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Swimming at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games:
Men's 400 metres Freestyle
Swimming at the 1936 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Berlin, Germany
Venue(s): Swimming Stadium, Imperial Sports Field, Berlin
Date Started: August 10, 1936
Date Finished: August 12, 1936
| Gold: |  Jack Medica |
| Silver: |  Shunpei Uto |
| Bronze: | Shozo Makino |
Summary
Like the 100 metre freestyle at the same Games, this event was predicted to be a battle between an American world record holder and a strong Japanese trio. Unlike the 100, this race would follow the predicted course and turn into a triumph for the USA’s Jack Medica but only after a tremendous duel. Shumpei Uto took a lead over Medica but the American fought back and narrowed a lead. A spurt by the Japanese swimmer pushed him further ahead but his exertion took much out of him and Medica responded. Medica and Uto battled for gold in the final 50 metres with the American only taking the lead with 10 metres to go.
One competitor who did not qualify from his heat was Brazil’s João Havelange. Havelange became one of the world’s leading sports administrators as both a long serving member of the IOC and as president of FIFA, the governing body of world football.
Final Standings
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | Medal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Medica | 21 | United States | USA | Gold | OR |
| 2 | Shunpei Uto | 17 | Japan | JPN | Silver | |
| 3 | Shozo Makino | 21 | Japan | JPN | Bronze | |
| 4 | Ralph Flanagan | 17 | United States | USA | ||
| 5 | Hiroshi Negami | 23 | Japan | JPN | ||
| 6 | Jean Taris | 27 | France | FRA | ||
| 7 | Bob Leivers | 21 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 4 h1 r2/3 | John Macionis | 20 | United States | USA | ||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | Hans Freese | 18 | Germany | GER | ||
| 5 h2 r2/3 | Heinz Arendt | 19 | Germany | GER | ||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | Bob Pirie | 20 | Canada | CAN | ||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | Otto Przywara | 21 | Germany | GER | ||
| 7 h1 r2/3 | Ödön Gróf | 21 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 2 h6 r1/3 | Walter Ledgard, Sr. | 20 | Peru | PER | ||
| 3 h2 r1/3 | Aage Hellstrøm | 15 | Denmark | DEN | ||
| 3 h3 r1/3 | Norman Wainwright | 22 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 3 h4 r1/3 | Heikki Hietanen | 21 | Finland | FIN | ||
| 3 h6 r1/3 | Piet Stam | 17 | Netherlands | NED | ||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | Árpád Lengyel | 20 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 4 h2 r1/3 | João Havelange | 20 | Brazil | BRA | ||
| 4 h3 r1/3 | Bob Hamerton | 25 | Canada | CAN | ||
| 4 h4 r1/3 | William Pearson | 19 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 4 h5 r1/3 | Poul Petersen | 23 | Denmark | DEN | ||
| 4 h6 r1/3 | Manoel Villar | 23 | Brazil | BRA | ||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | Edmund Pader | Austria | AUT | |||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | Jørgen Jørgensen | 22 | Denmark | DEN | ||
| 5 h4 r1/3 | Aluizio Lage | 17 | Brazil | BRA | ||
| 5 h5 r1/3 | Edmund Cooper | 24 | Bermuda | BER | ||
| 5 h6 r1/3 | Hans Brenner | 23 | Switzerland | SUI | ||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | Robert Hooper | 17 | Canada | CAN | ||
| 6 h3 r1/3 | István Angyal | 21 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 6 h4 r1/3 | Washington Guzmán | 17 | Chile | CHI | ||
| 7 h3 r1/3 | Werner Lehmann | 20 | Switzerland | SUI | ||
| 7 h4 r1/3 | Franz Seltenheim | Austria | AUT |
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