100 metres Freestyle, Men

Matt Biondi came to Seoul attempting to equal Mark Spitz’s 1972 effort of winning seven gold medals, but that attempt went awry in his first individual race, the 100 fly, when he finished second. However the 100 free was Biondi’s best race, as he had dominated it since 1985 and held the 10 fastest times in history coming into Seoul. In the final he went out in 23.21, ahead of his world record split of 23.25. He did not finish as strongly as he had at the US Trials when he set the record, but came home in 48.63, the second fastest time ever to win the gold medal.

Behind Biondi, American Chris Jacobs placed second in 49.08, the fastest non-Biondi time in history. In 1986 no one would have expected this as Jacobs was in the throes of cocaine addiction and entered rehab that year. Jacobs had first started doing drugs when he was only 12, but set age-group swim records despite his use. At the University of Texas he became a heavy drug user, and dropped out of school and swimming in his junior year. The Texas coach, Eddie Reese, called his parents and two days later Jacob’s father arrived at his room in Texas to take him home. He told his parents everything, and they then enrolled him at the Fair Oaks Hospital in Summit, a rehabilitation facility. Two years later Chris Jacobs stood on the podium in Seoul, an Olympic medalist.