| | Event type

1,500 metres Freestyle, Men

Date	5 – 7 August 1948
Status	Olympic
Location	Wembley Arena, Wembley, London
Participants	39 from 21 countries

In 1938 Japan’s Tomikatsu Amano had become the first man to break nineteen minutes for the 1500m and his example had been matched by a younger generation of Japanese swimmers but, since Japan was not invited to the 1948 Olympics, the mantle of favourite for this event fell on France’s Alex Jany. The Frenchman performed poorly in his other events and, after the British food had proved too much for his stomach, was too ill to compete in the 1500m. This left the way clear for the seventeen year old American schoolboy, James McLane, and the previously unconsidered Australian John Marshall to battle for the gold. McLane started well and maintained a lead for the first thousand metres. With 500m to go Marshall made his challenge and the two men swam stroke for stroke for the next two lengths of the pool. The Australian’s challenge faded and more technically gifted McLane swam away to become the first American to win the event since Antwerp.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Jimmy McLane	USA	20:17.7 (1 h2)	19:52.2 (1 h2)	19:18.5 (1)	Gold
2	John Marshall	AUS	20:01.1 (1 h5)	19:53.8 (1 h1)	19:31.3 (2)	Silver
3	György Mitró	HUN	20:15.0 (1 h6)	20:06.5 (2 h1)	19:43.2 (3)	Bronze
4	György Csordás	HUN	20:06.8 (1 h4)	20:06.6 (2 h2)	19:54.2 (4)
5	Marijan Stipetić	YUG	20:10.1 (1 h3)	20:12.9 (3 h1)	20:10.7 (5)
6	Forbes Norris	USA	20:21.0 (2 h5)	20:09.3 (3 h2)	20:18.8 (6)
7	Don Bland	GBR	20:13.9 (2 h3)	20:19.8 (4 h2)	20:19.8 (7)
8	Bill Heusner	USA	20:29.6 (1 h1)	20:23.9 (4 h1)	20:45.4 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	Florbel Pérez	URU	20:20.2 (3 h6)	20:32.6 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	Jo Bernardo	FRA	20:34.8 (3 h5)	20:25.5 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	Miroslav Bartůšek	TCH	20:19.4 (2 h6)	20:32.9 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	Ferenc Vörös	HUN	20:31.9 (2 h1)	20:31.4 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	Rolf Kestener	BRA	20:36.3 (3 h2)	20:44.6 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	Luis González	COL	20:40.6 (3 h4)	20:41.6 (7 h2)	–
2 h2 r1/3	Jack Hale	GBR	20:31.9 (2 h2)	– (DNS h1)	–
2 h4 r1/3	Per-Olof Östrand	SWE	20:19.8 (2 h4)	– (DNS h2)	–
3 h1 r1/3	Jack Wardrop	GBR	20:43.0 (3 h1)	–	–
3 h3 r1/3	Sambiao Basanung	PHI	21:05.9 (3 h3)	–	–
4 h1 r1/3	Ángel Maldonado	MEX	20:47.2 (4 h1)	–	–
4 h2 r1/3	Joseph Reynders	BEL	21:23.1 (4 h2)	–	–
4 h3 r1/3	Alejandro Febrero	ESP	21:15.9 (4 h3)	–	–
4 h4 r1/3	Isidoro Martínez-Vela	ESP	21:13.7 (4 h4)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	Luis Child	COL	20:47.0 (4 h5)	–	–
4 h6 r1/3	Don Johnston	RSA	20:41.8 (4 h6)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	Adolfo Mancuso	ARG	21:16.7 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	Janko Puhar	YUG	21:45.1 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	Doug Gibson	CAN	21:25.6 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	César Borja	MEX	21:15.8 (5 h4)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	Juan Garay	ARG	21:33.2 (5 h5)	–	–
5 h6 r1/3	Ramón Bravo	MEX	20:45.5 (5 h6)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	Vanja Ilić	YUG	21:17.0 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	Bimal Chandra	IND	22:52.9 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	Garrick Agnew	AUS	21:40.1 (6 h4)	–	–
6 h5 r1/3	Jesús Domínguez	ESP	21:33.5 (6 h5)	–	–
6 h6 r1/3	René Cornu	FRA	21:01.6 (6 h6)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	Anwar Aziz Chaudhry	PAK	25:37.4 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	Philip Tribley	BER	22:56.6 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	Allen Gilchrist	CAN	23:00.6 (7 h4)	–	–
7 h5 r1/3	Derek Oatway	BER	21:55.1 (7 h5)	–	–
DNS	Alfredo Yantorno	ARG	– (DNS h6)	–	–
DNS	Alex Jany	FRA	– (DNS h2)	–	–

