| | Event type

1,500 metres Freestyle, Men

Date	31 July – 2 August 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Uimastadion, Helsinki
Participants	37 from 22 countries

Hironoshin Furuhashi of Japan had been the outstanding long distance freestyle swimmer since the last Olympics but was probably past his best by 1952. His preparations for Helsinki were ruined by a bout of malaria and his Olympic career was limited to a below-par swim in the 400m. The standard of competition was high, 400m champion Jean Boiteux went below the pre-Games Olympic record but failed to reach the final. The fastest qualifiers for the final were Shiro Hashizume of Japan and the Japanese-American Ford Konno, another from the great Hawaiian tradition of swimmers, and these two continued their form into the final. Hashizume went off into a lead but was gradually pulled back by Konno. At 1200m Konno moved level with the Japanese swimmer and then forged ahead as Hashizume’s fast start had drained his stamina. Konno eventually finished ten seconds clear of Hashizume whilst a frantic battle for third place saw Tetsuo Okamoto, a Brazilian of Japanese parentage, edge out the 1948 champion Jimmy McLane to complete an unusual “Japanese” sweep of the medals.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Ford Konno	USA	18:53.7 (1 h5)	18:30.3 (1)	Gold
2	Shiro Hashizume	JPN	18:34.0 (1 h1)	18:41.4 (2)	Silver
3	Tetsuo Okamoto	BRA	19:05.6 (1 h3)	18:51.3 (3)	Bronze
4	Jimmy McLane	USA	19:09.3 (1 h2)	18:51.5 (4)
5	Jo Bernardo	FRA	19:06.5 (2 h5)	18:59.1 (5)
6	Yasuo Kitamura	JPN	19:10.3 (3 h6)	19:00.4 (6)
7	Peter Duncan	RSA	19:03.5 (1 h6)	19:12.1 (7)
8	John Marshall	AUS	19:09.2 (2 h6)	19:53.4 (8)
9	Jean Boiteux	FRA	19:12.3 (1 h4)	–
10	Gotfryd Gremlowski	POL	19:17.5 (2 h1)	–
11	Heinz-Günther Lehmann	GER	19:17.9 (2 h2)	–
12	Tonatiuh Gutiérrez	MEX	19:18.9 (3 h1)	–
13	Bill Woolsey	USA	19:24.6 (2 h4)	–
14	György Csordás	HUN	19:26.2 (2 h3)	–
15	Sylvio dos Santos	BRA	19:26.8 (4 h1)	–
16	Yukiyoshi Aoki	JPN	19:27.0 (3 h3)	–
17	Graham Johnston	RSA	19:27.1 (5 h1)	–
18	Dennis Ford	RSA	19:27.6 (3 h5)	–
19	César Borja	MEX	19:43.3 (3 h4)	–
20	Enrique Granados	ESP	19:45.9 (4 h6)	–
21	Efrén Fierro	MEX	19:55.8 (3 h2)	–
22	Bob Sreenan	GBR	19:59.2 (4 h4)	–
23	Gerry McNamee	CAN	20:02.5 (6 h1)	–
24	Garrick Agnew	AUS	20:03.8 (4 h2)	–
25	Vladimer Lavrinenk'o	URS	20:07.8 (5 h4)	–
26	Allen Gilchrist	CAN	20:08.3 (4 h5)	–
27	Endel Press	URS	20:11.7 (4 h3)	–
28	Cheung Kin Man	HKG	20:50.2 (6 h4)	–
29	Sambiao Basanung	PHI	20:58.6 (7 h1)	–
30	Geoffrey Marks	SRI	20:59.4 (5 h6)	–
31	Robert Cook	BER	20:59.6 (6 h6)	–
32	Eduardo Priggione	URU	21:11.9 (7 h4)	–
33	Roar Woldum	NOR	21:19.5 (7 h6)	–
34	Walter Schneider	SUI	21:36.2 (5 h2)	–
35	Walter Bardgett	BER	21:42.4 (5 h3)	–
36	Sonny Monteiro	HKG	22:26.7 (6 h3)	–
37	Muhammad Ramzan	PAK	23:44.3 (6 h2)	–
DNS	Georg Mascetti	SAA	– (DNS h2)	–
DNS	Abdel Aziz El-Shafei	EGY	– (DNS h3)	–
DNS	Dezső Lemhényi	HUN	– (DNS h5)	–
DNS	Valentin Prokopov	URS	– (DNS h5)	–

