| | Event type
100 metres Breaststroke, Women
| Date | 1 – 2 September 1972 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Schwimmhalle, Olympiapark, München |
| Participants | 40 from 22 countries |
The favorite was the silver medalist from Mexico City, Halyna Prozumenshchykova, now Stepanova. She won the first semi to make the final, but in the other final American Cathy Carr posted the fastest qualifying time, with an Olympic record 1:15.00. The final was an easy victory for Carr, who took the lead on the first lap and increase her lead throughout, finishing in a world record 1:13.58. Stepanova almost 1½ seconds behind, with Australian Beverley Whitfield, earlier the winner of the 200 breaststroke, taking third.
| Pos | Swimmer | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathy Carr |  USA | 1:16.01 (1 h5) | 1:15.00 (1 h2) | 1:13.58 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | Galina Stepanova |  URS | 1:17.18 (1 h4) | 1:15.89 (1 h1) | 1:14.99 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | Beverley Whitfield |  AUS | 1:17.59 (3 h1) | 1:16.26 (3 h2) | 1:15.73 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss |  HUN | 1:16.52 (2 h5) | 1:16.34 (2 h1) | 1:16.26 (4) | |||
| 5 | Judy Melick | USA | 1:16.75 (1 h2) | 1:16.22 (2 h2) | 1:16.34 (5) | |||
| 6 | Vreni Eberle |  FRG | 1:17.67 (2 h2) | 1:16.76 (4 h1) | 1:17.16 (6) | |||
| 7 | Britt-Marie Smedh |  SWE | 1:17.21 (3 h5) | 1:16.67 (4 h2) | 1:17.19 (7) | |||
| 8 | Dorothy Harrison |  GBR | 1:16.99 (1 h3) | 1:16.53 (3 h1) | 1:17.49 (8) | |||
| 9 | Lyudmila Porubayko | URS | 1:17.14 (1 h1) | 1:16.85 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 10 | Renate Vogel |  GDR | 1:17.33 (2 h1) | 1:16.87 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 11 | Erika Rüegg |  SUI | 1:17.95 (4 h5) | 1:17.50 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 12 | Jeanette Pettersson | SWE | 1:17.83 (2 h4) | 1:17.54 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 13 | Christine Jarvis | GBR | 1:18.27 (2 h3) | 1:17.58 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 14 | Éva Kiss | HUN | 1:18.57 (3 h4) | 1:17.59 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 15 | Tatyana Prudnikova | URS | 1:18.11 (4 h1) | 1:19.37 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 16 | Sylvia Langer | GDR | 1:18.29 (3 h3) | 1:20.03 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 17 | Brigitte Schuchardt | GDR | 1:18.62 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 18 | Sylvia Dockerill |  CAN | 1:18.64 (5 h5) | – | – | |||
| 19 | Marian Stuart | CAN | 1:18.69 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 20 | Alie te Riet |  NED | 1:18.79 (4 h4) | – | – | |||
| =21 | Dagmar Sierck | FRG | 1:18.80 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| =21 | Lynn Vidali | USA | 1:18.80 (3 h2) | – | – | |||
| 23 | Zuzana Marková |  TCH | 1:18.88 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| 24 | Yoko Yamamoto |  JPN | 1:18.94 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 25 | Jaroslava Slavíčková | TCH | 1:19.12 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 26 | Ann O'Connor |  IRL | 1:19.13 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 27 | Diana Harris | GBR | 1:19.19 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 28 | Tineke Hofland | NED | 1:19.38 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 29 | Patricia Siewert | FRG | 1:19.54 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 30 | Judith Hudson | AUS | 1:19.78 (7 h1) | – | – | |||
| 31 | Jane Wright | CAN | 1:20.56 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 32 | Cristina Teixeira |  BRA | 1:20.58 (7 h3) | – | – | |||
| 33 | Béatrice Mottoulle |  BEL | 1:20.79 (7 h5) | – | – | |||
| 34 | Shlomit Nir |  ISR | 1:20.90 (8 h1) | – | – | |||
| 35 | Ana Elena de la Portilla |  MEX | 1:21.61 (8 h5) | – | – | |||
| 36 | Mairi Ioannidou |  GRE | 1:21.70 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 37 | Winnie Nielsen |  DEN | 1:23.00 (7 h2) | – | – | |||
| 38 | Leonor Urueta | MEX | 1:23.21 (8 h2) | – | – | |||
| 39 | Lee Yue-Hwan |  TPE | 1:25.47 (8 h4) | – | – | |||
| 40 | Ani Jane Mugrditchian |  LBN | 1:29.71 (8 h3) | – | – |
Round One (1 September 1972 — 10:25)
Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.
