| | Event type

50 metres Freestyle, Women

Date	15 – 17 August 2008
Status	Olympic
Location	Beijing Guojia Youyong Zhongxin, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants	90 from 82 countries

The shortest race on the women’s schedule is usually the most difficult to predict. The favourite appeared to be Libby Trickett of Australia who had won the 2007 World Championship and set the world record at the Australian trials but any of a dozen women could reasonably expect to challenge for the podium.

The 100 metre freestyle, held earlier in the week, changed the complexion of the race and the woman who won that race, Germany’s Britta Steffen was now considered the woman to beat. The eight women who reached the final were an eclectic mix which included [Cate Campbell] of Australia, a 16 year old making her Olympic debut, Dutch veteran Marleen Veldhuis and super-veteran Dara Torres of the USA. 41 year old Dara Torres, the oldest female swimmer ever to compete at the Olympics, was making her second comeback and competing in her 5th Olympics, 24 years after his debut. For much of the race it looked like the impossible was about to happen as Torres led the field but a mistimed finish cost the American dearly and Steffan added the 50 metre Olympic title to the 100 she had won previously. The German went on win the same races at the 2009 World Championships. Torres returned to retirement but in 2010 she announced she would attempt to win a place in the US team for the 2012 Olympics.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Britta Steffen	GER	24.90 (2 h12)	24.43 (1 h1)	24.06 (1)	Gold
2	Dara Torres	USA	24.58 (2 h10)	24.27 (1 h2)	24.07 (2)	Silver
3	Cate Campbell	AUS	24.20 (1 h10)	24.42 (2 h2)	24.17 (3)	Bronze
4	Libby Trickett	AUS	24.67 (1 h12)	24.47 (3 h1)	24.25 (4)
5	Marleen Veldhuis	NED	24.38 (1 h11)	24.46 (2 h1)	24.26 (5)
6	Kara Lynn Joyce	USA	25.01 (5 h12)	24.63 (5 h1)	24.63 (6)
7	Hinkelien Schreuder	NED	25.00 (=5 h11)	24.52 (4 h1)	24.65 (7)
8	Aliaksandra Herasimenia	BLR	25.07 (4 h10)	24.72 (6 h1)	24.77 (8)
9	Zhu Yingwen	CHN	24.91 (3 h12)	24.76 (3 h2)	–
10	Fran Halsall	GBR	24.93 (3 h10)	24.80 (7 h1)	–
11	Jeanette Ottesen Gray	DEN	24.83 (2 h11)	24.86 (4 h2)	–
12	Malia Metella	FRA	24.95 (4 h12)	24.89 (8 h1)	–
13	Li Zhesi	CHN	25.00 (=5 h11)	24.90 (5 h2)	–
14	Therèse Alshammar	SWE	24.94 (3 h11)	24.96 (6 h2)	–
15	Arlene Semeco	VEN	24.98 (4 h11)	25.05 (7 h2)	–
16	Hanna-Maria Seppälä	FIN	25.06 (6 h12)	25.19 (8 h2)	–
17	Agata Korc	POL	25.14 (7 h12)	–	–
18	Céline Couderc	FRA	25.22 (7 h11)	–	–
19	Anya Gostomelsky	ISR	25.23 (1 h8)	–	–
20	Sviatlana Khokhlava	BLR	25.27 (8 h12)	–	–
21	Triin Aljand	EST	25.29 (1 h9)	–	–
=22	Anna-Karin Kammerling	SWE	25.34 (=5 h10)	–	–
=22	Flávia Delaroli	BRA	25.34 (=5 h10)	–	–
24	Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace	BAH	25.40 (2 h8)	–	–
