# Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle

The men's 400 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which was established in 1908. The competition was held from Tuesday to Thursday, 7 to 9 August 1928.
Twenty-six swimmers from 17 nations competed.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1928 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 4:50.3 | Arne Borg | Stockholm (SWE) | 11 September 1925 |
| Olympic Record | 5:04.2 | Johnny Weissmuller | Paris (FRA) | 18 July 1924 |
In the final Alberto Zorrilla bettered the Olympic record to 5:01.6 minutes.

## Results
### Heats

Tuesday 7 August 1928: The fastest two in each heat and the fastest third-placed from across the heats advanced.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Austin Clapp | United States | 5:13.4 | Q |
| 2 | Nobuo Arai | Japan | 5:23.4 | Q |
| 3 | Friedel Berges | Germany | 5:27.8 | |
| 4 | James Thompson | Canada | Unknown | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Buster Crabbe | United States | 5:09.8 | Q |
| 2 | Hiroshi Yoneyama | Japan | 5:17.8 | Q |
| 3 | Albert Vandeplancke | France | 5:20.0 | q |
| 4 | Géza Szigritz | Hungary | 5:41.0 | |
| 5 | Arthur Watts | Great Britain | Unknown | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Garnet Ault | Canada | 5:18.8 | Q |
| 2 | Herbert Heinrich | Germany | 5:20.0 | Q |
| 3 | Václav Antoš | Czechoslovakia | 5:39.8 | |
| 4 | Taburan Tamse | Philippines | 5:39.8 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Arne Borg | Sweden | 5:09.6 | Q |
| 2 | Ray Ruddy | United States | 5:26.4 | Q |
| 3 | Walter Handschuhmacher | Germany | 5:32.0 | |
| 4 | Rezső Wanié | Hungary | 5:35.2 | |

#### Heat 5

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Katsuo Takaishi | Japan | 5:22.8 | Q |
| 2 | Boy Charlton | Australia | 5:23.0 | Q |
| 3 | Paolo Costoli | Italy | Unknown | |
| 4 | Adán Gordón | Panama | Unknown | |
| 5 | Hernán Téllez | Chile | Unknown | |

#### Heat 6

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Alberto Zorrilla | Argentina | 5:19.2 | Q |
| 2 | Jack Hatfield | Great Britain | 5:32.8 | Q |
| 3 | David Lindsay | New Zealand | 5:38.6 | |
| 4 | Billy Broderick | Ireland | Unknown | |

### Semifinals

Wednesday 8 August 1928: The fastest three in each semi-final advanced to the final.

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Alberto Zorrilla | Argentina | 5:11.4 | Q |
| 2 | Boy Charlton | Australia | 5:13.6 | Q |
| 3 | Ray Ruddy | United States | 5:20.6 | Q |
| 4 | Garnet Ault | Canada | Unknown | |
| 5 | Hiroshi Yoneyama | Japan | Unknown | |
| — | Jack Hatfield | Great Britain | DNS | |
| — | Nobuo Arai | Japan | DNS | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Arne Borg | Sweden | 5:05.4 | Q |
| 2 | Buster Crabbe | United States | 5:06.2 | Q |
| 3 | Austin Clapp | United States | 5:06.8 | Q |
| 4 | Katsuo Takaishi | Japan | Unknown | |
| 5 | Herbert Heinrich | Germany | Unknown | |
| 6 | Albert Vandeplancke | France | Unknown | |

### Final

Friday 10 August 1928:
| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | Alberto Zorrilla | Argentina | 5:01.6 | OR |
| | Boy Charlton | Australia | 5:03.6 | |
| | Arne Borg | Sweden | 5:04.6 | |
| 4 | Buster Crabbe | United States | 5:05.4 | |
| 5 | Austin Clapp | United States | 5:16.0 | |
| 6 | Ray Ruddy | United States | 5:25.0 | |