Round One (31 July 1952 — 10:00)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

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	1	Shiro Hashizume	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	18:34.0	QOR
2	2	Gotfryd Gremlowski	POL	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:17.5
3	3	Tonatiuh Gutiérrez	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:18.9
4	4	Sylvio dos Santos	BRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:26.8
5	5	Graham Johnston	RSA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:27.1
6	6	Gerry McNamee	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:02.5
7	7	Sambiao Basanung	PHI	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:58.6

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	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:09.3	Q
2	1	Heinz-Günther Lehmann	GER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:17.9
3	2	Efrén Fierro	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:55.8
4	5	Garrick Agnew	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:03.8
5	7	Walter Schneider	SUI	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:36.2
6	3	Muhammad Ramzan	PAK	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	23:44.3
DNS	4	Georg Mascetti	SAA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Three

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	Tetsuo Okamoto	BRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:05.6	Q
2	1	György Csordás	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:26.2
3	4	Yukiyoshi Aoki	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:27.0
4	5	Endel Press	URS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:11.7
5	7	Walter Bardgett	BER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:42.4
6	2	Sonny Monteiro	HKG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	22:26.7
DNS	6	Abdel Aziz El-Shafei	EGY	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Four

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	Jean Boiteux	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:12.3
2	5	Bill Woolsey	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:24.6
3	1	César Borja	MEX	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:43.3
4	7	Bob Sreenan	GBR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:59.2
5	2	Vladimer Lavrinenk'o	URS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:07.8
6	6	Cheung Kin Man	HKG	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:50.2
7	4	Eduardo Priggione	URU	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:11.9

Heat Five (17:00)

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	7	Ford Konno	USA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	18:53.7	Q
2	5	Jo Bernardo	FRA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:06.5	Q
3	3	Dennis Ford	RSA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:27.6
4	6	Allen Gilchrist	CAN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:08.3
DNS	2	Dezső Lemhényi	HUN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–
DNS	4	Valentin Prokopov	URS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	–

Heat Six

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	1	Peter Duncan	RSA	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:03.5	Q
2	6	John Marshall	AUS	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:09.2	Q
3	7	Yasuo Kitamura	JPN	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:10.3	Q
4	2	Enrique Granados	ESP	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	19:45.9
5	5	Geoffrey Marks	SRI	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:59.4
6	4	Robert Cook	BER	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	20:59.6
7	3	Roar Woldum	NOR	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	– –	21:19.5

Final (2 August 1952 — 17:00)