25	Petra Dallmann	GER	25.43 (7 h10)	–	–
26	Lize-Mari Retief	RSA	25.44 (8 h11)	–	–
27	Martina Moravcová	SVK	25.47 (2 h9)	–	–
28	Anastasiya Aksenova	RUS	25.51 (3 h9)	–	–
29	Sandra Kazíková	CZE	25.54 (3 h8)	–	–
30	Victoria Poon	CAN	25.58 (4 h9)	–	–
31	Jang Hui-Jin	KOR	25.59 (5 h9)	–	–
32	Oksana Serikova	UKR	25.65 (6 h9)	–	–
33	Martha Matsa	GRE	25.68 (7 h9)	–	–
34	Cristina Chiuso	ITA	25.74 (8 h10)	–	–
35	Vanessa García	PUR	25.81 (8 h9)	–	–
36	Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir	ISL	25.82 (4 h8)	–	–
37	Natasha Moodie	JAM	25.95 (5 h8)	–	–
38	Carolina Colorado	COL	26.11 (1 h7)	–	–
=39	Rugilė Mileišytė	LTU	26.19 (1 h6)	–	–
=39	Sharntelle McLean	TTO	26.19 (2 h7)	–	–
41	Éva Dobár	HUN	26.33 (3 h7)	–	–
42	Anna-Liza Mopio-Jane	PNG	26.47 (2 h6)	–	–
43	Nina Sovinek	SLO	26.49 (4 h7)	–	–
=44	Yamilé Bahamonde	ECU	26.54 (3 h6)	–	–
=44	Elaine Chan	HKG	26.54 (5 h7)	–	–
46	Marina Mulyayeva	KAZ	26.57 (6 h7)	–	–
47	Christel Simms	PHI	26.64 (4 h6)	–	–
48	Leung Chii Lin	MAS	26.75 (6 h8)	–	–
49	Monika Babok	CRO	26.84 (7 h7)	–	–
50	Veronica Vdovicenco	MDA	26.92 (5 h6)	–	–
51	Sharon Fajardo	HON	27.19 (1 h5)	–	–
52	Ngozi Monu	NGR	27.39 (6 h6)	–	–
53	Ellen Hight	ZAM	27.42 (7 h6)	–	–
54	Chinyere Pigot	SUR	27.66 (2 h5)	–	–
55	Dalia Tórrez	NCA	27.81 (3 h5)	–	–
56	Razan Taha	JOR	27.82 (4 h5)	–	–
57	Marianela Quesada	CRC	28.11 (8 h6)	–	–
=58	Ximene Gomes	MOZ	28.15 (1 h4)	–	–
=58	Rovena Marku	ALB	28.15 (5 h5)	–	–
60	Tojohanitra Andriamanjatoarimanana	MAD	28.54 (6 h5)	–	–
61	Senele Dlamini	SWZ	28.70 (2 h4)	–	–
62	Virginia Farmer	ASA	28.82 (3 h4)	–	–
63	Diane Etiennette	MRI	28.83 (7 h5)	–	–
64	Katerine Moreno	BOL	29.05 (4 h4)	–	–
65	Ana Romero	ANG	29.06 (8 h5)	–	–
66	Olivia Nakitanda	UGA	29.38 (1 h3)	–	–
67	Dashtserengiin Saintsetseg	MGL	29.63 (5 h4)	–	–
68	Mariya Bugakova	UZB	29.73 (8 h7)	–	–
69	Kiran Khan	PAK	29.84 (6 h4)	–	–
70	Samantha Paxinos	BOT	29.91 (2 h3)	–	–
71	Amber Yobech	PLW	30.00 (3 h3)	–	–
72	Rouya Hussain	MDV	30.21 (7 h4)	–	–
73	Doli Akhtar	BAN	30.23 (8 h4)	–	–
74	Sameera Al-Bitar	BRN	30.32 (1 h1)	–	–
75	Julianne Kirchner	MHL	30.42 (4 h3)	–	–
76	Debra Daniel	FSM	30.61 (5 h3)	–	–
77	Magdalena Moshi	TAN	31.37 (6 h3)	–	–
78	Hem Thon Vitiny	CAM	31.41 (7 h3)	–	–
79	Zakia Nassar	PLE	31.97 (1 h2)	–	–
80	Katerina Izmaylova	TJK	32.09 (8 h3)	–	–
81	Karishma Karki	NEP	32.35 (2 h2)	–	–
82	Zahra Pinto	MAW	32.53 (3 h2)	–	–
83	Antoinette Guedia	CMR	33.59 (4 h2)	–	–
84	Vilayphone Vongphachanh	LAO	34.79 (5 h2)	–	–
85	Elisabeth Nikiema	BUR	34.98 (6 h2)	–	–
86	Elsie Uwamahoro	BDI	36.86 (7 h2)	–	–
87	Gloria Koussihouede	BEN	37.09 (2 h1)	–	–
88	Pamela Girimbabazi Rugabira	RWA	39.78 (3 h1)	–	–
89	Djene Barry	GUI	39.80 (4 h1)	–	–
90	Mariama Souley Bana	NIG	40.83 (8 h2)	–	–
DNS	Miroslava Najdanovski	SRB	– (DNS h8)	–	–
DNS	Bayan Jumah	SYR	– (DNS h8)	–	–

