| | Event type
100 metres Freestyle, Women
| Date | 26 – 29 August 1960 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto, Roma |
| Participants | 32 from 19 countries |
Dawn Fraser had won this event in Melbourne and had not lost a 100 freestyle in the ensuing four years, setting the last five world records, the most recent being 1:00.2 set in Sydney in February. The American hope was Chris von Saltza, distantly descended from Swedish royalty, but she was given little chance to defeat Fraser. Von Saltza had the fastest time in the heats with 1:01.9, Fraser winning her heat easily in 1:02.1, but in the semis Fraser posted 1:01.4 to CVS’s 1:02.5, as they qualified 1-2 for the final. The final was not close as Fraser won comfortably in 1:01.2, von Saltza taking the silver medal in 1:02.8. Fraser would return in 1964 at Tokyo to win the event for a third consecutive time, the first Olympic swimmer to pull off that feat. Von Saltza would sparkle in Rome, winning the 400 freestyle and two relay gold medals, for four Olympic medals in all.
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawn Fraser |  AUS | 1:02.1 (1 h2) | 1:01.4 (1 h2) | 1:01.2 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | Chris von Saltza |  USA | 1:01.9 (1 h4) | 1:02.5 (1 h1) | 1:02.8 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | Natalie Steward |  GBR | 1:03.5 (1 h5) | 1:02.9 (2 h1) | 1:03.1 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:04.3 (2 h5) | 1:04.2 (4 h2) | 1:03.4 (4) | |||
| 5 | Csilla Madarász |  HUN | 1:04.5 (1 h3) | 1:03.0 (3 h1) | 1:03.6 (5) | |||
| 6 | Erica Terpstra |  NED | 1:04.4 (2 h1) | 1:03.7 (2 h2) | 1:04.3 (6) | |||
| 7 | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:03.9 (2 h2) | 1:03.9 (3 h2) | 1:04.7 (7) | |||
| 8 | Mary Beth Stewart |  CAN | 1:06.0 (4 h4) | 1:04.2 (5 h2) | 1:05.5 (8) | |||
| 9 | Ilsa Konrads | AUS | 1:04.2 (1 h1) | 1:04.7 (4 h1) | – | |||
| 10 | Ursel Brunner |  GER | 1:04.6 (2 h4) | 1:04.8 (6 h2) | – | |||
| =11 | Héda Frost |  FRA | 1:05.8 (3 h4) | 1:05.4 (5 h1) | – | |||
| =11 | Paola Saini |  ITA | 1:04.4 (3 h5) | 1:05.4 (6 h1) | – | |||
| =13 | Heidi Pechstein | GER | 1:05.1 (2 h3) | 1:05.6 (8 h1) | – | |||
| =13 | Inger Thorngren |  SWE | 1:06.1 (3 h2) | 1:05.6 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 15 | Katalin Boros | HUN | 1:05.2 (3 h1) | 1:06.2 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 16 | Karin Larsson | SWE | 1:06.3 (4 h1) | 1:06.5 (8 h2) | – | |||
| =17 | Yoshiko Sato |  JPN | 1:06.4 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| =17 | Marina Shamal |  URS | 1:06.4 (4 h5) | – | – | |||
| 19 | Ulvi Voog | URS | 1:06.7 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 20 | Maria Cristina Pacifici | ITA | 1:07.1 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 21 | Nora Novotny |  AUT | 1:07.4 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| =22 | Diana Wilkinson | GBR | 1:07.5 (3 h3) | – | – | |||
