Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay


The men's 4×200 metre freestyle relay was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which had been introduced in 1908. The competition was held on Friday July 12, 1912 and Monday July 15, 1912.
Twenty swimmers from five nations competed.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.
World Record10:53.4 William Foster
Paul Radmilovic
John Derbyshire
Henry Taylor
London July 24, 1908
Olympic Record10:53.4 William Foster
Paul Radmilovic
John Derbyshire
Henry Taylor
London July 24, 1908

All five teams swam in times under the standing world record in the semifinals. The Americans, by virtue of winning the first semifinal, held the new record only until the Australasian team won the second in a better time. The Australasians bettered their own record in the final, making the 4x200 free relay an event in which the Olympic record was broken each heat.

Results

Semifinals

The top two from each heat and the fastest of third place teams advanced. Since there were only five teams that started, this resulted in all five advancing to the finals with no team eliminated by the semifinals.
Semifinal 1
PlaceSwimmersTimeQual.
110:26.4QF WR
210:34.6QF
310:39.4qf

Semifinal 2
PlaceSwimmersTimeQual.
110:14.0QF WR
210:42.2QF

Final

PlaceSwimmersTime
110:11.2 WR
210:20.2
310:28.6
410:37.0
5DNS