Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle
Encyclopedia
The men's 400 metre freestyle event at the 1968 Olympic Games
took place between October 22 and 23. This swimming
event used freestyle swimming
, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated (unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events). Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl
or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of eight lengths of the pool.
Key: OR = Olympic record
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
took place between October 22 and 23. This swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
event used freestyle swimming
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated (unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events). Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl
Front crawl
The front crawl, forward crawl, or freestyle is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such, the front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, hence the synonymously used term "freestyle". It is one of two...
or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of eight lengths of the pool.
Medalists
Final
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mike Burton | 4:09.0 | OR | |
 |
Ralph Hutton Ralph Hutton Ralph Hutton is a former Canadian swimmer. Hutton won a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.-References:* , from http://www.sports-reference.com/; retrieved 2009-11-28.... |
4:11.7 | ||
 |
Alain Mosconi Alain Mosconi Alain Mosconi is a French swimmer, Olympic medalist and previous world record holder. He was born in Puteaux. He participated at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in the 400 metre freestyle... |
4:13.3 | ||
| 4 | Greg Brough Greg Brough Gregory "Greg" Brough was an Australian long distance freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a bronze medal in the 1500 m freestyle at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.... |
4:15.9 | ||
| 5 | Graham White Graham White Graham Ross White OAM was an Australian middle-long distance freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a silver medal in the 4x200 m freestyle relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.... |
4:16.7 | ||
| 6 | John Nelson John Nelson (swimmer) John Nelson is an American Professional Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist. Nelson attended Pompano Beach High School and eventually enrolled in Yale University where he met his future Gold Medalist teammate and World Record competitor, Don Schollander... |
4:17.2 | ||
| 7 | Hans Faßnacht | 4:18.1 | ||
| 8 | Brent Berk | 4:26.0 |
Key: OR = Olympic record