| =22 | Ágústa Þorsteinsdóttir |  ISL | 1:07.5 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 24 | Margaret Iwasaki | CAN | 1:07.6 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 25 | Haydée Coloso |  PHI | 1:07.8 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 26 | Blanca Barrón |  MEX | 1:07.9 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 27 | Marie-Laure Gaillot | FRA | 1:08.0 (5 h5) | – | – | |||
| 28 | María Luisa Souza | MEX | 1:08.4 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 29 | Anneliese Rockenbach |  VEN | 1:08.5 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 30 | Dottie Sutcliffe |  RHO | 1:09.0 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 31 | Hitomi Jinno | JPN | 1:09.8 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 32 | Rita Pulido |  ESP | 1:10.0 (7 h3) | – | – |
Round One
| Date | 26 August 1960 — 15:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest 16 advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Chris von Saltza | USA | 1:01.9 | ||
| 2 | – | Dawn Fraser | AUS | 1:02.1 | ||
| 3 | – | Natalie Steward | GBR | 1:03.5 | ||
| 4 | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:03.9 | ||
| 5 | – | Ilsa Konrads | AUS | 1:04.2 | ||
| 6 | – | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:04.3 | ||
| =7 | – | Erica Terpstra | NED | 1:04.4 | ||
| =7 | – | Paola Saini | ITA | 1:04.4 | ||
| 9 | – | Csilla Madarász | HUN | 1:04.5 | ||
| 10 | – | Ursel Brunner | GER | 1:04.6 | ||
| 11 | – | Heidi Pechstein | GER | 1:05.1 | ||
| 12 | – | Katalin Boros | HUN | 1:05.2 | ||
| 13 | – | Héda Frost | FRA | 1:05.8 | ||
| 14 | – | Mary Beth Stewart | CAN | 1:06.0 | ||
| 15 | – | Inger Thorngren | SWE | 1:06.1 | ||
| 16 | – | Karin Larsson | SWE | 1:06.3 | ||
| =17 | – | Yoshiko Sato | JPN | 1:06.4 | ||
| =17 | – | Marina Shamal | URS | 1:06.4 | ||
| 19 | – | Ulvi Voog | URS | 1:06.7 | ||
| 20 | – | Maria Cristina Pacifici | ITA | 1:07.1 | ||
| 21 | – | Nora Novotny | AUT | 1:07.4 | ||
| =22 | – | Ágústa Þorsteinsdóttir | ISL | 1:07.5 | ||
| =22 | – | Diana Wilkinson | GBR | 1:07.5 | ||
| 24 | – | Margaret Iwasaki | CAN | 1:07.6 | ||
| 25 | – | Haydée Coloso | PHI | 1:07.8 | ||
| 26 | – | Blanca Barrón | MEX | 1:07.9 | ||
| 27 | – | Marie-Laure Gaillot | FRA | 1:08.0 | ||
| 28 | – | María Luisa Souza | MEX | 1:08.4 | ||
| 29 | – | Anneliese Rockenbach | VEN | 1:08.5 | ||
| 30 | – | Dottie Sutcliffe | RHO | 1:09.0 | ||
| 31 | – | Hitomi Jinno | JPN | 1:09.8 | ||
| 32 | – | Rita Pulido | ESP | 1:10.0 |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Ilsa Konrads | AUS | 1:04.2 | ||
| 2 | – | Erica Terpstra | NED | 1:04.4 | ||
| 3 | – | Katalin Boros | HUN | 1:05.2 | ||
| 4 | – | Karin Larsson | SWE | 1:06.3 | ||
| 5 | – | Maria Cristina Pacifici | ITA | 1:07.1 | ||
| 6 | – | Blanca Barrón | MEX | 1:07.9 |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Dawn Fraser | AUS | 1:02.1 | ||
| 2 | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:03.9 | ||
| 3 | – | Inger Thorngren | SWE | 1:06.1 | ||
| 4 | – | Yoshiko Sato | JPN | 1:06.4 | ||
| 5 | – | Nora Novotny | AUT | 1:07.4 | ||
| 6 | – | Ágústa Þorsteinsdóttir | ISL | 1:07.5 |
Heat #3
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Csilla Madarász | HUN | 1:04.5 | ||
| 2 | – | Heidi Pechstein | GER | 1:05.1 | ||