Heat One
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Lyudmila Porubayko | URS | 1:17.14 | |||
| 2 | – | Renate Vogel | GDR | 1:17.33 | |||
| 3 | – | Beverley Whitfield | AUS | 1:17.59 | |||
| 4 | – | Tatyana Prudnikova | URS | 1:18.11 | |||
| 5 | – | Yoko Yamamoto | JPN | 1:18.94 | |||
| 6 | – | Ann O'Connor | IRL | 1:19.13 | |||
| 7 | – | Judith Hudson | AUS | 1:19.78 | |||
| 8 | – | Shlomit Nir | ISR | 1:20.90 |
Heat Two
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Judy Melick | USA | 1:16.75 | |||
| 2 | – | Vreni Eberle | FRG | 1:17.67 | |||
| 3 | – | Lynn Vidali | USA | 1:18.80 | |||
| 4 | – | Zuzana Marková | TCH | 1:18.88 | |||
| 5 | – | Jaroslava Slavíčková | TCH | 1:19.12 | |||
| 6 | – | Diana Harris | GBR | 1:19.19 | |||
| 7 | – | Winnie Nielsen | DEN | 1:23.00 | |||
| 8 | – | Leonor Urueta | MEX | 1:23.21 |
Heat Three
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Dorothy Harrison | GBR | 1:16.99 | |||
| 2 | – | Christine Jarvis | GBR | 1:18.27 | |||
| 3 | – | Sylvia Langer | GDR | 1:18.29 | |||
| 4 | – | Brigitte Schuchardt | GDR | 1:18.62 | |||
| 5 | – | Dagmar Sierck | FRG | 1:18.80 | |||
| 6 | – | Jane Wright | CAN | 1:20.56 | |||
| 7 | – | Cristina Teixeira | BRA | 1:20.58 | |||
| 8 | – | Ani Jane Mugrditchian | LBN | 1:29.71 |
Heat Four
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Galina Stepanova | URS | 1:17.18 | |||
| 2 | – | Jeanette Pettersson | SWE | 1:17.83 | |||
| 3 | – | Éva Kiss | HUN | 1:18.57 | |||
| 4 | – | Alie te Riet | NED | 1:18.79 | |||
| 5 | – | Tineke Hofland | NED | 1:19.38 | |||
| 6 | – | Patricia Siewert | FRG | 1:19.54 | |||
| 7 | – | Mairi Ioannidou | GRE | 1:21.70 | |||
| 8 | – | Lee Yue-Hwan | TPE | 1:25.47 |
Heat Five
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Cathy Carr | USA | 1:16.01 | |||
| 2 | – | Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss | HUN | 1:16.52 | |||
| 3 | – | Britt-Marie Smedh | SWE | 1:17.21 | |||
| 4 | – | Erika Rüegg | SUI | 1:17.95 | |||
| 5 | – | Sylvia Dockerill | CAN | 1:18.64 | |||
| 6 | – | Marian Stuart | CAN | 1:18.69 | |||
| 7 | – | Béatrice Mottoulle | BEL | 1:20.79 | |||
| 8 | – | Ana Elena de la Portilla | MEX | 1:21.61 |
Semi-Finals (1 September 1972 — 18:10)
Top three in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.
Heat One
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Galina Stepanova | URS | 1:15.89 | |||
| 2 | – | Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss | HUN | 1:16.34 | |||
| 3 | – | Dorothy Harrison | GBR | 1:16.53 | |||
| 4 | – | Vreni Eberle | FRG | 1:16.76 | |||
| 5 | – | Renate Vogel | GDR | 1:16.87 | |||
| 6 | – | Erika Rüegg | SUI | 1:17.50 | |||
| 7 | – | Christine Jarvis | GBR | 1:17.58 | |||
| 8 | – | Éva Kiss | HUN | 1:17.59 |
Heat Two
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Cathy Carr | USA | 1:15.00 | |||
| 2 | – | Judy Melick | USA | 1:16.22 | |||
| 3 | – | Beverley Whitfield | AUS | 1:16.26 | |||
| 4 | – | Britt-Marie Smedh | SWE | 1:16.67 | |||
| 5 | – | Lyudmila Porubayko | URS | 1:16.85 | |||
| 6 | – | Jeanette Pettersson | SWE | 1:17.54 | |||
| 7 | – | Tatyana Prudnikova | URS | 1:19.37 | |||
| 8 | – | Sylvia Langer | GDR | 1:20.03 |
Final (2 September 1972 — 19:10)
| Pos | Lane | Swimmer | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Cathy Carr | USA | 1:13.58 | |||
| 2 | 5 | Galina Stepanova | URS | 1:14.99 | |||
| 3 | 6 | Beverley Whitfield | AUS | 1:15.73 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss | HUN | 1:16.26 | |||
| 5 | 3 | Judy Melick | USA | 1:16.34 | |||
| 6 | 8 | Vreni Eberle | FRG | 1:17.16 | |||
| 7 | 1 | Britt-Marie Smedh | SWE | 1:17.19 | |||
| 8 | 7 | Dorothy Harrison | GBR | 1:17.49 |