| Date | 23 July 1996 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Participants | 42 from 35 countries |
Cheered on by an ecstatic home crowd Amy Van Dyken, a freestyle swimmer who had previously only dabbled with butterfly, produced a major shock when she defeated the favoured swimmers from China and Australia. Van Dyken and Le Jingyi fought a duel throughout the course of the race that was only decided by a hundredth of a second in the American.
Afterwards Le blamed the below par performances of the Chinese on the lack of suitable Chinese food in the Olympic Village. She commented “If we can’t eat, how can we have a good performance?”
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | R1 | B Final | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amy Van Dyken |  USA | 1:00.04 (1 h6) | – | 59.13 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | Liu Limin |  CHN | 1:00.18 (2 h6) | – | 59.14 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | Angel Martino | USA | 59.31 (1 h5) | – | 59.23 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Hitomi Kashima |  JPN | 1:00.85 (1 h4) | – | 1:00.11 (4) | |||
| 5 | Susie O'Neill |  AUS | 1:00.55 (2 h5) | – | 1:00.17 (5) | |||
| 6 | Ayari Aoyama | JPN | 1:00.20 (3 h6) | – | 1:00.18 (6) | |||
| 7 | Cai Huijue | CHN | 1:00.89 (2 h4) | – | 1:00.46 (7) | |||
| 8 | Mette Jacobsen |  DEN | 1:00.91 (3 h4) | – | 1:00.76 (8) | |||
| 9 | Johanna Sjöberg |  SWE | 1:01.01 (3 h5) | 1:00.76 (1) | – | |||
| 10 | Yelena Nazemnova |  RUS | 1:01.54 (5 h5) | 1:00.93 (2) | – | |||
| 11 | Sophia Skou | DEN | 1:01.25 (4 h5) | 1:00.95 (3) | – | |||
| 12 | Julia Voitovitsch |  GER | 1:01.47 (5 h4) | 1:01.14 (4) | – | |||
| 13 | Cécile Jeanson |  FRA | 1:01.58 (6 h4) | 1:01.20 (5) | – | |||
| 14 | Gabrielle Rose |  BRA | 1:01.22 (4 h4) | 1:01.39 (6) | – | |||
| 15 | Sarah Evanetz |  CAN | 1:01.32 (5 h6) | 1:01.44 (7) | – | |||
| 16 | Svetlana Pozdeyeva | RUS | 1:01.29 (4 h6) | 1:01.62 (8) | – | |||
| 17 | Ilaria Tocchini |  ITA | 1:01.83 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 18 | Angela Kennedy | AUS | 1:01.89 (7 h5) | – | – | |||
| 19 | María Peláez |  ESP | 1:01.99 (6 h6) | – | – | |||
| 20 | Nataliya Zolotukhina |  UKR | 1:02.18 (1 h3) | – | – | |||
| 21 | Anna Uryniuk |  POL | 1:02.39 (2 h3) | – | – | |||
| 22 | Marja Pärssinen-Päivinen |  FIN | 1:02.53 (3 h3) | – | – | |||
| 23 | Loredana Zisu |  ROU | 1:02.66 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 24 | Joscelin Yeo |  SGP | 1:02.71 (8 h4) | – | – | |||
| 25 | Jessica Amey | CAN | 1:02.81 (7 h6) | – | – | |||
| 26 | Ana Francisco |  POR | 1:02.98 (1 h2) | – | – | |||
| 27 | Caroline Foot |  GBR | 1:03.04 (8 h5) | – | – | |||
| 28 | Praphalsai Minpraphal |  THA | 1:03.35 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 29 | Eydís Konráðsdóttir |  ISL | 1:03.41 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 30 | Mandy Loots |  RSA | 1:03.53 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 31 | Edit Klocker |  HUN | 1:03.61 (7 h3) | – | – | |||
| 32 | Marion Madine |  IRL | 1:03.80 (8 h3) | – | – | |||
| 33 | Marcela Kubalčíková |  CZE | 1:03.82 (2 h2) | – | – | |||
| 34 | María Pereyra |  ARG | 1:03.98 (1 h1) | – | – | |||
| 35 | Natallia Baranouskaya |  BLR | 1:04.09 (3 h2) | – | – | |||
| 36 | Nida Zuhal |  TUR | 1:04.11 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| 37 | Nataša Meškovska |  MKD | 1:04.25 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 38 | Hsieh Shu-Ting |  TPE | 1:04.39 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 39 | Dita Želvienė |  LTU | 1:04.63 (2 h1) | – | – | |||
| 40 | Marina Karystinou |  GRE | 1:05.05 (7 h2) | – | – | |||
| 41 | Park U-Hui |  KOR | 1:05.36 (3 h1) | – | – | |||
| 42 | Gabrijela Ujčić |  CRO | 1:06.85 (8 h2) | – | – | |||
| Sandra Völker | GER | – (DNS h2) | – | – | ||||
| Monica Dahl |  NAM | – (DNS h1) | – | – |
