No clue how to solve it

Answer is C:

1. It says that the mean is 16 , this is not sufficient to conclude anything about the second place.
2. This gives information that the last one took 18 min and the 3 & 4 th are almost the same time.
- insufficient

But now we can combine both of the statement. I would recommend you draw a time line
15---------16--------------18
The above time line is showing the first and the last alsong with the median time.
We notice that first one is 1 min less than mean and last one is 2 min more than mean.

Therefore the difference(gain) is 2 min - 1 min = 1min, which has to be compensated between the other 4 people.

Now I will take a value to test whether having the second one as 15.40 is possible to compensate for the gain.
16-15.40 = 20 sec will be compensated. Still 40 sec needs to be comensated . Even if we take 3 and 4 near to 2
We wont be able to make it possible. Also person 5 cant be on the left hand side of mean as difference between
2 and 5 is 1.21

From the above experiment we conclude that the second person completed race within 15.40 second.


I am sure there would be an easier way to explain this.

Cheers,

thanks a lot!

another possible solution:


15+x+y+(y+1s)+(x+1m21s)+18=96

if we assume silver winner took 15m40s:

15+15m40s+y+(y+1s)+17m1s+18=96

2y=30m18s
y=15m9s so according to this 3rd place finished faster than second, therefore, second place must have finished faster than in 15m40s

that's great explanation! many thanks!