Swimming at the 1948 London Summer Games:

The same protagonists from the 100m were favoured in the 400m freestyle although American Ann Curtis was considered stronger at this event than at the shorter distances. The shock of the heats was the collapse of the 100m gold medallist and hot favourite, Greta Andersen, who blacked out in the water just beyond the 200m mark and had to be rescued from the pool. Karen Margrethe Harup, also of Denmark, broke the Olympic record in the semi-finals and emerged as the greatest threat to an American victory. In the final Curtis held her effort until the final 100m then breezed past the opposition to record a clear victory. Harup narrowly held on to silver with a fast finishing Cathie Gibson gaining the host nation’s only aquatic medal of the 1948 games with the bronze