| | Event type

50 metres Freestyle, Women

Date	26 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	55 from 47 countries

Le Jingyi of China had already won the 100 metres freestyle whilst America’s Amy Van Dyken had scored an upset victory in the 100 metres butterfly. The two women would meet again in the final of the 50 metres but could not count on having things all their own way as the final was a star-studded affair that included all the medalists from the 100 metre freestyle held earlier in the week.

Part of the ultra-competitive Van Dyken’s pre-race routine involved staring at her opponents in an attempt to intimidate them but this did not appear to work on the Chinese woman who went into the lead straight from the gun. For 45 metres Le held on to first place but in the closing metres Van Dyken accelerated past to win her third gold medal of the Games by just three hundredths of a second. Sandra Völker of Germany also won her third medal of the games by winning bronze in this race.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	R1	B Final	Final
1	Amy Van Dyken	USA	25.12 (1 h6)	–	24.87 (1)	Gold
2	Le Jingyi	CHN	25.10 (1 h7)	–	24.90 (2)	Silver
3	Sandra Völker	GER	25.45 (2 h6)	–	25.14 (3)	Bronze
4	Angel Martino	USA	25.47 (1 h5)	–	25.31 (4)
5	Leah Martindale	BAR	25.76 (3 h5)	–	25.49 (5)
6	Linda Olofsson	SWE	25.84 (3 h6)	–	25.63 (6)
7	Shan Ying	CHN	25.71 (2 h5)	–	25.70 (7)
8	Nataliya Meshcheryakova	RUS	25.73 (2 h7)	–	25.88 (8)
9	Marianne Muis	NED	25.93 (4 h6)	25.74 (1)	–
10	Angela Postma	NED	26.00 (4 h7)	25.82 (2)	–
11	Claudia Franco	ESP	26.17 (5 h7)	26.04 (3)	–
12	Sumika Minamoto	JPN	25.89 (3 h7)	26.05 (4)	–
13	Yevgeniya Yermakova	KAZ	25.97 (5 h5)	26.06 (5)	–
14	Simone Osygus	GER	26.00 (5 h6)	26.16 (6)	–
15	Karen Van Wirdum	AUS	25.88 (4 h5)	26.17 (7)	–
16	Laura Petrutytė	LTU	26.13 (1 h4)	26.36 (8)	–
17	Vibeke Lambersøy Johansen	NOR	26.22 (2 h4)	–	–
18	Rania El-Wani	EGY	26.26 (6 h7)	–	–
19	Siobhan Cropper	TTO	26.29 (7 h7)	–	–
=20	Sarah Ryan	AUS	26.34 (6 h5)	–	–
=20	Judith Draxler	AUT	26.34 (3 h4)	–	–
=22	Blanca Cerón	ESP	26.39 (4 h4)	–	–
=22	Sue Rolph	GBR	26.39 (6 h6)	–	–
24	Marianne Kriel	RSA	26.42 (7 h5)	–	–
25	Metka Sparavec	SLO	26.43 (5 h4)	–	–
26	Martine Dessureault	CAN	26.44 (6 h4)	–	–
27	Luminița Dobrescu	ROU	26.47 (7 h6)	–	–
28	Mette Nørskov Nielsen	DEN	26.50 (7 h4)	–	–
=29	Casey Legler	FRA	26.52 (8 h4)	–	–
=29	Laura Nicholls	CAN	26.52 (8 h7)	–	–
31	Dita Želvienė	LTU	26.55 (8 h5)	–	–
32	Dominique Diezi	SUI	26.57 (1 h3)	–	–
33	Eileen Marie Coparropa	PAN	26.67 (2 h3)	–	–
34	Minna Salmela	FIN	26.72 (3 h3)	–	–
35	Alison Fitch	NZL	26.74 (1 h2)	–	–
36	Monica Dahl	NAM	26.76 (4 h3)	–	–
37	Elín Sigurðardóttir	ISL	26.90 (5 h3)	–	–
38	Lin Chien-Ju	TPE	27.00 (8 h6)	–	–
39	Valeria Álvarez	ARG	27.12 (6 h3)	–	–
40	Alena Popchanka	BLR	27.18 (1 h1)	–	–
41	Seo So-Yeong	KOR	27.30 (2 h2)	–	–
42	Gyöngyvér Lakos	HUN	27.34 (3 h2)	–	–
43	Teresa Moodie	ZIM	27.38 (4 h2)	–	–
44	Joscelin Yeo	SGP	27.51 (7 h3)	–	–
45	Duška Radan	SCG	27.62 (5 h2)	–	–
46	Gabrijela Ujčić	CRO	27.63 (6 h2)	–	–
47	Agnese Ozoliņa	LAT	27.65 (7 h2)	–	–
48	Sangeeta Puri	IND	28.02 (2 h1)	–	–
49	Verónica Prono	PAR	28.40 (3 h1)	–	–
50	Gail Rizzo	MLT	28.43 (4 h1)	–	–
51	Akiko Thomson	PHI	28.51 (8 h2)	–	–
52	Võ Trần Trương An	VIE	29.02 (5 h1)	–	–
53	Ingrid Louis	MRI	29.56 (6 h1)	–	–
54	Monika Bakale	CGO	34.43 (7 h1)	–	–
55	Nishma Gurung	NEP	41.45 (8 h1)	–	–
DNS	Tonia Machaira	GRE	– (DNS h3)	–	–