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	Ford Konno	USA	1:07.0 (1) 1:12.6 (2)	2:19.6 (2) 1:12.8 (2)	3:32.4 (2) 1:14.8 (3)	4:47.2 (2) 1:14.3 (2)	6:01.5 (2) 1:14.7 (2)	7:16.2 (2) 1:15.3 (2)	8:31.5 (2) 1:15.1 (1)	9:46.6 (2) 1:15.0 (2)	11:01.6 (2) 1:15.4 (1)	12:17.0 (2) 1:14.6 (1)	13:31.6 (2) 1:15.1 (1)	14:46.7 (=1) 1:16.0 (1)	16:02.7 (1) 1:15.3 (2)	17:18.0 (1) 1:12.3 (3)	18:30.3	OR
2	4	Shiro Hashizume	JPN	1:07.6 (=4) 1:11.2 (1)	2:18.8 (1) 1:12.3 (1)	3:31.1 (1) 1:14.5 (2)	4:45.6 (1) 1:13.9 (1)	5:59.5 (1) 1:14.4 (1)	7:13.9 (1) 1:15.0 (1)	8:28.9 (1) 1:15.5 (2)	9:44.4 (1) 1:14.9 (1)	10:59.3 (1) 1:15.4 (2)	12:14.7 (1) 1:15.4 (2)	13:30.1 (1) 1:16.6 (2)	14:46.7 (=1) 1:17.5 (6)	16:04.2 (2) 1:18.6 (6)	17:22.8 (2) 1:18.6 (7)	18:41.4
3	6	Tetsuo Okamoto	BRA	1:07.5 (3) 1:12.8 (3)	2:20.3 (3) 1:13.5 (3)	3:33.8 (3) 1:14.4 (1)	4:48.2 (3) 1:15.7 (3)	6:03.9 (3) 1:15.9 (3)	7:19.8 (3) 1:16.6 (5)	8:36.4 (3) 1:18.0 (6)	9:54.4 (3) 1:18.0 (7)	11:12.4 (3) 1:18.4 (7)	12:30.8 (3) 1:18.9 (7)	13:49.7 (3) 1:16.8 (=3)	15:06.5 (3) 1:17.0 (5)	16:23.5 (3) 1:16.7 (4)	17:40.2 (4) 1:11.1 (1)	18:51.3
4	1	Jimmy McLane	USA	1:07.2 (2) 1:13.4 (5)	2:20.6 (=4) 1:14.6 (4)	3:35.2 (4) 1:16.7 (=7)	4:51.9 (5) 1:16.7 (=6)	6:08.6 (5) 1:16.9 (5)	7:25.5 (=4) 1:16.5 (4)	8:42.0 (5) 1:16.8 (3)	9:58.8 (4) 1:16.8 (4)	11:15.6 (4) 1:17.3 (4)	12:32.9 (4) 1:17.1 (3)	13:50.0 (4) 1:17.3 (6)	15:07.3 (4) 1:16.4 (2)	16:23.7 (4) 1:15.9 (3)	17:39.6 (3) 1:11.9 (2)	18:51.5
5	2	Jo Bernardo	FRA	1:08.4 (=6) 1:14.4 (8)	2:22.8 (7) 1:15.6 (8)	3:38.4 (7) 1:15.8 (5)	4:54.2 (7) 1:16.6 (5)	6:10.8 (7) 1:17.0 (6)	7:27.8 (7) 1:17.4 (6)	8:45.2 (7) 1:16.9 (4)	10:02.1 (7) 1:16.8 (3)	11:18.9 (6) 1:16.6 (3)	12:35.5 (6) 1:17.7 (5)	13:53.2 (6) 1:16.8 (=3)	15:10.0 (6) 1:16.8 (4)	16:26.8 (5) 1:14.5 (1)	17:41.3 (5) 1:17.8 (6)	18:59.1
6	8	Yasuo Kitamura	JPN	1:08.4 (=6) 1:14.0 (7)	2:22.4 (6) 1:14.7 (5)	3:37.1 (6) 1:15.4 (4)	4:52.5 (6) 1:16.3 (4)	6:08.8 (6) 1:16.7 (4)	7:25.5 (=4) 1:16.3 (3)	8:41.8 (4) 1:17.3 (5)	9:59.1 (5) 1:17.3 (5)	11:16.4 (5) 1:18.0 (6)	12:34.4 (5) 1:17.3 (4)	13:51.7 (5) 1:17.1 (5)	15:08.8 (5) 1:18.4 (7)	16:27.2 (6) 1:17.2 (5)	17:44.4 (6) 1:16.0 (5)	19:00.4
7	3	Peter Duncan	RSA	1:07.6 (=4) 1:13.0 (4)	2:20.6 (=4) 1:15.0 (6)	3:35.6 (5) 1:16.2 (6)	4:51.8 (4) 1:16.7 (=6)	6:08.5 (4) 1:17.3 (7)	7:25.8 (6) 1:18.0 (7)	8:43.8 (6) 1:18.1 (7)	10:01.9 (6) 1:17.4 (6)	11:19.3 (7) 1:17.8 (5)	12:37.1 (7) 1:18.5 (6)	13:55.6 (7) 1:21.5 (7)	15:17.1 (7) 1:16.5 (3)	16:33.6 (7) 1:23.6 (8)	17:57.2 (7) 1:14.9 (4)	19:12.1
8	7	John Marshall	AUS	1:10.3 (8) 1:13.8 (6)	2:24.1 (8) 1:15.4 (7)	3:39.5 (8) 1:16.7 (=7)	4:56.2 (8) 1:19.8 (8)	6:16.0 (8) 1:18.9 (8)	7:34.9 (8) 1:22.1 (8)	8:57.0 (8) 1:20.0 (8)	10:17.0 (8) 1:22.3 (8)	11:39.3 (8) 1:22.2 (8)	13:01.5 (8) 1:22.1 (8)	14:23.6 (8) 1:22.4 (8)	15:46.0 (8) 1:24.7 (8)	17:10.7 (8) 1:21.3 (7)	18:32.0 (8) 1:21.4 (8)	19:53.4