# Swimming at the 1912 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 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of a women's event in Olympic swimming, followed closely by the 4×100 metre free relay. The competition was held from Monday to Friday, 8 to 12 July 1912.
Twenty-seven swimmers from eight nations competed.
Durack also won the gold medal, with compatriot Wylie close behind for silver.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 1:20.6 | Daisy Curwen | Birkenhead (GBR) | 10 June 1912 |
| Olympic Record | | none | | |
Belle Moore, swimming in the first heat, set the first Olympic record with 1 minute 29.8 seconds. In the second heat Daisy Curwen bettered the record with 1 minute 23.6 seconds, and in the fourth heat Fanny Durack set a new world record with 1 minute 19.8 seconds.

## Results
### Quarterfinals

The top two in each heat advanced along with the fastest loser overall.

#### Heat 1

| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Belle Moore (GBR) | 1:29.8 | QS OR |
| 2 | Louise Otto (GER) | 1:34.4 | QS |
| 3 | Klara Milch (AUT) | 1:37.2 | |
| 4 | Greta Johansson (SWE) | 1:41.4 | |
| 5 | Tyyne Järvi (FIN) | 1:42.4 | |
| — | Aagot Norman (NOR) | DNF | |

#### Heat 2

| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Daisy Curwen (GBR) | 1:23.6 | QS OR |
| 2 | Jennie Fletcher (GBR) | 1:26.2 | QS |
| 3 | Berta Zahourek (AUT) | 1:38.6 | |
| 4 | Josefa Kellner (AUT) | 1:41.2 | |
| 5 | Karin Lundgren (SWE) | 1:44.8 | |
| 6 | Sonja Johnsson (SWE) | | |

#### Heat 3

| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Mina Wylie (ANZ) | 1:26.8 | QS |
| 2 | Mary Langford (GBR) | 1:28.0 | QS |
| 3 | Hermine Stindt (GER) | 1:29.2 | |
| 4 | Josephine Sticker (AUT) | 1:31.8 | |
| 5 | Claire Guttenstein (BEL) | | |
| 6 | Elsa Björklund (SWE) | | |

#### Heat 4

| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Fanny Durack (ANZ) | 1:19.8 | QS WR |
| 2 | Irene Steer (GBR) | 1:27.2 | QS |
| 3 | Wally Dressel (GER) | 1:28.6 | qs |
| 4 | Margarete Adler (AUT) | 1:34.4 | |
| 5 | Greta Carlsson (SWE) | | |
| 6 | Regina Kari (FIN) | | |

#### Heat 5

| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Grete Rosenberg (GER) | 1:25.0 | QS |
| 2 | Annie Speirs (GBR) | 1:25.6 | QS |
| 3 | Vera Thulin (SWE) | 1:44.0 | |

### Semifinals

The top two from each heat and the faster of the two third place swimmers advanced.
Semifinal 1
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Fanny Durack (ANZ) | 1:20.2 | QF |
| 2 | Daisy Curwen (GBR) | 1:26.8 | QF |
| 3 | Annie Speirs (GBR) | 1:27.0 | qf |
| 4 | Belle Moore (GBR) | 1:27.4 | |
| 5 | Mary Langford (GBR) | 1:29.2 | |
| 6 | Louise Otto (GER) | 1:32.0 | |
Semifinal 2
| Place | Swimmer | Time | Qual. |
| 1 | Mina Wylie (ANZ) | 1:27.0 | QF |
| 2 | Jennie Fletcher (GBR) | 1:27.2 | QF |
| 3 | Grete Rosenberg (GER) | 1:29.2 | * |
| 4 | Wally Dressel (GER) | 1:33.4 | |
| — | Irene Steer (GBR) | DQ | |
Curwen had to undergo an operation for appendicitis and missed the final. Rosenberg advanced to the final to replace her.

### Final

| Place | Swimmer | Time |
| 1 | Fanny Durack (ANZ) | 1:22.2 |
| 2 | Mina Wylie (ANZ) | 1:25.4 |
| 3 | Jennie Fletcher (GBR) | 1:27.0 |
| 4 | Grete Rosenberg (GER) | 1:27.2 |
| 5 | Annie Speirs (GBR) | 1:27.4 |
| — | Daisy Curwen (GBR) | DNS |