Closest finishes in swimming at the Olympics

Sport is all about close margins, and what better stage to experience these close calls than the Olympics.

Over the years, there have been a lot of close finishes across disciplines, but it is inside the pool that spectators and athletes alike have been witnesses to the finest of margins. 

Here are some of the closest finishes in swimming at the Olympics: 

Michael Phelps (100m butterfly final, 2008) 

In the year Michael Phelps clinched a record eight golds at the Beijing Olympics, the American’s picturesque comeback in the 100m butterfly finale was memorable. Coming into the 2008 finale, Phelps was the event’s defending champion. However, Serbia’s Milorad Cavic was the favourite to clinch the gold after breaking the Olympic record during the preliminary heats. 

Once the buzzer went off, it was Cavic who had a comfortable lead at the halfway point, with Phelps trailing in seventh place. However, the American wasn’t one to give up easily. It was in the final 30 metres or so that Phelps swam hard to close the gap and clinch the gold medal by the closest of calls. While Cavic clocked a time of 50.59s, Phelps was ahead by one-hundredth of a second with a timing of 50.58s, which was also enough to set the then-Olympic record in the event. 

Team USA (4x100m men’s freestyle relay, 2008) 

Phelps features once again in this list, this time along with his teammates Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak. USA was the holder of the World Record in the event — having timed 3:12:23 in the past — before the buzzer went off, knowing very little of what the quartet would achieve at the end of three minutes or so. 

In the first 50 metres or so, the USA team was nowhere in contention for a podium finish. Slowly, they swam their way into it, while competing against the likes of Australia and France. It was Jason Lezak’s amazing effort in the anchor leg that not only gave the USA the win but also handed them a new World Record. The team timed 3:08:24, shaving off almost four seconds from its previous record as France finished second, clocking 3:08.32.

Alexander Popov (50m men’s freestyle, 1992)

Considered one of the best swimmers in shorter distances, Russian great Alexander Popov makes this list with his picture-perfect finish against USA’s Matthew Biondi at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Popov won one of his four gold medals at the Olympics with the 50m men’s freestyle title after he timed 21.91 seconds, smashing the then Olympic record of 22.14s. Biondi came second with a timing of 22.09s.

Popov would go on to win the 100m freestyle race as well, and then defend both his titles in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Amy Van Dyken (50m women’s freestyle, 1996)

A matter of 0.01 seconds. That was what stood between China’s Jingyi Le and the gold medal at the 50m women’s freestyle race in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

USA’s Amy Van Dyken, on her Olympic debut, clinched four golds. One of them included her pipping Le, who clocked 24.90 in the 50m freestyle, to time 24.87s and win the gold medal.

Dyken, at this Games, became the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single edition. She picked up the first place in 4x100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, and the 4x100m medley.

Chad Le Clos (200m men’s butterfly, 2012)

At the risk of sounding repetitive, here’s another close finish involving Phelps. However, in this race, the decorated swimmer, was beaten at his game by the 20-year-old Chad Le Clos from South Africa.

In the men’s 200m butterfly, in which Phelps was eyeing a third successive victory at the Games, the American was poised to clinch first place almost throughout the race.

It was in the final 50 metres or so that the South African brought out the massive strokes, heading towards the finish line to edge past Phelps for the gold medal. Clos had timed 1:52:96, while Phelps ended second with 1:53:01.

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