| | Event type

400 metres Freestyle, Men

Date	26 – 28 August 1920
Status	Olympic
Location	Zwemstadion van Antwerpen, Antwerpen
Participants	22 from 11 countries

This was expected to be a battle between Norman Ross, the world record holder (5:14.6 in 1919) and 1919 Inter-Allied Champion, and the great Australian distance swimmer, Frank Beaurepaire. Beaurepaire went out too quickly and eventually was forced to retire. Ross then won easily. The Olympic record of 5:24.4, set by George Hodgson (CAN), who won in 1912 at Stockholm, survived the 1920 Olympics. Hodgson competed in Antwerp, finishing fourth in the second semi-final.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Norman Ross	USA	6:16.2 (1 h1)	5:33.8 (1 h1)	5:26.8 (1)	Gold
2	Ludy Langer	USA	5:41.4 (1 h5)	5:29.2 (2 h2)	5:29.0 (2)	Silver
3	George Vernot	CAN	5:32.6 (1 h4)	5:27.8 (1 h2)	5:29.6 (3)	Bronze
4	Fred Kahele	USA	5:37.4 (2 h4)	5:35.8 (2 h1)	– (4)
AC r3/3	Frank Beaurepaire	AUS	5:42.0 (3 h4)	5:32.8 (3 h2)	– (DNF)		DNF
3 h1 r2/3	Bill Harris	USA	5:57.8 (1 h3)	5:36.0 (3 h1)	–
4 h1 r2/3	Henry Taylor	GBR	6:01.2 (2 h3)	– (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r2/3	George Hodgson	CAN	5:49.8 (2 h5)	– (4 h2)	–
5 h2 r2/3	Harold Annison	GBR	5:58.0 (1 h2)	– (5 h2)	–
AC h1 r2/3	Kenkichi Saito	JPN	6:16.8 (2 h1)	– (DNF h1)	–		DNF
AC h2 r2/3	Keith Kirkland	AUS	6:12.2 (2 h2)	– (DNF h2)	–		DNF
3 h2 r1/3	Paul Vasseur	FRA	6:30.4 (3 h2)	–	–
3 h3 r1/3	Masayoshi Uchida	JPN	6:40.0 (3 h3)	–	–
3 h5 r1/3	Jack Hatfield	GBR	5:50.6 (3 h5)	–	–
4 h2 r1/3	Alfred Steen	NOR	6:30.6 (4 h2)	–	–
4 h3 r1/3	Alois Hrašek	TCH	– (4 h3)	–	–
4 h4 r1/3	Arne Borg	SWE	– (4 h4)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	Harry Hay	AUS	– (4 h5)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	René Doria	SUI	– (5 h2)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	Percy Peter	GBR	– (5 h4)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	Antonio Quarantotto	ITA	– (5 h5)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	Giglio Bisagno	ITA	– (6 h4)	–	–

Round One (26 August 1920 — 15:30 (scheduled), 15:50 (actual))

Top two places and the fastest third place advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Norman Ross	USA	– (–) –	6:16.2	Q
2	–	Kenkichi Saito	JPN	– (–) –	6:16.8	Q

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Harold Annison	GBR	– (–) –	5:58.0	Q
2	–	Keith Kirkland	AUS	– (–) –	6:12.2	Q
3	–	Paul Vasseur	FRA	– (–) –	6:30.4
4	–	Alfred Steen	NOR	– (–) –	6:30.6
5	–	René Doria	SUI	– (–) –	–

Heat Three

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Bill Harris	USA	– (–) –	5:57.8	Q
2	–	Henry Taylor	GBR	– (–) –	6:01.2	Q
3	–	Masayoshi Uchida	JPN	– (–) –	6:40.0
4	–	Alois Hrašek	TCH	– (–) –	–

Heat Four

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	George Vernot	CAN	– (–) –	5:32.6	Q
2	–	Fred Kahele	USA	– (–) –	5:37.4	Q
3	–	Frank Beaurepaire	AUS	– (–) –	5:42.0	q
4	–	Arne Borg	SWE	– (–) –	–
5	–	Percy Peter	GBR	– (–) –	–
6	–	Giglio Bisagno	ITA	– (–) –	–

Heat Five

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Ludy Langer	USA	– (–) –	5:41.4	Q
2	–	George Hodgson	CAN	– (–) –	5:49.8	Q
3	–	Jack Hatfield	GBR	– (–) –	5:50.6
4	–	Harry Hay	AUS	– (–) –	–
5	–	Antonio Quarantotto	ITA	– (–) –	–

Semi-Finals (27 August 1920 — 16:40)

Top two in each heat and the fastest third-place advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Norman Ross	USA	– (–) –	5:33.8	Q
2	–	Fred Kahele	USA	– (–) –	5:35.8	Q
3	–	Bill Harris	USA	– (–) –	5:36.0
4	–	Henry Taylor	GBR	– (–) –	–
DNF	–	Kenkichi Saito	JPN	– (–) –	–

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	George Vernot	CAN	– (–) –	5:27.8	Q
2	–	Ludy Langer	USA	– (–) –	5:29.2	Q
3	–	Frank Beaurepaire	AUS	– (–) –	5:32.8	q
4	–	George Hodgson	CAN	– (–) –	–
5	–	Harold Annison	GBR	– (–) –	–
DNF	–	Keith Kirkland	AUS	– (–) –	–

Final (28 August 1920 — 17:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	Time
1	–	Norman Ross	USA	– (–) –	5:26.8
2	–	Ludy Langer	USA	– (–) –	5:29.0
3	–	George Vernot	CAN	– (–) –	5:29.6
4	–	Fred Kahele	USA	– (–) –	–
DNF	–	Frank Beaurepaire	AUS	– (–) –	–