# Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle

The women's 100 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which was established in 1912. The competition was held on Friday and Saturday, 10 and 11 August 1928.
Twenty-four swimmers from eleven nations competed.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1928 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 1:10.0 | Ethel Lackie | Toledo (USA) | 28 January 1926 |
| Olympic Record | 1:12.2 | Mariechen Wehselau | Paris (FRA) | 19 July 1924 |
In the first semi-final Albina Osipowich equaled the Olympic record with 1 minute 12.2 seconds. In the second semi-final Eleanor Garatti improved the record with a time of 1 minute 11.4 seconds. In the final Albina Osipowich again bettered the Olympic record with 1 minute 11.0 seconds.

## Results
### Heats

The fastest two in each heat and the fastest third-placed from across the heats advanced.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Jean McDowell | Great Britain | 1:14.0 | Q |
| 2 | Susan Laird | United States | 1:14.2 | Q |
| 3 | Maria Vierdag | Netherlands | 1:14.4 | q |
| 4 | Reni Erkens | Germany | 1:15.0 | |
| 5 | Rhoda Rennie | South Africa | Unknown | |
| 6 | Claire Horrent | France | Unknown | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Agnete Olsen | Denmark | 1:15.8 | Q |
| 2 | Ena Stockley | New Zealand | 1:16.4 | Q |
| 3 | Zus Engelenberg | South Africa | 1:22.6 | |
| 4 | Edna Davey | Australia | Unknown | |
| 5 | Marguerite Ledoux | France | Unknown | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Eleanor Garatti | United States | 1:14.8 | Q |
| 2 | Iris Tanner | Great Britain | 1:26.4 | Q |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Albina Osipowich | United States | 1:12.4 | Q |
| 2 | Kathleen Miller | New Zealand | 1:17.2 | Q |
| 3 | Margit Sipos | Hungary | 1:18.8 | |

#### Heat 5

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Kathleen Russell | South Africa | 1:15.4 | Q |
| 2 | Sarolta Stieber | Hungary | 1:22.2 | Q |
| 3 | Marguerite Dockrell | Ireland | 1:31.6 | |

#### Heat 6

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Charlotte Lehmann | Germany | 1:15.6 | Q |
| 2 | Joyce Cooper | Great Britain | 1:16.8 | Q |
| 3 | Bonnie Mealing | Australia | 1:20.6 | |
| 4 | Gerda Bredgaard | Denmark | Unknown | |
| 5 | Anne Dupire | France | Unknown | |

### Semifinals

The fastest three in each semi-final advanced.

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Albina Osipowich | United States | 1:12.2 | Q, =OR |
| 2 | Susan Laird | United States | 1:13.8 | Q |
| 3 | Joyce Cooper | Great Britain | 1:14.0 | Q |
| 4 | Iris Tanner | Great Britain | 1:04.8 | |
| 5 | Ena Stockley | New Zealand | Unknown | |
| 6 | Agnete Olsen | Denmark | Unknown | |
| — | Sarolta Stieber | Hungary | DNF | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Eleanor Garatti | United States | 1:11.4 | Q, OR |
| 2 | Jean McDowell | Great Britain | 1:15.6 | Q |
| 3 | Charlotte Lehmann | Germany | 1:15.8 | Q |
| 4 | Kathleen Russell | South Africa | Unknown | |
| 5 | Maria Vierdag | Netherlands | Unknown | |
| 6 | Kathleen Miller | New Zealand | Unknown | |

### Final

Saturday 11 August 1928:
| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | Albina Osipowich | United States | 1:11.0 | OR |
| | Eleanor Garatti | United States | 1:11.4 | |
| | Joyce Cooper | Great Britain | 1:13.6 | |
| 4 | Jean McDowell | Great Britain | 1:13.8 | |
| 5 | Susan Laird | United States | 1:14.6 | |
| 6 | Charlotte Lehmann | Germany | 1:15.2 | |