Swimming at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games:

American Jack Kasley had set a new world record in March 1936 but was badly out of form by the time of the Olympics. He finished sixth in his semi-final and was eliminated along with the former record holder, Leonard Spence of Bermuda, who was disqualified. The teenaged Japanese swimmer, Tetsuo Hamuro set the fastest time in heat and semi-final and led throughout the final. Hamuro, who was known for his fast starts, initially trailed Henry Higgins and Jochen Balke but the pair, who were using the new butterfly technique, faded in the second half of the race. Hamuro was pressured in the final stages by the fast finish of Germany’s Erwin Sietas but held on for victory. Sietas finished in 4th place in 1928 and 1936 but, with Chancellor Hitler watching, ended his career with an Olympic medal.