Swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle

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The men's 400 metre freestyle was one of six swimming events on the swimming at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Its distance was the median of the 3 individual freestyle event distances. It was the first time an event over 400 metres was held at the Olympics (after a 440 yard contest was held in 1904). The competition was held from Monday July 13, 1908 to Thursday July 16, 1908. Each nation could enter up to 12 swimmers. Twenty five swimmers from ten nations competed.

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics. World Record ? ? Olympic Record 6:16.2(*) Charles Daniels St. Louis (USA) September 7, 1904

(*) 440 yards (= 402.34 m)

In the final Henry Taylor set the first official world record for this distance in 5:36.8 minutes.

With a much larger field than in 1904, the 1908 competition expanded to three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The 1908 Games also restored the wild card system from 1900, allowing the fastest swimmers who did not win their heat to advance. The nine heats consisted of between 1 and 5 swimmers, with the winner of the heat advancing along with the fastest loser from across the heats (all tied swimmers advanced in the case of equal times). There were two semifinals, intended to be of 5 swimmers each but one of which actually had 4 due to a withdrawal; the top 2 finishers in each semifinal (regardless of overall time) advanced to the 4 person final. Each race involved four lengths of the 100 metre pool. Any stroke could be used.

Place Swimmer Time 1 5:36.8 2 5:44.2 3 5:46.0 4 Unknown