Round One

Date	26 July 1996
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final. Places 9-16 advanced to the B Final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Le Jingyi	CHN	25.10	Q
2	–	Amy Van Dyken	USA	25.12	Q
3	–	Sandra Völker	GER	25.45	Q
4	–	Angel Martino	USA	25.47	Q
5	–	Shan Ying	CHN	25.71	Q
6	–	Nataliya Meshcheryakova	RUS	25.73	Q
7	–	Leah Martindale	BAR	25.76	Q
8	–	Linda Olofsson	SWE	25.84	Q
9	–	Karen Van Wirdum	AUS	25.88	q
10	–	Sumika Minamoto	JPN	25.89	q
11	–	Marianne Muis	NED	25.93	q
12	–	Yevgeniya Yermakova	KAZ	25.97	q
=13	–	Simone Osygus	GER	26.00	q
=13	–	Angela Postma	NED	26.00	q
15	–	Laura Petrutytė	LTU	26.13	q
16	–	Claudia Franco	ESP	26.17	q
17	–	Vibeke Lambersøy Johansen	NOR	26.22
18	–	Rania El-Wani	EGY	26.26
19	–	Siobhan Cropper	TTO	26.29
=20	–	Judith Draxler	AUT	26.34
=20	–	Sarah Ryan	AUS	26.34
=22	–	Blanca Cerón	ESP	26.39
=22	–	Sue Rolph	GBR	26.39
24	–	Marianne Kriel	RSA	26.42
25	–	Metka Sparavec	SLO	26.43
26	–	Martine Dessureault	CAN	26.44
27	–	Luminița Dobrescu	ROU	26.47
28	–	Mette Nørskov Nielsen	DEN	26.50
=29	–	Casey Legler	FRA	26.52
=29	–	Laura Nicholls	CAN	26.52
31	–	Dita Želvienė	LTU	26.55
32	–	Dominique Diezi	SUI	26.57
33	–	Eileen Marie Coparropa	PAN	26.67
34	–	Minna Salmela	FIN	26.72
35	–	Alison Fitch	NZL	26.74
36	–	Monica Dahl	NAM	26.76
37	–	Elín Sigurðardóttir	ISL	26.90
38	–	Lin Chien-Ju	TPE	27.00
39	–	Valeria Álvarez	ARG	27.12
40	–	Alena Popchanka	BLR	27.18
41	–	Seo So-Yeong	KOR	27.30
42	–	Gyöngyvér Lakos	HUN	27.34
43	–	Teresa Moodie	ZIM	27.38
44	–	Joscelin Yeo	SGP	27.51
45	–	Duška Radan	SCG	27.62
46	–	Gabrijela Ujčić	CRO	27.63
47	–	Agnese Ozoliņa	LAT	27.65
48	–	Sangeeta Puri	IND	28.02
49	–	Verónica Prono	PAR	28.40
50	–	Gail Rizzo	MLT	28.43
51	–	Akiko Thomson	PHI	28.51
52	–	Võ Trần Trương An	VIE	29.02
53	–	Ingrid Louis	MRI	29.56
54	–	Monika Bakale	CGO	34.43
55	–	Nishma Gurung	NEP	41.45
DNS	–	Tonia Machaira	GRE	–

Heat #1

Time	11:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Alena Popchanka	BLR	27.18	0.85
2	–	Sangeeta Puri	IND	28.02	0.80
3	–	Verónica Prono	PAR	28.40	0.77
4	–	Gail Rizzo	MLT	28.43	0.80
5	–	Võ Trần Trương An	VIE	29.02	0.78
6	–	Ingrid Louis	MRI	29.56	0.76
7	–	Monika Bakale	CGO	34.43	0.87
8	–	Nishma Gurung	NEP	41.45	1.34

