First-ever tie in Olympic swimming observed from April 15-21

Nancy Hogshead’s historic moment at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles is one for the record books. She, along with fellow American swimmer Carrie Steinseifer, achieved the first-ever tie in Olympic swimming during the women’s 100-meter freestyle event. In a neck-and-neck race, the two swimmers touched the finish line simultaneously in 55.92 seconds, thanks to the electronic timing technology that allowed for precision in determining the outcome.

As a result of their tie, Hogshead and Steinseifer were both awarded a gold medal, making this the first time in Olympic history that two athletes shared the top spot on the podium. Dutch swimmer Anne Marie Verstappen received the bronze medal in this unique race. In accordance with the Olympics’ scoring rules, when athletes tie, they each receive a medal, resulting in a situation where there were two gold medalists but no silver medalist in this particular event.

Since the memorable tie between Hogshead and Steinseifer in 1984, there have been only two other instances of gold-medal ties in Olympic swimming. In 2000, American swimmers Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Ervin shared gold in the 50-meter freestyle at the Sydney Games. Sixteen years later, at the Rio 2016 Olympics, American Simone Manuel and Canadian Penny Oleksiak also achieved a tie and shared the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event. These rare moments of sportsmanship and close competition continue to be celebrated in the world of swimming.