| 3 | – | Diana Wilkinson | GBR | 1:07.5 | ||
| 4 | – | Margaret Iwasaki | CAN | 1:07.6 | ||
| 5 | – | Anneliese Rockenbach | VEN | 1:08.5 | ||
| 6 | – | Hitomi Jinno | JPN | 1:09.8 | ||
| 7 | – | Rita Pulido | ESP | 1:10.0 |
Heat #4
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Chris von Saltza | USA | 1:01.9 | ||
| 2 | – | Ursel Brunner | GER | 1:04.6 | ||
| 3 | – | Héda Frost | FRA | 1:05.8 | ||
| 4 | – | Mary Beth Stewart | CAN | 1:06.0 | ||
| 5 | – | Ulvi Voog | URS | 1:06.7 | ||
| 6 | – | Haydée Coloso | PHI | 1:07.8 | ||
| 7 | – | Dottie Sutcliffe | RHO | 1:09.0 |
Heat #5
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Natalie Steward | GBR | 1:03.5 | ||
| 2 | – | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:04.3 | ||
| 3 | – | Paola Saini | ITA | 1:04.4 | ||
| 4 | – | Marina Shamal | URS | 1:06.4 | ||
| 5 | – | Marie-Laure Gaillot | FRA | 1:08.0 | ||
| 6 | – | María Luisa Souza | MEX | 1:08.4 |
Semi-Finals
| Date | 27 August 1960 — 20:40 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Dawn Fraser | AUS | 1:01.4 | ||
| 2 | – | Chris von Saltza | USA | 1:02.5 | ||
| 3 | – | Natalie Steward | GBR | 1:02.9 | ||
| 4 | – | Csilla Madarász | HUN | 1:03.0 | ||
| 5 | – | Erica Terpstra | NED | 1:03.7 | ||
| 6 | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:03.9 | ||
| =7 | – | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:04.2 | ||
| =7 | – | Mary Beth Stewart | CAN | 1:04.2 | ||
| 9 | – | Ilsa Konrads | AUS | 1:04.7 | ||
| 10 | – | Ursel Brunner | GER | 1:04.8 | ||
| =11 | – | Héda Frost | FRA | 1:05.4 | ||
| =11 | – | Paola Saini | ITA | 1:05.4 | ||
| =13 | – | Inger Thorngren | SWE | 1:05.6 | ||
| =13 | – | Heidi Pechstein | GER | 1:05.6 | ||
| 15 | – | Katalin Boros | HUN | 1:06.2 | ||
| 16 | – | Karin Larsson | SWE | 1:06.5 |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Chris von Saltza | USA | 1:02.5 | ||
| 2 | – | Natalie Steward | GBR | 1:02.9 | ||
| 3 | – | Csilla Madarász | HUN | 1:03.0 | ||
| 4 | – | Ilsa Konrads | AUS | 1:04.7 | ||
| 5 | – | Héda Frost | FRA | 1:05.4 | ||
| 6 | – | Paola Saini | ITA | 1:05.4 | ||
| 7 | – | Inger Thorngren | SWE | 1:05.6 | ||
| 8 | – | Heidi Pechstein | GER | 1:05.6 |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Dawn Fraser | AUS | 1:01.4 | ||
| 2 | – | Erica Terpstra | NED | 1:03.7 | ||
| 3 | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:03.9 | ||
| 4 | – | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:04.2 | ||
| 5 | – | Mary Beth Stewart | CAN | 1:04.2 | ||
| 6 | – | Ursel Brunner | GER | 1:04.8 | ||
| 7 | – | Katalin Boros | HUN | 1:06.2 | ||
| 8 | – | Karin Larsson | SWE | 1:06.5 |
Final Round
| Date | 29 August 1960 — 21:10 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Dawn Fraser | AUS | 1:01.2 | ||
| 2 | – | Chris von Saltza | USA | 1:02.8 | ||
| 3 | – | Natalie Steward | GBR | 1:03.1 | ||
| 4 | – | Carolyn Wood | USA | 1:03.4 | ||
| 5 | – | Csilla Madarász | HUN | 1:03.6 | ||
| 6 | – | Erica Terpstra | NED | 1:04.3 | ||
| 7 | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | NED | 1:04.7 | ||
| 8 | – | Mary Beth Stewart | CAN | 1:05.5 |