Heat #2

Time	11:06

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Alison Fitch	NZL	26.74	0.80
2	–	Seo So-Yeong	KOR	27.30	0.73
3	–	Gyöngyvér Lakos	HUN	27.34	0.81
4	–	Teresa Moodie	ZIM	27.38	0.75
5	–	Duška Radan	SCG	27.62	0.82
6	–	Gabrijela Ujčić	CRO	27.63	0.75
7	–	Agnese Ozoliņa	LAT	27.65	0.79
8	–	Akiko Thomson	PHI	28.51	0.80

Heat #3

Time	11:12

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Dominique Diezi	SUI	26.57	0.86
2	–	Eileen Marie Coparropa	PAN	26.67	0.85
3	–	Minna Salmela	FIN	26.72	0.79
4	–	Monica Dahl	NAM	26.76	0.85
5	–	Elín Sigurðardóttir	ISL	26.90	0.80
6	–	Valeria Álvarez	ARG	27.12	0.74
7	–	Joscelin Yeo	SGP	27.51	0.82
DNS	–	Tonia Machaira	GRE	–	–

Heat #4

Time	11:18

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Laura Petrutytė	LTU	26.13	0.79	q
2	–	Vibeke Lambersøy Johansen	NOR	26.22	0.70
3	–	Judith Draxler	AUT	26.34	0.79
4	–	Blanca Cerón	ESP	26.39	0.69
5	–	Metka Sparavec	SLO	26.43	0.83
6	–	Martine Dessureault	CAN	26.44	0.75
7	–	Mette Nørskov Nielsen	DEN	26.50	0.76
8	–	Casey Legler	FRA	26.52	0.88

Heat #5

Time	11:24

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Angel Martino	USA	25.47	0.66	Q
2	–	Shan Ying	CHN	25.71	0.86	Q
3	–	Leah Martindale	BAR	25.76	0.81	Q
4	–	Karen Van Wirdum	AUS	25.88	0.75	q
5	–	Yevgeniya Yermakova	KAZ	25.97	0.75	q
6	–	Sarah Ryan	AUS	26.34	0.75
7	–	Marianne Kriel	RSA	26.42	0.74
8	–	Dita Želvienė	LTU	26.55	0.78

Heat #6

Time	11:30

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Amy Van Dyken	USA	25.12	0.72	Q
2	–	Sandra Völker	GER	25.45	0.87	Q
3	–	Linda Olofsson	SWE	25.84	0.80	Q
4	–	Marianne Muis	NED	25.93	0.74	q
5	–	Simone Osygus	GER	26.00	0.78	q
6	–	Sue Rolph	GBR	26.39	0.80
7	–	Luminița Dobrescu	ROU	26.47	0.80
8	–	Lin Chien-Ju	TPE	27.00	0.82

Heat #7

Time	11:36

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Le Jingyi	CHN	25.10	0.81	Q
2	–	Nataliya Meshcheryakova	RUS	25.73	0.83	Q
3	–	Sumika Minamoto	JPN	25.89	0.72	q
4	–	Angela Postma	NED	26.00	0.76	q
5	–	Claudia Franco	ESP	26.17	0.78	q
6	–	Rania El-Wani	EGY	26.26	0.78
7	–	Siobhan Cropper	TTO	26.29	0.85
8	–	Laura Nicholls	CAN	26.52	0.72

B Final

Date	26 July 1996 — 20:10

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Marianne Muis	NED	25.74	0.76
2	–	Angela Postma	NED	25.82	0.80
3	–	Claudia Franco	ESP	26.04	0.77
4	–	Sumika Minamoto	JPN	26.05	0.76
5	–	Yevgeniya Yermakova	KAZ	26.06	0.80
6	–	Simone Osygus	GER	26.16	0.74
7	–	Karen Van Wirdum	AUS	26.17	0.76
8	–	Laura Petrutytė	LTU	26.36	0.81

Final Round

Date	26 July 1996 — 20:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	Reaction Time
1	–	Amy Van Dyken	USA	24.87	0.73
2	–	Le Jingyi	CHN	24.90	0.80
3	–	Sandra Völker	GER	25.14	0.86
4	–	Angel Martino	USA	25.31	0.75
5	–	Leah Martindale	BAR	25.49	0.85
6	–	Linda Olofsson	SWE	25.63	0.89
7	–	Shan Ying	CHN	25.70	1.01
8	–	Nataliya Meshcheryakova	RUS	25.88	0.83