Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle

China's Sun Yang fell short of his attempt to a back-to-back gold in one of the program's long-distance freestyle races due to a strong performance from Australia's Mack Horton. Heading into the final lap with a narrow 0.14-second lead, Horton managed to hold off the fast-charging Sun towards the finish for his first individual gold medal in 3:41.55.{{cite news|first=Luke|last=Pentony|title=Rio 2016: Mack Horton wins Australia's first swimming medal, winning 400-metres freestyle|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-07/rio-2016-mack-horton-wins-400m-freestyle-gold/7698338|publisher=ABC News Australia|date=7 August 2016|access-date=27 August 2016}} Unable to catch his Aussie rival near the wall by 13-hundredths of a second, Sun settled for the silver in 3:41.68. Meanwhile, Gabriele Detti picked up the bronze with a time of 3:43.49 to become Italy's first male Olympic medalist in swimming since 2000.{{cite news|title=Mack Horton Edges Sun Yang for 400 Freestyle Gold in Rio|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/mack-horton-edges-sun-yang-for-400-freestyle-gold-in-rio/|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=6 August 2016|access-date=27 August 2016}}

Conor Dwyer (3:44.01), the fastest swimmer headed into the final, and fellow American Connor Jaeger (3:44.16) finished off the podium in fourth and fifth respectively, separated by a 0.15-second margin.{{cite news|first=Raphielle|last=Johnson|title=Australia's Horton hangs on for 400 meter freestyle gold|url=http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2016/08/06/australias-horton-hangs-on-for-400-meter-freestyle-gold/|publisher=NBC Olympics|date=6 August 2016|access-date=27 August 2016}} Great Britain's James Guy led the pack towards the halfway mark under a world record pace, but faded to sixth in 3:44.68. Horton's teammate David McKeon (3:45.28) and France's Jordan Pothain (3:49.07) rounded out the field.

South Korean swimmer and Beijing 2008 champion Park Tae-hwan, as well as Canada's long distance ace Ryan Cochrane, did not advance to the final, finishing tenth and eleventh in the prelims.{{cite news|title=Conor Dwyer Leads Tight 400 Free Field Into Finals At 2016 Rio Olympic Games|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/conor-dwyer-leads-tight-400-free-field-into-finals-at-2016-rio-olympic-games/|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=6 August 2016|access-date=27 August 2016}}

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

{{World Olympic Record

| world_athlete = {{flagathlete|Paul Biedermann|GER}}

| world_mark = 3:40.07

| world_place = Rome, Italy

| world_date = 26 July 2009

| world_ref = {{cite news|first=Michael|last=Cowley|title=Thorpe's mark tumbles in night of world records|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/thorpes-mark-tumbles-in-night-of-world-records-20091125-jjp9.html|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=27 July 2009|access-date=7 July 2013}}

| olympic_athlete = {{flagIOCathlete|Sun Yang|CHN|2012 Summer}}

| olympic_mark = 3:40.14

| olympic_place = London, Great Britain

| olympic_date = 28 July 2012

| olympic_ref = {{cite news|title=Olympic swimming: China's Sun Yang beats rival Park to gold|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18910464|publisher=BBC Sport|date=28 July 2012|access-date=7 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731003436/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18910464|archive-date=31 July 2012}}

}}

The competition consisted of two rounds: heats and a final. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the heats advanced to the final. Swim-offs were used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round.

The heats began at 1:48{{nbsp}}pm.{{cite web|title=Results of the men's 400 metre freestyle heats at the 2016 Summer Olympics|url=https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWM014900_ResultsSummary_2016_08_06.pdf|publisher=Rio 2016|date=6 August 2016|access-date=7 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807150900/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWM014900_ResultsSummary_2016_08_06.pdf|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

ƒ False start, but allowed to continue at referee's discretion.{{cite news|first=Phil|last=Lutton|title=Teary Miguel Duran Navia gets second Rio chance after false start at Olympics|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-swimming/spaniard-gets-second-chance-after-false-start-looked-to-cost-him-olympic-dream-20160806-gqmqv4.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=7 August 2016|access-date=7 August 2016}}

The final began at 10:30{{nbsp}}pm.{{cite web|title=Results of the men's 400 metre freestyle final at the 2016 Summer Olympics|url=https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWM014101_Results_2016_08_06.pdf|publisher=Rio 2016|date=6 August 2016|access-date=7 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807150902/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWM014101_Results_2016_08_06.pdf|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

File:Rio 2016 Olympics - Swimming 6 August evening session (29097140341).jpg

{{Reflist}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m Freestyle Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics - Men's 400 metre freestyle}}

Men's 00400 metre freestyle

Olympics

Category:Men's events at the 2016 Summer Olympics