The women's 50 metre freestyle event at the 2004 Olympic Games was contested at the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece on August 20 and 21.
Dutch swimmer and world record holder Inge de Bruijn managed to defend her title in this event, outside her record time of 24.58 seconds. The silver medal was awarded to France's Malia Metella, with a time of 24.89 seconds. Australia's Lisbeth Lenton, who finished behind Metella by two hundredths of a second (0.02), took home the bronze at 24.91. This was also the final appearance for de Bruijn at the Olympics, before she retired from her swimming career in 2007.
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
Results
Heats
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Rank !! Heat !! Lane !! Name !! Nationality !! Time !! Notes
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 1 || 10 || 4 ||align=left| Inge de Bruijn ||align=left| || 24.66 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 2 || 9 || 3 ||align=left| Kara Lynn Joyce ||align=left| || 25.06 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 3 || 10 || 3 ||align=left| Malia Metella ||align=left| || 25.21 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 4 || 10 || 2 ||align=left| Sviatlana Khakhlova ||align=left| || 25.24 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| rowspan=2|5 || 8 || 4 ||align=left| Michelle Engelsman ||align=left| || rowspan=2|25.28 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 10 || 5 ||align=left| Marleen Veldhuis ||align=left| || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 7 || 9 || 4 ||align=left| Lisbeth Lenton ||align=left| || 25.31 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 8 || 9 || 2 ||align=left| Alison Sheppard ||align=left| || 25.36 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 9 || 10 || 7 ||align=left| Flávia Cazziolato ||align=left| || 25.40 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 10 || 9 || 5 ||align=left| Therese Alshammar ||align=left| || 25.42 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 11 || 8 || 5 ||align=left| Jenny Thompson ||align=left| || 25.50 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 12 || 8 || 8 ||align=left| Eileen Coparropa ||align=left| || 25.57 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 13 || 8 || 1 ||align=left| Nery Mantey Niangkouara ||align=left| || 25.62 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 14 || 9 || 6 ||align=left| Rebeca Gusmão ||align=left| || 25.64 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 15 || 8 || 7 ||align=left| Dorothea Brandt ||align=left| || 25.67 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 16 || 9 || 1 ||align=left| Cristina Chiuso ||align=left| || 25.68 || Q
|-
| 17 || 8 || 6 ||align=left| Martina Moravcová ||align=left| || 25.69 ||
|-
| 18 || 10 || 6 ||align=left| Sandra Völker ||align=left| || 25.74 ||
|-
| 19 || 9 || 8 ||align=left| Judith Draxler ||align=left| || 25.82 ||
|-
| 20 || 8 || 3 ||align=left| Anna-Karin Kammerling ||align=left| || 25.85 ||
|-
| 21 || 10 || 8 ||align=left| Ana Belén Palomo ||align=left| || 25.92 ||
|-
| 22 || 7 || 6 ||align=left| Jeanette Ottesen ||align=left| || 25.95 ||