| Date | 23 July 1996 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. Places 9-16 advanced to the B Final. |
| Time | 11:30 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | María Pereyra | ARG | 1:03.98 | ||
| 2 | 3 | Dita Želvienė | LTU | 1:04.63 | ||
| 3 | 4 | Park U-Hui | KOR | 1:05.36 | ||
| 6 | Monica Dahl | NAM | – |
| Time | 11:38 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Ana Francisco | POR | 1:02.98 | ||
| 2 | 3 | Marcela Kubalčíková | CZE | 1:03.82 | ||
| 3 | 7 | Natallia Baranouskaya | BLR | 1:04.09 | ||
| 4 | 8 | Nida Zuhal | TUR | 1:04.11 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Nataša Meškovska | MKD | 1:04.25 | ||
| 6 | 4 | Hsieh Shu-Ting | TPE | 1:04.39 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Marina Karystinou | GRE | 1:05.05 | ||
| 8 | 6 | Gabrijela Ujčić | CRO | 1:06.85 | ||
| 1 | Sandra Völker | GER | – |
| Time | 11:46 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Nataliya Zolotukhina | UKR | 1:02.18 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Anna Uryniuk | POL | 1:02.39 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Marja Pärssinen-Päivinen | FIN | 1:02.53 | ||
| 4 | 8 | Praphalsai Minpraphal | THA | 1:03.35 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Eydís Konráðsdóttir | ISL | 1:03.41 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Mandy Loots | RSA | 1:03.53 | ||
| 7 | 6 | Edit Klocker | HUN | 1:03.61 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Marion Madine | IRL | 1:03.80 |
| Time | 11:54 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Hitomi Kashima | JPN | 1:00.85 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Cai Huijue | CHN | 1:00.89 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Mette Jacobsen | DEN | 1:00.91 | ||
| 4 | 2 | Gabrielle Rose | BRA | 1:01.22 | ||
| 5 | 7 | Julia Voitovitsch | GER | 1:01.47 | ||
| 6 | 6 | Cécile Jeanson | FRA | 1:01.58 | ||
| 7 | 8 | Loredana Zisu | ROU | 1:02.66 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Joscelin Yeo | SGP | 1:02.71 |
| Time | 12:02 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Angel Martino | USA | 59.31 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Susie O'Neill | AUS | 1:00.55 | ||
| 3 | 2 | Johanna Sjöberg | SWE | 1:01.01 | ||
| 4 | 7 | Sophia Skou | DEN | 1:01.25 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Yelena Nazemnova | RUS | 1:01.54 | ||
| 6 | 6 | Ilaria Tocchini | ITA | 1:01.83 | ||
| 7 | 3 | Angela Kennedy | AUS | 1:01.89 | ||
| 8 | 8 | Caroline Foot | GBR | 1:03.04 |
| Time | 12:10 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Amy Van Dyken | USA | 1:00.04 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Liu Limin | CHN | 1:00.18 | ||
| 3 | 4 | Ayari Aoyama | JPN | 1:00.20 | ||
| 4 | 6 | Svetlana Pozdeyeva | RUS | 1:01.29 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Sarah Evanetz | CAN | 1:01.32 | ||
| 6 | 7 | María Peláez | ESP | 1:01.99 | ||
| 7 | 8 | Jessica Amey | CAN | 1:02.81 |
| Date | 23 July 1996 — 20:40 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Johanna Sjöberg | SWE | 1:00.76 | ||
| 2 | 1 | Yelena Nazemnova | RUS | 1:00.93 | ||
| 3 | 3 | Sophia Skou | DEN | 1:00.95 | ||
| 4 | 7 | Julia Voitovitsch | GER | 1:01.14 | ||
| 5 | 8 | Cécile Jeanson | FRA | 1:01.20 | ||
| 6 | 5 | Gabrielle Rose | BRA | 1:01.39 | ||
| 7 | 2 | Sarah Evanetz | CAN | 1:01.44 | ||
| 8 | 6 | Svetlana Pozdeyeva | RUS | 1:01.62 |
| Date | 23 July 1996 — 20:30 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Amy Van Dyken | USA | 59.13 | ||
| 2 | 3 | Liu Limin | CHN | 59.14 | ||
| 3 | 4 | Angel Martino | USA | 59.23 | ||
| 4 | 7 | Hitomi Kashima | JPN | 1:00.11 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Susie O'Neill | AUS | 1:00.17 | ||
| 6 | 6 | Ayari Aoyama | JPN | 1:00.18 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Cai Huijue | CHN | 1:00.46 | ||
| 8 | 8 | Mette Jacobsen | DEN | 1:00.76 |
