Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre backstroke

Men's 100 metre backstroke
at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
VenueLondon Aquatics Centre
DateJuly 29, 2012 (heats &
semifinals)
July 30, 2012 (final)
Competitors43 from 33 nations
Winning time52.16 OR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Matt Grevers  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Nick Thoman  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ryosuke Irie  Japan
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Swimming at the
2012 Summer Olympics
Sample picture of the event (unofficial)
Qualification
Freestyle
50 mmenwomen
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
400 mmenwomen
800 mwomen
1500 mmen
Backstroke
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
Breaststroke
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
Butterfly
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
Individual medley
200 mmenwomen
400 mmenwomen
Freestyle relay
4 × 100 mmenwomen
4 × 200 mmenwomen
Medley relay
4 × 100 mmenwomen
Marathon
10 kmmenwomen

The men's 100 metre backstroke event at the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on 29–30 July at the London Aquatics Centre in London, United Kingdom.[1]

On the wake of Aaron Peirsol's official retirement in 2011, U.S. swimmer Matt Grevers continued to build an American supremacy in the event by following the former champion's footsteps towards his first individual gold. He held off a challenge from France's Camille Lacourt down the final stretch to touch the wall first in a sterling time of 52.16, eclipsing Peirsol's 2008 Olympic record by 0.38 seconds.[2][3] Grevers also enjoyed his teammate Nick Thoman taking home the silver in 52.92, as the Americans climbed again on top of the podium for an eleventh time in the event's Olympic history and for a second straight 1–2 finish since 2008.[4][5] Moving from behind at the final turn, Japan's Ryosuke Irie came up with a stalwart swim to capture the bronze in 52.97.[6][7]

Leading the race early on the initial length, Lacourt dropped off the podium to a fourth-place time in 53.08. Great Britain's Liam Tancock (53.35), Germany's Helge Meeuw (53.48), Australia's defending bronze medalist Hayden Stoeckel (53.55), and China's Cheng Feiyi (53.77) also vied for an Olympic medal to round out the finale.[7][8][9]

Other notable swimmers featured Russian duo Arkady Vyatchanin, reigning Olympic bronze medalist, who missed the final roster with a ninth-place effort (53.79); and Vladimir Morozov, who later scratched the semifinals to focus on his 4×100 m freestyle relay duty, allowing Greece's three-time Olympian Aristeidis Grigoriadis to occupy his slot.[10][11]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World record  Aaron Peirsol (USA) 51.94 Indianapolis, United States 8 July 2009 [12][13]
Olympic record  Aaron Peirsol (USA) 52.54 Beijing, China 12 August 2008 [14]

The following records were established during the competition:

Date Event Name Nationality Time Record
30 July Final Matt Grevers  United States 52.16 OR

Results

Heats

[15]

Rank Heat Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1 6 4 Matt Grevers  United States 52.92 Q
2 6 2 Cheng Feiyi  China 53.22 Q, NR
3 4 4 Nick Thoman  United States 53.48 Q
4 5 4 Camille Lacourt  France 53.51 Q
5 6 5 Ryosuke Irie  Japan 53.56 Q
6 6 7 Nick Driebergen  Netherlands 53.62 Q, NR
7 4 5 Helge Meeuw  Germany 53.83 Q
8 5 5 Liam Tancock  Great Britain 53.86 Q
9 6 6 Hayden Stoeckel  Australia 53.88 Q
10 4 2 Vladimir Morozov  Russia 54.01 Q, WD
5 2 Arkady Vyatchanin  Russia Q
12 5 3 Jan-Philip Glania  Germany 54.07 Q
13 5 8 Charles Francis  Canada 54.08 Q
14 6 3 Gareth Kean  New Zealand 54.26 Q
15 6 1 Daniel Arnamnart  Australia 54.28 Q
16 4 3 Aschwin Wildeboer  Spain 54.36 Q
17 5 6 Aristeidis Grigoriadis  Greece 54.52 Q
18 3 1 Pavel Sankovich  Belarus 54.53 NR
19 3 5 Mirco di Tora  Italy 54.70
20 3 7 Chris Walker-Hebborn  Great Britain 54.78
21 3 4 He Jianbin  China 54.81
22 3 3 Richárd Bohus  Hungary 54.84
23 4 6 Bastiaan Lijesen  Netherlands 54.88
24 4 1 Yakov-Yan Toumarkin  Israel 54.91
25 4 7 Juan Miguel Rando Galvez  Spain 54.93
26 3 8 Lavrans Solli  Norway 55.00
27 5 1 Marcin Tarczyński  Poland 55.06
28 4 8 Daniel Orzechowski  Brazil 55.16
29 2 8 George Bovell  Trinidad and Tobago 55.22 NR
30 3 2 Mathias Gydesen  Denmark 55.31
31 5 7 Benjamin Stasiulis  France 55.36
32 2 5 Omar Pinzón  Colombia 55.37
33 6 8 Charl Crous  South Africa 55.37
34 2 1 Pedro Medel  Cuba 55.40 NR
35 2 2 Oleksandr Isakov  Ukraine 55.43
36 2 7 Park Seon-kwan  South Korea 55.51
37 3 6 Daniel Bell  New Zealand 55.53
38 2 4 Alexandr Tarabrin  Kazakhstan 55.55
39 2 6 I Gede Siman Sudartawa  Indonesia 55.99
40 1 4 Bradley Ally  Barbados 56.27
41 2 3 Federico Grabich  Argentina 56.56
42 1 5 Heshan Unamboowe  Sri Lanka 57.94
43 1 3 Zane Jordan  Zambia 58.77

