| | Event type

50 metres Freestyle, Men

Date	2 – 3 August 2012
Status	Olympic
Location	London Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Participants	58 from 51 countries

Brazil’s César Cielo Filho was the defending champion, the 2011 World Champion, and the world record holder and was favored. Other contenders were the two Americans, US champion Cullen Jones, and 2000 co-champion Anthony Ervin, who had retired for 10 years only to return in 2011 in an attempt to make another Olympic team. The fastest qualifiers were Cielo and Jones, who dead-heated in their semi-final. Out in lane seven in the final was France’s Florent Manaudou, better known as the brother of Laure Manaudou, gold medalist at Athens in 2004. Perhaps he was not seen by the favorites but it was Manaudou who came to the wall first, finishing in 21.34, the fastest ever textile time, to win the gold medal. Jones was second in 21.54, equaling his semi-final time, while Cielo came in for bronze in 21.59.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Florent Manaudou	FRA	22.09 (3 h8)	21.80 (3 h2)	21.34 (1)	Gold
2	Cullen Jones	USA	21.95 (2 h7)	21.54 (=1 h1)	21.54 (2)	Silver
3	César Cielo Filho	BRA	21.80 (1 h8)	21.54 (=1 h1)	21.59 (3)	Bronze
4	Bruno Fratus	BRA	21.82 (2 h8)	21.63 (1 h2)	21.61 (4)
5	Anthony Ervin	USA	21.83 (2 h6)	21.62 (3 h1)	21.78 (5)
6	Roland Schoeman	RSA	21.92 (1 h7)	21.88 (4 h2)	21.80 (6)
7	George Bovell	TTO	21.77 (1 h6)	21.77 (2 h2)	21.82 (7)
8	Eamon Sullivan	AUS	22.27 (5 h7)	21.88 (4 h1)	21.98 (8)
9	Gideon Louw	RSA	22.12 (=4 h8)	21.92 (5 h1)	–
10	Andrey Grechin	RUS	22.09 (3 h6)	21.98 (5 h2)	–
11	James Magnussen	AUS	22.11 (4 h7)	22.00 (6 h1)	–
12	Krisztián Takács	HUN	22.19 (4 h6)	22.01 (7 h1)	–
13	Luca Dotto	ITA	22.12 (=4 h8)	22.09 (6 h2)	–
=14	Andriy Hovorov	UKR	22.09 (3 h7)	22.12 (8 h1)	–
=14	Brent Hayden	CAN	22.15 (6 h8)	22.12 (7 h2)	–
16	Norbert Trandafir	ROU	22.22 (5 h6)	22.30 (8 h2)	–
17	Stefan Nystrand	SWE	22.32 (6 h6)	–	–
18	Amaury Leveaux	FRA	22.35 (6 h7)	–	–
19	Marco Orsi	ITA	22.36 (7 h7)	–	–
20	Adam Brown	GBR	22.39 (7 h6)	–	–
21	Sergey Fesikov	RUS	22.42 (7 h8)	–	–
22	Jasper Aerents	BEL	22.43 (1 h5)	–	–
23	Hanser García	CUB	22.45 (8 h6)	–	–
24	Roy-Allan Burch	BER	22.47 (1 h4)	–	–
25	Ari-Pekka Liukkonen	FIN	22.57 (8 h7)	–	–
26	Shi Yang	CHN	22.64 (2 h5)	–	–
27	David Dunford	KEN	22.72 (3 h5)	–	–
28	Mario Todorović	CRO	22.75 (4 h5)	–	–
29	Barry Murphy	IRL	22.76 (2 h4)	–	–
30	Ioannis Kalargaris	GRE	22.80 (8 h8)	–	–
31	Árni Árnason	ISL	22.81 (5 h5)	–	–
32	Brett Fraser	CAY	22.91 (6 h5)	–	–
33	Kacper Majchrzak	POL	23.00 (7 h5)	–	–
34	Shehab Younis	EGY	23.16 (3 h4)	–	–
35	Federico Grabich	ARG	23.30 (8 h5)	–	–
36	Luke Hall	SWZ	23.48 (4 h4)	–	–
37	Kareem Ennab	JOR	24.09 (5 h4)	–	–
38	Chakyl Camal	MOZ	24.43 (6 h4)	–	–
39	Mohammad Mahfizur Rahman	BAN	24.64 (7 h4)	–	–
40	Kerson Hadley	FSM	24.82 (1 h3)	–	–
41	Zac Payne	COK	25.26 (8 h4)	–	–
42	Adama Ouédraogo	BUR	25.26 (2 h3)	–	–
43	Rony Bakale	CGO	25.64 (3 h3)	–	–
44	Kouassi Brou	CIV	25.82 (4 h3)	–	–
45	Tolga Akcayli	VIN	26.27 (5 h3)	–	–
46	Giordan Harris	MHL	26.88 (6 h3)	–	–
47	Prasiddha Shah	NEP	26.93 (7 h3)	–	–
48	Hem Thon Ponloeu	CAM	27.03 (8 h3)	–	–
49	Abdourahman Osman	DJI	27.25 (1 h2)	–	–
50	Mohamed El-Khedr	SUD	27.26 (2 h2)	–	–
51	Ching Wei	ASA	27.30 (3 h2)	–	–
52	Jackson Niyomugabo	RWA	27.38 (4 h2)	–	–
53	Ganzi Mugula	UGA	27.58 (5 h2)	–	–
54	Paul Ekane	CMR	27.87 (6 h2)	–	–
55	Christian Nassif	CAF	28.04 (1 h1)	–	–
56	Phathana Inthavong	LAO	28.17 (2 h1)	–	–
57	Mulualem Teshale	ETH	28.99 (7 h2)	–	–
58	Wilfried Tevoedjre	BEN	29.77 (3 h1)	–	–