Round One (5 August 1948)

Top two in each heat and the next four fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One (10:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	6	Bill Heusner	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:29.6	Q
2	3	Ferenc Vörös	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:31.9	Q
3	7	Jack Wardrop	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:43.0
4	4	Ángel Maldonado	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:47.2
5	1	Adolfo Mancuso	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:16.7
6	2	Vanja Ilić	YUG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:17.0
7	5	Anwar Aziz Chaudhry	PAK	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	25:37.4

Heat Two (10:40)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	2	Jimmy McLane	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:17.7	Q
2	6	Jack Hale	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:31.9	Q
3	7	Rolf Kestener	BRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:36.3	q
4	3	Joseph Reynders	BEL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:23.1
5	5	Janko Puhar	YUG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:45.1
DNS	4	Alex Jany	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Three (11:20)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	3	Marijan Stipetić	YUG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:10.1	Q
2	5	Don Bland	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:13.9	Q
3	6	Sambiao Basanung	PHI	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:05.9
4	4	Alejandro Febrero	ESP	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:15.9
5	1	Doug Gibson	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:25.6
6	7	Bimal Chandra	IND	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:52.9
7	2	Philip Tribley	BER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:56.6

Heat Four (14:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	3	György Csordás	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:06.8	Q
2	5	Per-Olof Östrand	SWE	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:19.8	Q
3	1	Luis González	COL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:40.6	q
4	2	Isidoro Martínez-Vela	ESP	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:13.7
5	7	César Borja	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:15.8
6	4	Garrick Agnew	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:40.1
7	6	Allen Gilchrist	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	23:00.6

Heat Five (14:40)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	4	John Marshall	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:01.1	Q
2	1	Forbes Norris	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:21.0	Q
3	5	Jo Bernardo	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:34.8	q
4	7	Luis Child	COL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:47.0
5	2	Juan Garay	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:33.2
6	6	Jesús Domínguez	ESP	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:33.5
7	3	Derek Oatway	BER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:55.1

Heat Six (15:20)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	7	György Mitró	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:15.0	Q
2	4	Miroslav Bartůšek	TCH	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:19.4	Q
3	2	Florbel Pérez	URU	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:20.2	q
4	6	Don Johnston	RSA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:41.8
5	1	Ramón Bravo	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:45.5
6	5	René Cornu	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:01.6
DNS	3	Alfredo Yantorno	ARG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Semi-Finals (6 August 1948 — 10:00)

Top three in each heat and the next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	5	John Marshall	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:53.8	Q
2	6	György Mitró	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:06.5	Q
3	4	Marijan Stipetić	YUG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:12.9	Q
4	2	Bill Heusner	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:23.9	q
5	7	Florbel Pérez	URU	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:32.6
6	3	Miroslav Bartůšek	TCH	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:32.9
7	1	Rolf Kestener	BRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:44.6
DNS	8	Jack Hale	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	6	Jimmy McLane	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:52.2	Q
2	5	György Csordás	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:06.6	Q
3	7	Forbes Norris	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:09.3	Q
4	4	Don Bland	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:19.8	q
5	8	Jo Bernardo	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:25.5
6	2	Ferenc Vörös	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:31.4
7	1	Luis González	COL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:41.6
DNS	3	Per-Olof Östrand	SWE	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Final (7 August 1948 — 16:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	100 m	200 m	300 m	400 m	500 m	600 m	700 m	800 m	900 m	1,000 m	1,100 m	1,200 m	1,300 m	1400 m	Time
1	5	Jimmy McLane	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:18.5
2	4	John Marshall	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:31.3
3	6	György Mitró	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:43.2
4	3	György Csordás	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:54.2
5	2	Marijan Stipetić	YUG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:10.7
6	7	Forbes Norris	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:18.8
7	8	Don Bland	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:19.8
8	1	Bill Heusner	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:45.4