Semifinals

[16]

Semifinal 1

Rank Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1 5 Camille Lacourt  France 53.03 Q
2 6 Liam Tancock  Great Britain 53.25 Q
3 4 Cheng Feiyi  China 53.50 Q
4 2 Arkady Vyatchanin  Russia 53.79
5 3 Nick Driebergen  Netherlands 53.81
6 8 Aristeidis Grigoriadis  Greece 54.20
7 7 Charles Francis  Canada 54.42
8 1 Daniel Arnamnart  Australia 54.48

Semifinal 2

Rank Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1 4 Matt Grevers  United States 52.66 Q
2 3 Ryosuke Irie  Japan 53.29 Q
3 5 Nick Thoman  United States 53.47 Q
4 6 Helge Meeuw  Germany 53.52 Q
5 2 Hayden Stoeckel  Australia 53.72 Q
6 7 Jan-Philip Glania  Germany 53.90
7 8 Aschwin Wildeboer  Spain 53.99
8 1 Gareth Kean  New Zealand 54.00

Final

[17]

Rank Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 Matt Grevers  United States 52.16 OR
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2 Nick Thoman  United States 52.92
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 Ryosuke Irie  Japan 52.97
4 5 Camille Lacourt  France 53.08
5 3 Liam Tancock  Great Britain 53.35
6 1 Helge Meeuw  Germany 53.48
7 8 Hayden Stoeckel  Australia 53.55
8 7 Cheng Feiyi  China 53.77

References

  1. ^ "Swimming: Results & Schedules". London 2012. NBC Olympics. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Grevers wins 100m backstroke gold". Reuters. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Americans Missy Franklin and Matt Grevers win gold in backstroke; Ryan Lochte falters". CBS News. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Lochte falters again, but Franklin, Grevers shine for U.S." London 2012. NBC Olympics. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  5. ^ Auerbach, Nicole (30 July 2012). "Matt Grevers leads 1-2 sweep by Americans in 100 back". USA Today. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. ^ Kano, Shintaro (31 July 2012). "Irie, Terakawa, Suzuki haul in bronze from the pool". The Japan Times. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  7. ^ a b "2012 London Olympics: Matt Grevers Sets Olympic Record in 100 Back Win; Nick Thoman Gives U.S. 1-2 Finish". Swimming World Magazine. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Spofforth, Tancock, and Renwick miss out". Team GB. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Frenchman continues to fry his opposition in the pool". The Age. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  10. ^ "2012 London Olympics: Matt Grevers Clears 53 To Lead Men's 100 Back Qualifying". Swimming World Magazine. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. ^ "2012 London Olympics: Matt Grevers Breaks 53 Seconds Again to Lead 100 Back Semisg". Swimming World Magazine. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Peirsol reclaims 100 back record". ESPN. 8 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Aaron Peirsol's stunning swim steals limelight from Michael Phelps". Guardian.co.uk. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Dead-heat bronze for Stoeckel, Peirsol wins backstroke gold". ABC News. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Men's 100m Backstroke – Heats". London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Men's 100m Backstroke – Semifinals". London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Men's 100m Backstroke – Final". London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.