|-
| 23 || 8 || 2 ||align=left| Olga Mukomol ||align=left| || 25.96 ||
|-
| 24 || 9 || 7 ||align=left| Hanna-Maria Seppälä ||align=left| || 26.01 ||
|-
| 25 || 7 || 2 ||align=left| Sandra Kazíková ||align=left| || 26.18 ||
|-
| 26 || 7 || 3 ||align=left| Triin Aljand ||align=left| || 26.19 ||
|-
| 27 || 7 || 5 ||align=left| Arlene Semeco ||align=left| || 26.20 ||
|-
| rowspan=2|28 || 7 || 7 ||align=left| Ryu Yoon-ji ||align=left| || rowspan=2|26.26 ||
|-
| 5 || 6 ||align=left| Vanessa García ||align=left| ||
|-
| 30 || 6 || 2 ||align=left| Lara Heinz ||align=left| || 26.35 ||
|-
| 31 || 6 || 5 ||align=left| Ragnheidur Ragnarsdóttir ||align=left| || 26.36 ||
|-
| 32 || 7 || 8 ||align=left| Zhu Yingwen ||align=left| || 26.45 ||
|-
| 33 || 7 || 4 ||align=left| Martha Matsa ||align=left| || 26.46 ||
|-
| 34 || 5 || 5 ||align=left| Alison Fitch ||align=left| || 26.56 ||
|-
| 35 || 6 || 6 ||align=left| Anna Gostomelsky ||align=left| || 26.72 ||
|-
| 36 || 5 || 2 ||align=left| Sara Isaković ||align=left| || 26.81 ||
|-
| 37 || 6 || 3 ||align=left| Florencia Szigeti ||align=left| || 26.84 ||
|-
| 38 || 7 || 1 ||align=left| Sharntelle McLean ||align=left| || 26.86 ||
|-
| 39 || 6 || 1 ||align=left| Yelena Skalinskaya ||align=left| || 27.04 ||
|-
| 40 || 6 || 8 ||align=left| Shikha Tandon ||align=left| || 27.08 ||
|-
| rowspan=2|41 || 6 || 7 ||align=left| Zsuzsanna Csobánki ||align=left| || rowspan=2|27.09 ||
|-
| 5 || 3 ||align=left| Nieh Pin-chieh ||align=left| ||
|-
| 43 || 5 || 1 ||align=left| Miroslava Najdanovski ||align=left| || 27.18 ||
|-
| 44 || 5 || 7 ||align=left| Alia Atkinson ||align=left| || 27.21 ||
|-
| 45 || 5 || 8 ||align=left| Nikia Deveaux ||align=left| || 27.36 ||
|-
| 46 || 4 || 4 ||align=left| Melanie Slowing ||align=left| || 27.44 ||
|-
| 47 || 6 || 4 ||align=left| Yu Ning Elaine Chan ||align=left| || 27.48 ||
|-
| 48 || 4 || 5 ||align=left| Maria Tregubova ||align=left| || 28.40 ||
|-
| 49 || 4 || 3 ||align=left| Roshendra Vrolijk ||align=left| || 28.43 ||
|-
| 50 || 4 || 2 ||align=left| Jakie Wellman ||align=left| || 28.56 ||
|-
| 51 || 4 || 6 ||align=left| Geraldine Arce ||align=left| || 28.73 ||
|-
| 52 || 4 || 7 ||align=left| Menaka de Silva ||align=left| || 28.93 ||
|-
| 53 || 4 || 8 ||align=left| Dohi Éliane Droubry ||align=left| || 29.23 ||
|-
| 54 || 4 || 1 ||align=left| Sade Daal ||align=left| || 29.27 ||
|-
| 55 || 3 || 6 ||align=left| Ermelinda Zamba ||align=left| || 29.34 ||
|-
| 56 || 3 || 7 ||align=left| Aina Andriamanjatoarimanana ||align=left| || 29.35 ||
|-
| 57 || 3 || 5 ||align=left| Eva Donde ||align=left| || 29.47 ||
|-
| 58 || 3 || 4 ||align=left| Diane Etiennette ||align=left| || 30.00 ||
|-
| 59 || 3 || 3 ||align=left| Rubab Raza ||align=left| || 30.10 ||
|-
| 60 || 3 || 1 ||align=left| Rovena Marku ||align=left| || 30.51 ||
|-
| 61 || 1 || 5 ||align=left| Doli Akhter ||align=left| || 30.72 ||
|-
| 62 || 3 || 2 ||align=left| Samar Nassar ||align=left| ||30.83 ||
|-
| rowspan=2|63 || 2 || 4 ||align=left| Sameera Al Bitar ||align=left| || rowspan=2|31.00 ||
|-
| 2 || 5 ||align=left| Ghazal El Jobeili ||align=left| ||
|-
| rowspan=2|65 || 3 || 8 ||align=left| Aminath Rouya Hussain ||align=left| || rowspan=2|31.26 ||