Round One (2 August 2012 — 10:00)

Fastest 16 swimmers advanced to semi-finals

Heat One (10:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Christian Nassif	CAF	– (–) –	28.04	0.70
2	4	Phathana Inthavong	LAO	– (–) –	28.17	0.71
3	3	Wilfried Tevoedjre	BEN	– (–) –	29.77	0.87

Heat Two (10:02)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	2	Abdourahman Osman	DJI	– (–) –	27.25	0.79
2	6	Mohamed El-Khedr	SUD	– (–) –	27.26	0.86
3	3	Ching Wei	ASA	– (–) –	27.30	0.80
4	7	Jackson Niyomugabo	RWA	– (–) –	27.38	0.84
5	5	Ganzi Mugula	UGA	– (–) –	27.58	0.69
6	4	Paul Ekane	CMR	– (–) –	27.87	0.78
7	1	Mulualem Teshale	ETH	– (–) –	28.99	0.77

Heat Three (10:04)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	6	Kerson Hadley	FSM	– (–) –	24.82	0.75
2	4	Adama Ouédraogo	BUR	– (–) –	25.26	0.70
3	5	Rony Bakale	CGO	– (–) –	25.64	0.77
4	2	Kouassi Brou	CIV	– (–) –	25.82	0.74
5	3	Tolga Akcayli	VIN	– (–) –	26.27	0.70
6	1	Giordan Harris	MHL	– (–) –	26.88	0.73
7	8	Prasiddha Shah	NEP	– (–) –	26.93	0.75
8	7	Hem Thon Ponloeu	CAM	– (–) –	27.03	0.73

Heat Four (10:07)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	Roy-Allan Burch	BER	– (–) –	22.47	0.64
2	5	Barry Murphy	IRL	– (–) –	22.76	0.67
3	3	Shehab Younis	EGY	– (–) –	23.16	0.79
4	6	Luke Hall	SWZ	– (–) –	23.48	0.66
5	2	Kareem Ennab	JOR	– (–) –	24.09	0.70
6	7	Chakyl Camal	MOZ	– (–) –	24.43	0.71
7	1	Mohammad Mahfizur Rahman	BAN	– (–) –	24.64	0.79
8	8	Zac Payne	COK	– (–) –	25.26	0.71

Heat Five (10:09)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	3	Jasper Aerents	BEL	– (–) –	22.43	0.66
2	1	Shi Yang	CHN	– (–) –	22.64	0.63
3	4	David Dunford	KEN	– (–) –	22.72	0.71
4	7	Mario Todorović	CRO	– (–) –	22.75	0.69
5	8	Árni Árnason	ISL	– (–) –	22.81	0.73
6	5	Brett Fraser	CAY	– (–) –	22.91	0.64
7	6	Kacper Majchrzak	POL	– (–) –	23.00	0.65
8	2	Federico Grabich	ARG	– (–) –	23.30	0.69