Round One (15 August 2008)

Fastest 16 swimmers advanced to semi-finals

Heat One (18:32)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Sameera Al-Bitar	BRN	– (–) –	30.32	0.73
2	6	Gloria Koussihouede	BEN	– (–) –	37.09	0.88
3	3	Pamela Girimbabazi Rugabira	RWA	– (–) –	39.78	0.85
4	4	Djene Barry	GUI	– (–) –	39.80	0.85

Heat Two (18:35)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	7	Zakia Nassar	PLE	– (–) –	31.97	0.93
2	5	Karishma Karki	NEP	– (–) –	32.35	0.98
3	4	Zahra Pinto	MAW	– (–) –	32.53	0.70
4	6	Antoinette Guedia	CMR	– (–) –	33.59	0.87
5	3	Vilayphone Vongphachanh	LAO	– (–) –	34.79	0.92
6	2	Elisabeth Nikiema	BUR	– (–) –	34.98	1.00
7	8	Elsie Uwamahoro	BDI	– (–) –	36.86	0.85
8	1	Mariama Souley Bana	NIG	– (–) –	40.83	0.89

Heat Three (18:38)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Olivia Nakitanda	UGA	– (–) –	29.38	0.85
2	4	Samantha Paxinos	BOT	– (–) –	29.91	0.77
3	8	Amber Yobech	PLW	– (–) –	30.00	0.69
4	6	Julianne Kirchner	MHL	– (–) –	30.42	0.71
5	7	Debra Daniel	FSM	– (–) –	30.61	0.75
6	2	Magdalena Moshi	TAN	– (–) –	31.37	0.86
7	1	Hem Thon Vitiny	CAM	– (–) –	31.41	0.84
8	3	Katerina Izmaylova	TJK	– (–) –	32.09	0.89

Heat Four (18:40)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Ximene Gomes	MOZ	– (–) –	28.15	0.72
2	8	Senele Dlamini	SWZ	– (–) –	28.70	0.65
3	1	Virginia Farmer	ASA	– (–) –	28.82	0.80
4	3	Katerine Moreno	BOL	– (–) –	29.05	0.84
5	2	Dashtserengiin Saintsetseg	MGL	– (–) –	29.63	0.78
6	5	Kiran Khan	PAK	– (–) –	29.84	0.89
7	6	Rouya Hussain	MDV	– (–) –	30.21	0.89
8	7	Doli Akhtar	BAN	– (–) –	30.23	0.75

Heat Five (18:42)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Sharon Fajardo	HON	– (–) –	27.19	0.65
2	5	Chinyere Pigot	SUR	– (–) –	27.66	0.79
3	7	Dalia Tórrez	NCA	– (–) –	27.81	0.68
4	3	Razan Taha	JOR	– (–) –	27.82	0.84
5	2	Rovena Marku	ALB	– (–) –	28.15	0.61
6	6	Tojohanitra Andriamanjatoarimanana	MAD	– (–) –	28.54	0.76
7	1	Diane Etiennette	MRI	– (–) –	28.83	0.82
8	8	Ana Romero	ANG	– (–) –	29.06	0.66

Heat Six (18:44)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	6	Rugilė Mileišytė	LTU	– (–) –	26.19	0.68
2	2	Anna-Liza Mopio-Jane	PNG	– (–) –	26.47	0.75
3	3	Yamilé Bahamonde	ECU	– (–) –	26.54	0.67
4	5	Christel Simms	PHI	– (–) –	26.64	0.69
5	4	Veronica Vdovicenco	MDA	– (–) –	26.92	0.86
6	7	Ngozi Monu	NGR	– (–) –	27.39	0.80
7	1	Ellen Hight	ZAM	– (–) –	27.42	0.72
8	8	Marianela Quesada	CRC	– (–) –	28.11	0.72

Heat Seven (18:46)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	1	Carolina Colorado	COL	– (–) –	26.11	0.72
2	2	Sharntelle McLean	TTO	– (–) –	26.19	0.77
3	5	Éva Dobár	HUN	– (–) –	26.33	0.76
4	3	Nina Sovinek	SLO	– (–) –	26.49	0.68
5	6	Elaine Chan	HKG	– (–) –	26.54	0.71
6	8	Marina Mulyayeva	KAZ	– (–) –	26.57	0.69
7	4	Monika Babok	CRO	– (–) –	26.84	0.70
8	7	Mariya Bugakova	UZB	– (–) –	29.73	0.91

Heat Eight (18:48)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	7	Anya Gostomelsky	ISR	– (–) –	25.23	0.69
2	2	Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace	BAH	– (–) –	25.40	0.65
3	5	Sandra Kazíková	CZE	– (–) –	25.54	0.71
4	3	Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir	ISL	– (–) –	25.82	0.73
5	1	Natasha Moodie	JAM	– (–) –	25.95	0.73
6	8	Leung Chii Lin	MAS	– (–) –	26.75	0.68
DNS	4	Miroslava Najdanovski	SRB	– (–) –	–	–
DNS	6	Bayan Jumah	SYR	– (–) –	–	–

