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| Event type

200 metres Breaststroke, Men

Date21 – 22 October 1968
StatusOlympic
LocationAlberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, Ciudad de México
Participants36 from 23 countries

Australia’s Ian O’Brien had won this event in 1964 in world record time, and that time still stood until April 1968 when Vladimir Kosinsky of the Soviet Union bettered it. O’Brien was in Mexico City but did not qualify for the final. The home country placed their hopes on Felipe Muñoz, who was considered a long-shot to win, but hoped to challenge for a medal. Muñoz had the fastest qualifying time with 2:31.1, followed by the United States’ Brian Job with 2:31.5, far from Kosinsky’s world record of 2:27.4, but altitude made it difficult in all the 200 metres or longer races. Kosinsky led the final at the first turn, trailed by the GDR’s Egon Henninger and Job. Kosinsky kept the lead through 150 metres, but Henninger and Nikolay Pankin moved up close, although Job stayed in second place. Muñoz was in fifth but closing and the Mexican fans started going crazy as he gained on Kosinsky, passing Pankin off the final turn. Muñoz caught Kosinsky at 175 metres and pulled away only in the final metres to win, 2:28.7 to 2:29.2. It was Mexico’s first gold medal of the 1968 Olympics, and their first ever swimming gold medal. Brian Job held on for the bronze medal. Muñoz would return in 1972 and place fifth in the final of the 200 breast.

PosSwimmerNOCR1Final
1Felipe MuñozMEX2:31.1 (1 h5)2:28.7 (1)Gold
2Vladimir KosinskyURS2:31.9 (1 h3)2:29.2 (2)Silver
3Brian JobUSA2:31.5 (1 h4)2:29.9 (3)Bronze
4Nikolay PankinURS2:33.1 (2 h4)2:30.3 (4)
5Yevgeny MikhaylovURS2:32.8 (2 h5)2:32.8 (5)
6Egon HenningerGDR2:34.2 (2 h2)2:33.2 (6)
7Philip LongUSA2:33.1 (1 h2)2:33.6 (7)
8Osamu TsurumineJPN2:33.9 (3 h4)2:34.9 (8)
9Nobutaka TaguchiJPN2:35.5 (2 h3)
10Klaus KatzurGDR2:36.2 (3 h5)
=11Bill MahonyCAN2:36.4 (1 h1)
=11Ladislau KosztaROU2:36.4 (4 h4)
=13Ian O'BrienAUS2:36.8 (2 h1)
=13Theo BolkartFRG2:36.8 (3 h1)
15Ken MertenUSA2:37.0 (3 h3)
16Thomas JohnssonSWE2:38.0 (4 h5)
17Osvaldo BorettoARG2:38.8 (5 h4)
18Thomas AretzFRG2:39.0 (4 h1)
19Stuart RobertsGBR2:39.1 (6 h4)
20Liam BallIRL2:39.8 (4 h3)
21Slavko KurbanovićYUG2:39.9 (7 h4)
22José DuránESP2:40.3 (5 h3)
23Michael GüntherFRG2:40.7 (3 h2)
24Józef KlukowskiPOL2:41.6 (6 h3)
25Alberto ForelliARG2:41.7 (4 h2)
26José Sylvio FioloBRA2:42.1 (5 h1)
27Roger RobertsGBR2:42.2 (5 h2)
=28Gershon ShefaISR2:42.6 (7 h3)
=28Amman JalmaaniPHI2:42.6 (5 h5)
30Nicolas GilliardSUI2:44.0 (6 h1)
31Yohan KendeISR2:44.3 (8 h4)
32Rafael HernándezMEX2:44.8 (7 h1)
33Iván GóminaCOL2:45.0 (6 h5)
34Eduardo MorenoMEX2:46.7 (8 h1)
35Leiknir JónssonISL2:48.8 (6 h2)
36Abel MuñozESA3:02.8 (8 h3)
DNSLeroy GoffPHI– (DNS h1)
DNSEduardo RamosESA– (DNS h5)
DNSMassimo SacchiITA– (DNS h5)

Round One (21 October 1968 — 10:00)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
13Bill MahonyCAN2:36.4
26Ian O'BrienAUS2:36.8
34Theo BolkartFRG2:36.8
45Thomas AretzFRG2:39.0
58José Sylvio FioloBRA2:42.1
61Nicolas GilliardSUI2:44.0
77Rafael HernándezMEX2:44.8
82Eduardo MorenoMEX2:46.7
DNSLeroy GoffPHI

Heat Two

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
15Philip LongUSA2:33.1Q
26Egon HenningerGDR2:34.2Q
33Michael GüntherFRG2:40.7
47Alberto ForelliARG2:41.7
54Roger RobertsGBR2:42.2
62Leiknir JónssonISL2:48.8

Heat Three

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
12Vladimir KosinskyURS2:31.9Q
25Nobutaka TaguchiJPN2:35.5
36Ken MertenUSA2:37.0
48Liam BallIRL2:39.8
51José DuránESP2:40.3
63Józef KlukowskiPOL2:41.6
74Gershon ShefaISR2:42.6
87Abel MuñozESA3:02.8

Heat Four

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
12Brian JobUSA2:31.5Q
24Nikolay PankinURS2:33.1Q
37Osamu TsurumineJPN2:33.9Q
46Ladislau KosztaROU2:36.4
55Osvaldo BorettoARG2:38.8
68Stuart RobertsGBR2:39.1
71Slavko KurbanovićYUG2:39.9
83Yohan KendeISR2:44.3

Heat Five

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
13Felipe MuñozMEX2:31.1Q
22Yevgeny MikhaylovURS2:32.8Q
35Klaus KatzurGDR2:36.2
47Thomas JohnssonSWE2:38.0
56Amman JalmaaniPHI2:42.6
64Iván GóminaCOL2:45.0
DNSEduardo RamosESA
DNSMassimo SacchiITA

Final (22 October 1968 — 17:00)

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Felipe MuñozMEX2:28.7
23Vladimir KosinskyURS2:29.2
35Brian JobUSA2:29.9
47Nikolay PankinURS2:30.3
56Yevgeny MikhaylovURS2:32.8
68Egon HenningerGDR2:33.2
72Philip LongUSA2:33.6
81Osamu TsurumineJPN2:34.9