| | Event type

100 metres Backstroke, Women

Date	22 – 23 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, Ciudad de México
Participants	40 from 23 countries

The favorite was Canada’s Elaine Tanner, the 1967 Pan American Games champion who had set two world records in the event in 1967. But missing was the current world record holder, Karen Muir of South Africa, who could not compete because her nation was banned from the Olympics because of its policy of apartheid in sport (and elsewhere), and would remain banned until 1992. America’s Kaye Hall, second at the 1967 Pan Ams, was expected to contend and medal. In the semi-finals Tanner bested Hall and posted the fastest qualifier. In the final, Hall made the turn first in 30.9, with Tanner on her shoulder, and America’s Jane Swagerty in third. And that is how they would finish, as Tanner could not catch Hall, who won an upset gold medal.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	15384	Kaye Hall	USA	1:09.8 (1 h6)	1:08.2 (2 h2)	1:06.2 (1)	Gold
2	13885	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:07.6 (1 h3)	1:07.4 (1 h2)	1:06.7 (2)	Silver
3	15397	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:10.2 (2 h2)	1:08.6 (3 h2)	1:08.1 (3)	Bronze
4	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:10.5 (1 h4)	1:09.6 (2 h1)	1:08.3 (4)
5	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:11.3 (3 h2)	1:09.9 (5 h2)	1:09.1 (5)
6	13069	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.4 (2 h3)	1:09.0 (1 h1)	1:09.1 (6)
7	16245	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:10.4 (1 h5)	1:09.0 (4 h2)	1:09.3 (7)
8	19366	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.2 (2 h1)	1:10.1 (3 h1)	1:10.6 (8)
9	18159	Yukiko Goushi	JPN	1:10.2 (1 h1)	1:10.2 (4 h1)	–
10	16244	Bénédicte Duprez	FRA	1:11.6 (3 h5)	1:10.6 (5 h1)	–
11	17075	Cobie Buter	NED	1:10.0 (2 h6)	1:10.7 (6 h2)	–
=12	–	Kiki Caron	FRA	1:10.5 (3 h1)	1:10.8 (7 h2)	–
=12	21689	Zdenka Gašparac	YUG	1:09.9 (1 h2)	1:10.8 (6 h1)	–
=14	–	María Corominas	ESP	1:10.7 (3 h3)	1:11.0 (7 h1)	–
=14	21067	Tina Lek'veishvili	URS	1:11.3 (2 h5)	1:11.0 (8 h1)	–
16	16008	Ulla Patrikka	FIN	1:11.6 (4 h3)	1:12.1 (8 h2)	–
17	21055	Tatyana Savelyeva	URS	1:11.7 (2 h4)	–	–
=18	13103	Yvette Hafner	AUT	1:11.8 (4 h2)	–	–
=18	20080	Anca Andreiu	ROU	1:11.8 (3 h4)	–	–
=20	17382	Mária Balla-Lantos	HUN	1:11.9 (3 h6)	–	–
=20	17073	Coby Sikkens	NED	1:11.9 (4 h6)	–	–
22	16694	Wendy Burrell	GBR	1:12.0 (5 h6)	–	–
23	13067	Dianna Rickard	AUS	1:12.4 (4 h4)	–	–
24	17074	Bep Weeteling	NED	1:12.5 (4 h1)	–	–
25	12334	Angelika Kraus	FRG	1:12.6 (5 h3)	–	–
=26	13883	Anne Walton	CAN	1:13.0 (5 h4)	–	–
=26	16685	Jackie Brown	GBR	1:13.0 (5 h1)	–	–
28	18213	Patricia Sentous	ARG	1:13.5 (4 h5)	–	–
29	12810	Adriana Comolli	ARG	1:13.8 (5 h2)	–	–
30	12337	Doris Meister	FRG	1:14.1 (6 h2)	–	–
31	18778	Lidia Ramírez	MEX	1:14.5 (6 h1)	–	–
32	19364	Pru Chapman	NZL	1:15.2 (5 h5)	–	–
33	13288	Francine Dauven	BEL	1:15.3 (6 h6)	–	–
34	12851	María Procopio	ARG	1:15.9 (6 h4)	–	–
35	17378	Judit Bárányi	HUN	1:16.0 (7 h6)	–	–
36	21523	Felicia Ospitaletche	URU	1:17.7 (6 h3)	–	–
37	14926	Carmen Ferracuti	ESA	1:17.8 (6 h5)	–	–
38	21574	Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Lien	VNM	1:19.2 (7 h3)	–	–
39	14929	Rosa Hasbún	ESA	1:20.5 (7 h2)	–	–
40	23710	Shen Bao-Ni	TPE	1:21.5 (7 h4)	–	–
DNS	15889	Hedy García	PHI	– (DNS h1)	–	–