Heat Nine (18:50)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Triin Aljand	EST	– (–) –	25.29	0.72
2	4	Martina Moravcová	SVK	– (–) –	25.47	0.79
3	7	Anastasiya Aksenova	RUS	– (–) –	25.51	0.92
4	6	Victoria Poon	CAN	– (–) –	25.58	0.81
5	8	Jang Hui-Jin	KOR	– (–) –	25.59	0.70
6	2	Oksana Serikova	UKR	– (–) –	25.65	0.82
7	1	Martha Matsa	GRE	– (–) –	25.68	0.76
8	3	Vanessa García	PUR	– (–) –	25.81	0.76

Heat Ten (18:53)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Cate Campbell	AUS	– (–) –	24.20	0.78	Q
2	5	Dara Torres	USA	– (–) –	24.58	0.72	Q
3	3	Fran Halsall	GBR	– (–) –	24.93	0.71	Q
4	6	Aliaksandra Herasimenia	BLR	– (–) –	25.07	0.72	Q
=5	2	Anna-Karin Kammerling	SWE	– (–) –	25.34	0.79
=5	7	Flávia Delaroli	BRA	– (–) –	25.34	0.71
7	1	Petra Dallmann	GER	– (–) –	25.43	0.74
8	8	Cristina Chiuso	ITA	– (–) –	25.74	0.75

Heat Eleven (18:55)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Marleen Veldhuis	NED	– (–) –	24.38	0.85	Q
2	6	Jeanette Ottesen Gray	DEN	– (–) –	24.83	0.70	Q
3	5	Therèse Alshammar	SWE	– (–) –	24.94	0.78	Q
4	2	Arlene Semeco	VEN	– (–) –	24.98	0.70	Q
=5	3	Hinkelien Schreuder	NED	– (–) –	25.00	0.86	Q
=5	8	Li Zhesi	CHN	– (–) –	25.00	0.80	Q
7	1	Céline Couderc	FRA	– (–) –	25.22	0.75
8	7	Lize-Mari Retief	RSA	– (–) –	25.44	0.69

Heat Twelve (18:57)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Libby Trickett	AUS	– (–) –	24.67	0.73	Q
2	5	Britta Steffen	GER	– (–) –	24.90	0.76	Q
3	2	Zhu Yingwen	CHN	– (–) –	24.91	0.75	Q
4	6	Malia Metella	FRA	– (–) –	24.95	0.72	Q
5	3	Kara Lynn Joyce	USA	– (–) –	25.01	0.74	Q
6	1	Hanna-Maria Seppälä	FIN	– (–) –	25.06	0.68	Q
7	7	Agata Korc	POL	– (–) –	25.14	0.65
8	8	Sviatlana Khokhlava	BLR	– (–) –	25.27	0.78

Semi-Finals (16 August 2008)

Fastest eight swimmers advanced to final

Heat One (10:55)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	3	Britta Steffen	GER	– (–) –	24.43	0.78	Q
2	4	Marleen Veldhuis	NED	– (–) –	24.46	0.89	Q
3	5	Libby Trickett	AUS	– (–) –	24.47	0.72	Q
4	7	Hinkelien Schreuder	NED	– (–) –	24.52	0.79	Q
5	1	Kara Lynn Joyce	USA	– (–) –	24.63	0.74	Q
6	8	Aliaksandra Herasimenia	BLR	– (–) –	24.72	0.71	Q
7	6	Fran Halsall	GBR	– (–) –	24.80	0.71
8	2	Malia Metella	FRA	– (–) –	24.89	0.74

Heat Two (11:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Dara Torres	USA	– (–) –	24.27	0.76	Q
2	4	Cate Campbell	AUS	– (–) –	24.42	0.77	Q
3	6	Zhu Yingwen	CHN	– (–) –	24.76	0.79
4	3	Jeanette Ottesen Gray	DEN	– (–) –	24.86	0.74
5	1	Li Zhesi	CHN	– (–) –	24.90	0.77
6	2	Therèse Alshammar	SWE	– (–) –	24.96	0.75
7	7	Arlene Semeco	VEN	– (–) –	25.05	0.71
8	8	Hanna-Maria Seppälä	FIN	– (–) –	25.19	0.68

Final (17 August 2008 — 10:08)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	3	Britta Steffen	GER	– (–) –	24.06	0.80	OR
2	4	Dara Torres	USA	– (–) –	24.07	0.73
3	5	Cate Campbell	AUS	– (–) –	24.17	0.77
4	2	Libby Trickett	AUS	– (–) –	24.25	0.71
5	6	Marleen Veldhuis	NED	– (–) –	24.26	0.81
6	1	Kara Lynn Joyce	USA	– (–) –	24.63	0.74
7	7	Hinkelien Schreuder	NED	– (–) –	24.65	0.79
8	8	Aliaksandra Herasimenia	BLR	– (–) –	24.77	0.75