Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle

Summary

The women's 100 metre freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics was held on 10 and 11 August at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. In a major surprise, Canadian teenager Penny Oleksiak and American Simone Manuel tied for gold, upsetting Australia's favored Campbell sisters, Bronte and Cate. Both swimmers came from behind in the final lap, touching the wall together in an Olympic record time of 52.70. Manuel made history as the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold in swimming.

Oleksiak earned her fourth medal of the Games, making her Canada's most decorated athlete at a single Summer Olympics; she later became the country's all-time leader in career medals by a summer Olympian. Sweden's Sarah Sjöström took bronze in 52.99, finishing just 0.05 seconds ahead of Bronte Campbell in fourth. Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the defending champion, placed fifth in 53.08. World record holder Cate Campbell, who had broken the Olympic record in both the heats and semifinals, dropped to sixth in 53.24.

American Abbey Weitzeil (53.30) and Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen (53.36) finished seventh and eighth. Notable swimmers who did not reach the final included Brazil's Etiene Medeiros, Belarus's Aliaksandra Herasimenia, and Italy's Federica Pellegrini, who withdrew from the preliminaries to focus on the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. At the victory ceremony, medals were presented by IOC member James Tomkins of Australia, and gifts were given by FINA Bureau member Matthew Dunn, also of Australia.

The competition format involved three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The top 16 times from the heats advanced to the semifinals, and the top eight from the semifinals moved on to the final. Swim-offs were used to break ties for advancement.