The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles marked a historic moment for Nancy Hogshead and fellow American swimmer Carrie Steinseifer. In the women’s 100-meter freestyle event, the two swimmers achieved the first-ever tie in Olympic swimming history. They finished neck-and-neck, with electronic timing technology allowing for precise determination of the outcome.
As a result of their tie, Hogshead and Steinseifer were both awarded gold medals, making it 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. According to Olympics’ scoring rules, when athletes tie, they each receive a medal.
Since then, there have been only two other instances of gold-medal ties in Olympic swimming – in 2000 Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Ervin shared gold in 50-meter freestyle at Sydney Games and in 2016 Simone Manuel and Canadian Penny Oleksiak tied for gold in 100-meter freestyle at Rio de Janeiro Olympics. These rare moments of sportsmanship and close competition continue to be celebrated among swimming enthusiasts worldwide.
