The men's 1500 metre freestyle event at the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
took place on 22–23 September at the
Sydney International Aquatic Centre
The Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) , formerly Sydney International Aquatic Centre (SIAC), is a swimming pool, swimming venue located in the Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Built in 1994, the SOPAC was a majo ...
in
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
.
Australia's
Grant Hackett
Grant George Hackett OAM (born 9 May 1980) is an Australian swimmer, most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him t ...
denied his teammate and sentimental favourite
Kieren Perkins
Kieren John Perkins, OAM (born 14 August 1973) is a former Australian freestyle swimmer. He specialised in the 1500-metre freestyle and won successive Olympic gold medals in this event in the 1990s. He won his first at the 1992 Olympics which ...
a third straight title in the event. Having suffered badly over the first six days of the Games, Hackett maintained a strong lead from start to finish, and touched the wall first to claim a gold in 14:48.33. Perkins fought off a challenge against his newest rival in the middle of the program's longest race, but ended up only with a silver in 14:53.59, handing the entire medal haul for the host nation with a 1–2 finish. U.S. swimmer
Chris Thompson came up with a spectacular swim to take the bronze in an American record of 14:56.81, holding off a fast-closing
Alexei Filipets
Aleksey Vladimirovich Filipets (russian: Алексей Владимирович Филипец; born 18 August 1978) is a retired Russian swimmer. He specialized in the 1500 m freestyle, in which he won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Aquatics ...
of Russia (14:56.88) by seven hundredths of a second (0.07). For the first time in Olympic history, all three medalists finished the race under a 15-minute barrier.
South Africa's dark horse
Ryk Neethling
Ryk Neethling OIS (born 17 November 1977) is a South African businessman who rose to prominence as the three-times World Champion and four-times World Record Breaking Olympic swimming champion.
He is known as one of the most accomplished swim ...
powered home with a fifth-place effort in a new national record of 15:00.48, while American
Erik Vendt
Erik K. Vendt (born January 9, 1981) is an American former competition swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Vendt won a gold me ...
, who previously set a continental mark from the trials, faded shortly to sixth in a time of 15:08.61.
Ukraine's
Igor Chervynskiy
Ihor Chervynskyy (Ігор Червинський, also spelled Igor Chervynskiy, born 16 December 1981) is a Ukrainian swimmer who competes in the freestyle events. At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships he won a bronze medal in the 800 met ...
(15:08.80) and Germany's
Heiko Hell
Heiko Hell (born 5 May 1980) is a German former swimmer, who specialized in long-distance freestyle events. He is a nine-time German swimming champion in the 400, 800, and 1500 m freestyle (2000–2004), and also a three-time Olympic finalist. He ...
(15:19.87) rounded out the finale.
[
]
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
Results
Heats
[
]
Final
References
External links
Official Olympic Report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's 1500 metre freestyle
F
Men's events at the 2000 Summer Olympics