|-
| 2 || 6 ||align=left| Tracy Ann Route ||align=left| ||
|-
| 67 || 2 || 7 ||align=left| Christal Clashing ||align=left| || 31.55 ||
|-
| 68 || 1 || 3 ||align=left| Monika Bakale ||align=left| || 31.61 ||
|-
| 69 || 2 || 3 ||align=left| Han Choi ||align=left| || 31.62 ||
|-
| 70 || 2 || 2 ||align=left| Evelyn Otto ||align=left| || 33.04 ||
|-
| 71 || 2 || 1 ||align=left| Ket Sivan ||align=left| || 34.62 ||
|-
| 72 || 1 || 4 ||align=left| Amira Edrahi ||align=left| || 34.67 ||
|-
| 73 || 2 || 8 ||align=left| Vilayphone Vongphachanh ||align=left| || 36.57 ||
|-
| || 5 || 4 ||align=left| Dominique Diezi ||align=left| || ||
|-
| || 10 || 1 ||align=left| Federica Pellegrini ||align=left| ||| ||
|}
Semifinals
Semifinal 1
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Rank !! Lane !! Name !! Nationality !! Time !! Notes
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 1 || 4 ||align=left| Kara Lynn Joyce ||align=left| || 25.06 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 2 || 2 ||align=left| Therese Alshammar ||align=left| || 25.15 || Q
|-
| 3 || 3 ||align=left| Marleen Veldhuis ||align=left| || 25.27 ||
|-
| 4 || 1 ||align=left| Rebeca Gusmão ||align=left| || 25.31 ||
|-
| 5 || 6 ||align=left| Alison Sheppard ||align=left| || 25.36 ||
|-
| rowspan=2|6 || 7 ||align=left| Eileen Coparropa ||align=left| || rowspan=2|25.37 ||
|-
| 8 ||align=left| Cristina Chiuso ||align=left| ||
|-
| 8 || 5 ||align=left| Sviatlana Khakhlova ||align=left| || 25.47 ||
|}
Semifinal 2
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Rank !! Lane !! Name !! Nationality !! Time !! Notes
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 1 || 4 ||align=left| Inge de Bruijn ||align=left| || 24.56 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 2 || 6 ||align=left| Lisbeth Lenton ||align=left| || 24.90 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 3 || 5 ||align=left| Malia Metella ||align=left| || 24.99 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 4 || 3 ||align=left| Michelle Engelsman ||align=left| || 25.13 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| rowspan=2|5 || 2 ||align=left| Flávia Cazziolato ||align=left| || rowspan=2|25.17 || Q
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
| 7 ||align=left| Jenny Thompson ||align=left| || Q
|-
| 7 || 1 ||align=left| Nery Mantey Niangkouara ||align=left| || 25.27 ||
|-
| 8 || 8 ||align=left| Dorothea Brandt ||align=left| || 25.83 ||
|}
Final
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Rank !! Lane !! Swimmer !! Nation !! Time !! Notes
|-
| || 4 ||align=left| Inge de Bruijn ||align=left| || 24.58 ||
|-
| || 3 ||align=left| Malia Metella ||align=left| || 24.89 ||
|-
| || 5 ||align=left| Lisbeth Lenton ||align=left| || 24.91 ||
|-
| 4 || 7 ||align=left| Therese Alshammar ||align=left| || 24.93 ||
|-
| 5 || 6 ||align=left| Kara Lynn Joyce ||align=left| || 25.00 ||
|-
| 6 || 2 ||align=left| Michelle Engelsman ||align=left| || 25.06 ||
|-
| 7 || 1 ||align=left| Jenny Thompson ||align=left| || 25.11 ||
|-
| 8 || 8 ||align=left| Flávia Cazziolato ||align=left| || 25.20 ||
|}
References
External links
- Official Olympic Report