Heat Six (10:11)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	3	George Bovell	TTO	– (–) –	21.77	0.70	Q
2	4	Anthony Ervin	USA	– (–) –	21.83	0.71	Q
3	5	Andrey Grechin	RUS	– (–) –	22.09	0.74	Q
4	6	Krisztián Takács	HUN	– (–) –	22.19	0.71	Q
5	8	Norbert Trandafir	ROU	– (–) –	22.22	0.63	Q
6	2	Stefan Nystrand	SWE	– (–) –	22.32	0.68
7	7	Adam Brown	GBR	– (–) –	22.39	0.73
8	1	Hanser García	CUB	– (–) –	22.45	0.68

Heat Seven (10:13)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	1	Roland Schoeman	RSA	– (–) –	21.92	0.62	Q
2	4	Cullen Jones	USA	– (–) –	21.95	0.71	Q
3	7	Andriy Hovorov	UKR	– (–) –	22.09	0.68	Q
4	5	James Magnussen	AUS	– (–) –	22.11	0.71	Q
5	3	Eamon Sullivan	AUS	– (–) –	22.27	0.63	Q
6	6	Amaury Leveaux	FRA	– (–) –	22.35	0.74
7	2	Marco Orsi	ITA	– (–) –	22.36	0.64
8	8	Ari-Pekka Liukkonen	FIN	– (–) –	22.57	0.68

Heat Eight (10:15)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	4	César Cielo Filho	BRA	– (–) –	21.80	0.65	Q
2	5	Bruno Fratus	BRA	– (–) –	21.82	0.71	Q
3	3	Florent Manaudou	FRA	– (–) –	22.09	0.64	Q
=4	6	Luca Dotto	ITA	– (–) –	22.12	0.64	Q
=4	7	Gideon Louw	RSA	– (–) –	22.12	0.73	Q
6	8	Brent Hayden	CAN	– (–) –	22.15	0.66	Q
7	2	Sergey Fesikov	RUS	– (–) –	22.42	0.71
8	1	Ioannis Kalargaris	GRE	– (–) –	22.80	0.69

Semi-Finals (2 August 2012 — 19:32)

Fastest eight swimmers advanced to final

Heat One (19:32)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
=1	4	César Cielo Filho	BRA	– (–) –	21.54	0.66	Q
=1	3	Cullen Jones	USA	– (–) –	21.54	0.64	Q
3	5	Anthony Ervin	USA	– (–) –	21.62	0.72	Q
4	8	Eamon Sullivan	AUS	– (–) –	21.88	0.63	Q
5	7	Gideon Louw	RSA	– (–) –	21.92	0.74
6	2	James Magnussen	AUS	– (–) –	22.00	0.71
7	1	Krisztián Takács	HUN	– (–) –	22.01	0.66
8	6	Andriy Hovorov	UKR	– (–) –	22.12	0.70

Heat Two (19:36)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	5	Bruno Fratus	BRA	– (–) –	21.63	0.69	Q
2	4	George Bovell	TTO	– (–) –	21.77	0.69	Q
3	2	Florent Manaudou	FRA	– (–) –	21.80	0.63	Q
4	3	Roland Schoeman	RSA	– (–) –	21.88	0.64	Q
5	6	Andrey Grechin	RUS	– (–) –	21.98	0.72
6	7	Luca Dotto	ITA	– (–) –	22.09	0.66
7	1	Brent Hayden	CAN	– (–) –	22.12	0.64
8	8	Norbert Trandafir	ROU	– (–) –	22.30	0.63

Final (3 August 2012 — 20:09)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time	Reaction
1	7	Florent Manaudou	FRA	– (–) –	21.34	0.63
2	5	Cullen Jones	USA	– (–) –	21.54	0.66
3	4	César Cielo Filho	BRA	– (–) –	21.59	0.62
4	6	Bruno Fratus	BRA	– (–) –	21.61	0.70
5	3	Anthony Ervin	USA	– (–) –	21.78	0.78
6	8	Roland Schoeman	RSA	– (–) –	21.80	0.65
7	2	George Bovell	TTO	– (–) –	21.82	0.69
8	1	Eamon Sullivan	AUS	– (–) –	21.98	0.63