us two of the closest finishes now we have ever seen in Olympic swimming. With that in thoughts, we’re now having a look at a few of the closest finishes that we’ve ever witnessed on the Olympic swimming stage.
After all, there are various methods you’ll be able to go about quantifying this: you’ll be able to take a look at the time differential throughout the rostrum (from 1st to third); you’ll be able to take a look at the time differential between 1st and eighth place; or you’ll be able to take a ratio of both of those prior strategies over the whole time swum to get some proportion.
I’m a fan of simplicity, although, and so we’ll go along with the primary methodology and take a look at the hole (in seconds) from 1st to third place — simply so we don’t get too difficult with the numbers. Let’s cap the time differential at 0.20 seconds for now…
Thanks to Daniel Takata for verifying the info.
Paris 2024: Males’s 100 Breaststroke
Podium Unfold: 0.02s
*Observe: The highest 4 have been separated by simply 0.08s — with Germany’s Melvin Imoudu in 4th (59.11).
Rio 2016: Ladies’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.04s
*Observe: The highest 6 have been separated by simply 0.12s — with Nice Britain’s Francesca Halsall in 4th (24.13), Australia’s Cate Campbell in fifth (24.15), and the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo in sixth (24.19).
Sydney 2000: Males’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.05s
*Observe: The highest 6 have been separated by simply 0.26s — with Italy’s Lorenzo Visrama in 4th (22.11), Poland’s Bartosz Kizierowski in fifth (22.22), and Russia’s Alexander Popov in sixth (22.24).
Paris 2024: Males’s 200 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.07s
*Observe: The highest 4 have been separated by simply 0.15s — with Nice Britain’s Duncan Scott in 4th (1:44.87).
Athens 2004: Males’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.09s
*Observe: The highest 5 have been separated by simply 0.18s — with Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand in 4th (22.08) and the U.S.’s Jason Lezak in fifth (22.11).
Rio 2016: Males’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.09s
Barcelona 1992: Males’s 100 Butterfly
Podium Unfold: 0.09s
Atlanta 1996: Ladies’s 100 Butterfly
Podium Unfold: 0.10s
Athens 2004: Males’s 100 Butterfly
Podium Unfold: 0.11s
Beijing 2008: Ladies’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.11s
*Observe: The highest 5 have been separated by simply 0.20s — with Australia’s Lisbeth Trickett in 4th (24.25) and the Netherlands’ Marleen Veldhuis in fifth (24.26).
Tokyo 2020: Ladies’s 100 Butterfly
Podium Unfold: 0.13s
*Observe: The highest 4 have been separated by simply 0.14s — with the U.S.’s Torri Huske in 4th (55.73).
Seoul 1988: Males’s 100 Backstroke
Podium Unfold: 0.15s
Los Angeles 1984: Ladies’s 100 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.16s
*Observe: This is only one of two cases within the historical past of the ladies’s 100 freestyle the place we noticed a useless warmth in an Olympic remaining — the opposite being Rio 2016.
Atlanta 1996: Males’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.16s
*Observe: The highest 4 have been separated by simply 0.20s — with China’s Jiang Chengji in 4th (22.33).
Seoul 1988: Males’s 100 Breaststroke
Podium Unfold: 0.16s
*Observe: That is the smallest margin of victory ever in an Olympic 100m breaststroke remaining.
Paris 2024: Ladies’s 100 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.17s
*Observe: The highest 4 have been separated by simply 0.18s — with Australia’s Molly O’Callaghan in 4th (52.34).
Beijing 2008: Males’s 50 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.19s
*Observe: Whereas the highest 3 have been determined by 0.19, the remainder of the sector was determined by only a tenth (21.62 earned 4th, whereas 21.72 earned eighth).
Melbourne 1956: Ladies’s 100 Backstroke
Podium Unfold: 0.20s
Gold: 1:12.9, Judy Grinham (Nice Britain)
Silver: 1:12.9, Carin Cone (U.S.)
Bronze: 1:13.1, Margaret Edwards (Nice Britain)
Rome 1960: Males’s 100 Freestyle
Podium Unfold: 0.20s
*Observe: This race additionally occurs to be one of the crucial controversial race outcomes and is usually credited as one of many races that paved the way in which for touchpads. You will discover extra particulars about this race right here.
Right here’s a fast recap on these shut races…
Most Frequent Podium Unfold: 0.09s and 0.17s (3 instances every)
Most Frequent Occasion: 50 freestyle (7 instances)
Most Frequent Occasion NOT the 50 Freestyle: 100 butterfly (5 instances)
Smallest Margin of Victory: 0.00s (useless warmth)
On the entire, who doesn’t like shut races — particularly these races that have you ever on the fringe of your seat, with all of the medals actually up for grabs because the swimmers duel it out within the final 5 meters? Talking on behalf of myself, I personally dwell for shut races.
