The Olympic century

Twenty-seven Olympic Games have crowned a men’s 100 m freestyle winner since 1908. Charles Daniels won in 65.6 seconds; Pan Zhanle won in Paris in 46.40. Before 1972 times were kept only to the tenth, so the early points are a little rounded.

The early Games used open water, odd pools and no lane ropes, and 1896 (in the sea) and 1904 (in yards) are left out because they were not the same race. Any chart starts with choices like these.