Round One

Date	22 October 1968 — 10:00
Format	Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:07.6	QOR
2	–	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.4	Q
3	–	Kaye Hall	USA	1:09.8	Q
4	–	Zdenka Gašparac	YUG	1:09.9	Q
5	–	Cobie Buter	NED	1:10.0	Q
=6	–	Yukiko Goushi	JPN	1:10.2	Q
=6	–	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.2	Q
=6	–	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:10.2	Q
9	–	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:10.4	Q
=10	–	Kiki Caron	FRA	1:10.5	Q
=10	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:10.5	Q
12	–	María Corominas	ESP	1:10.7	Q
=13	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:11.3	Q
=13	–	Tina Lek'veishvili	URS	1:11.3	Q
=15	–	Ulla Patrikka	FIN	1:11.6	Q
=15	–	Bénédicte Duprez	FRA	1:11.6	Q
17	–	Tatyana Savelyeva	URS	1:11.7
=18	–	Yvette Hafner	AUT	1:11.8
=18	–	Anca Andreiu	ROU	1:11.8
=20	–	Mária Balla-Lantos	HUN	1:11.9
=20	–	Coby Sikkens	NED	1:11.9
22	–	Wendy Burrell	GBR	1:12.0
23	–	Dianna Rickard	AUS	1:12.4
24	–	Bep Weeteling	NED	1:12.5
25	–	Angelika Kraus	FRG	1:12.6
=26	–	Jackie Brown	GBR	1:13.0
=26	–	Anne Walton	CAN	1:13.0
28	–	Patricia Sentous	ARG	1:13.5
29	–	Adriana Comolli	ARG	1:13.8
30	–	Doris Meister	FRG	1:14.1
31	–	Lidia Ramírez	MEX	1:14.5
32	–	Pru Chapman	NZL	1:15.2
33	–	Francine Dauven	BEL	1:15.3
34	–	María Procopio	ARG	1:15.9
35	–	Judit Bárányi	HUN	1:16.0
36	–	Felicia Ospitaletche	URU	1:17.7
37	–	Carmen Ferracuti	ESA	1:17.8
38	–	Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Lien	VNM	1:19.2
39	–	Rosa Hasbún	ESA	1:20.5
40	–	Shen Bao-Ni	TPE	1:21.5
DNS	–	Hedy García	PHI	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Yukiko Goushi	JPN	1:10.2	Q
2	–	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.2	Q
3	–	Kiki Caron	FRA	1:10.5	Q
4	–	Bep Weeteling	NED	1:12.5
5	–	Jackie Brown	GBR	1:13.0
6	–	Lidia Ramírez	MEX	1:14.5
DNS	–	Hedy García	PHI	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Zdenka Gašparac	YUG	1:09.9	Q
2	–	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:10.2	Q
3	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:11.3	Q
4	–	Yvette Hafner	AUT	1:11.8
5	–	Adriana Comolli	ARG	1:13.8
6	–	Doris Meister	FRG	1:14.1
7	–	Rosa Hasbún	ESA	1:20.5

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:07.6	QOR
2	–	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.4	Q
3	–	María Corominas	ESP	1:10.7	Q
4	–	Ulla Patrikka	FIN	1:11.6	Q
5	–	Angelika Kraus	FRG	1:12.6
6	–	Felicia Ospitaletche	URU	1:17.7
7	–	Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Lien	VNM	1:19.2

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:10.5	Q
2	–	Tatyana Savelyeva	URS	1:11.7
3	–	Anca Andreiu	ROU	1:11.8
4	–	Dianna Rickard	AUS	1:12.4
5	–	Anne Walton	CAN	1:13.0
6	–	María Procopio	ARG	1:15.9
7	–	Shen Bao-Ni	TPE	1:21.5

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:10.4	Q
2	–	Tina Lek'veishvili	URS	1:11.3	Q
3	–	Bénédicte Duprez	FRA	1:11.6	Q
4	–	Patricia Sentous	ARG	1:13.5
5	–	Pru Chapman	NZL	1:15.2
6	–	Carmen Ferracuti	ESA	1:17.8

Heat #6

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Kaye Hall	USA	1:09.8	Q
2	–	Cobie Buter	NED	1:10.0	Q
3	–	Mária Balla-Lantos	HUN	1:11.9
4	–	Coby Sikkens	NED	1:11.9
5	–	Wendy Burrell	GBR	1:12.0
6	–	Francine Dauven	BEL	1:15.3
7	–	Judit Bárányi	HUN	1:16.0

Semi-Finals

Date	22 October 1968 — 17:00
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:07.4	QOR
2	–	Kaye Hall	USA	1:08.2	Q
3	–	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:08.6	Q
=4	–	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.0	Q
=4	–	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:09.0	Q
6	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:09.6	Q
7	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:09.9	Q
8	–	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.1	Q
9	–	Yukiko Goushi	JPN	1:10.2
10	–	Bénédicte Duprez	FRA	1:10.6
11	–	Cobie Buter	NED	1:10.7
=12	–	Zdenka Gašparac	YUG	1:10.8
=12	–	Kiki Caron	FRA	1:10.8
=14	–	María Corominas	ESP	1:11.0
=14	–	Tina Lek'veishvili	URS	1:11.0
16	–	Ulla Patrikka	FIN	1:12.1

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.0	Q
2	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:09.6	Q
3	–	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.1	Q
4	–	Yukiko Goushi	JPN	1:10.2
5	–	Bénédicte Duprez	FRA	1:10.6
6	–	Zdenka Gašparac	YUG	1:10.8
7	–	María Corominas	ESP	1:11.0
8	–	Tina Lek'veishvili	URS	1:11.0

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:07.4	QOR
2	–	Kaye Hall	USA	1:08.2	Q
3	–	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:08.6	Q
4	–	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:09.0	Q
5	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:09.9	Q
6	–	Cobie Buter	NED	1:10.7
7	–	Kiki Caron	FRA	1:10.8
8	–	Ulla Patrikka	FIN	1:12.1

Final Round

Date	23 October 1968 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Kaye Hall	USA	1:06.2	WR
2	–	Elaine Tanner	CAN	1:06.7
3	–	Jane Swagerty	USA	1:08.1
4	–	Kendis Moore	USA	1:08.3
5	–	Andrea Gyarmati	HUN	1:09.1
6	–	Lynne Watson	AUS	1:09.1
7	–	Sylvie Canet	FRA	1:09.3
8	–	Glenda Stirling	NZL	1:10.6