The men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 1976 Olympic Games

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

 took place between July 24 and 25. 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 two lengths of the pool.

Medalists

Semifinals

Heat 1

Rank	Athlete	Country	Time	Notes
1	Jim Montgomery		50.39	Q, WR
2	Marcello Guarducci Marcello Guarducci Marcello Guarducci is an Italian former freestyle swimmer.Guarducci won several gold medals in different editions of the Mediterranean Games.Guarducci participated in three Olympics Games editions reaching finals...		51.35	Q
3	Klaus Steinbach Klaus Steinbach Klaus Steinbach is a former World Record holding and Olympic freestyle swimmer from Germany. He swam for Germany at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics....		51.62	Q
4	Vladimir Bure Vladimir Bure Vladimir Valeryevich Bure is a retired Soviet Olympic swimmer and a fitness coach for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Bure is the father of NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure.-USSR:...		51.93	Q
5	Roberto Pangaro		52.68
6	Stephen Pickell Stephen Pickell Stephen Pickele was a Canadyan swimmer, who won the silver medal in the 4x100m Medley Relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. He did so alongside Graham Smith, Clay Evans, and Gary MacDonald.-References:**...		52.89
7	René Ecuyer		52.92
8	Andrei Bogdanov		53.05

Key: Q = Qualified, WR = Olympic record

Heat 2

Rank	Athlete	Country	Time	Notes
1	Jack Babashoff Jack Babashoff Jack Babashoff is a retired American swimmer who won a silver medal for the United States at the 1976 Summer Olympics in men's 100 m freestyle. His sister is noted swimmer Shirley Babashoff. Jack attended Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California.-References:* , from...		51.46	Q
2	Peter Nocke Peter Nocke Peter Nocke is a retired freestyle swimmer, who represented West Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 100 m freestyle. Nocke won a total number of nine European titles during the 1970s.-References:...		51.83	Q
3	Joe Bottom Joe Bottom Joseph Stuart Bottom is an American, Hall of Fame swimmer and one time world record holder in 50 meter freestyle, 100 meter butterfly and 4×100 meter freestyle relay....		51.92	Q
4	Andrey Krylov		52.32	Q
5	Michel Rousseau		52.36
6	Gary MacDonald Gary MacDonald (swimmer) Gary MacDonald was a freestyle swimmer from Canada, who won the silver medal in the 4×100 m medley relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. He did so alongside Graham Smith, Clay Evans, and Stephen Pickell. Gary was the Canadian record holder in the 50m free as well.MacDonald...		52.96
7	Martin Smith Martin Smith (swimmer) Trevor Martin Smith is a former British Olympic swimmer and coach as well as an American football player.-Swimming:Smith represented Great Britain at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games...		53.11
8	Svante Rasmussen		53.34

Key: Q = Qualified

Final

Rank	Athlete	Country	Time	Notes
	Jim Montgomery		49.99	WR
	Jack Babashoff Jack Babashoff Jack Babashoff is a retired American swimmer who won a silver medal for the United States at the 1976 Summer Olympics in men's 100 m freestyle. His sister is noted swimmer Shirley Babashoff. Jack attended Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California.-References:* , from...		50.81
	Peter Nocke Peter Nocke Peter Nocke is a retired freestyle swimmer, who represented West Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 100 m freestyle. Nocke won a total number of nine European titles during the 1970s.-References:...		51.31
4	Klaus Steinbach Klaus Steinbach Klaus Steinbach is a former World Record holding and Olympic freestyle swimmer from Germany. He swam for Germany at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics....		51.68
5	Marcello Guarducci Marcello Guarducci Marcello Guarducci is an Italian former freestyle swimmer.Guarducci won several gold medals in different editions of the Mediterranean Games.Guarducci participated in three Olympics Games editions reaching finals...		51.70
6	Joe Bottom Joe Bottom Joseph Stuart Bottom is an American, Hall of Fame swimmer and one time world record holder in 50 meter freestyle, 100 meter butterfly and 4×100 meter freestyle relay....		51.79
7	Vladimir Bure Vladimir Bure Vladimir Valeryevich Bure is a retired Soviet Olympic swimmer and a fitness coach for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Bure is the father of NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure.-USSR:...		52.03
8	Andrey Krylov		52.15

Key: WR = World record