| | Event type

200 metres Breaststroke, Women

Date	21 July 1976
Status	Olympic
Location	Piscine olympique, Montréal, Québec
Participants	38 from 21 countries

The Soviet Union has never been a great swimming power, except in the women’s breaststroke. And in Montréal nobody was winning individual events among the women except for swimmers from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), as they won 10 of 11 individual gold medals, and they had two favorites in this event in world record holder Karla Linke and 1975 World Champion Hannelore Anke. But they did not win, nor did they even send a swimmer to the podium. Prior to this event, only the United States (11 times), Australia (1956 100 freestyle), and East Germany (1976 200 butterfly) had ever swept the medals at an Olympic women’s swimming event. But in this event the Soviet Union became the fourth nation on that list, as Marina Koshevaya won gold, and led Maryna Yurchenia and Lyubov Rusanova to the medal stand. Koshevaya was dominant in winning with 2:33.35, over 1½ seconds better than Linke’s world record and nearly three seconds ahead of Yurchenia.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Marina Koshevaya	URS	2:35.14 (1 h1)	2:33.35 (1)	Gold
2	Marina Yurchenya	URS	2:37.92 (1 h2)	2:36.08 (2)	Silver
3	Lyubov Rusanova	URS	2:37.45 (2 h4)	2:36.22 (3)	Bronze
4	Hannelore Anke	GDR	2:37.21 (1 h4)	2:36.49 (4)
5	Karla Linke	GDR	2:37.13 (1 h5)	2:36.97 (5)
6	Carola Nitschke	GDR	2:39.06 (2 h5)	2:38.27 (6)
7	Maggie Kelly	GBR	2:39.01 (1 h3)	2:38.37 (7)
8	Debbie Rudd	GBR	2:38.26 (2 h1)	2:39.01 (8)
9	Joann Baker	CAN	2:39.27 (2 h3)	–
10	Wijda Mazereeuw	NED	2:39.59 (3 h5)	–
11	Lisa Borsholt	CAN	2:39.94 (3 h3)	–
12	Susanne Nielsson	DEN	2:41.09 (2 h2)	–
13	Ann-Sofi Roos	SWE	2:41.38 (3 h2)	–
14	Christine Jarvis	GBR	2:41.61 (4 h2)	–
15	Lauri Siering	USA	2:41.66 (5 h2)	–
16	Marcia Morey	USA	2:41.85 (3 h1)	–
17	Dagmar Rehak	FRG	2:41.98 (3 h4)	–
18	Anna Skolarczyk	POL	2:42.05 (4 h4)	–
19	Gaby Askamp	FRG	2:42.58 (6 h2)	–
20	Judith Hudson	AUS	2:43.88 (5 h4)	–
21	Kazuyo Inaba	JPN	2:44.08 (7 h2)	–
22	Toshiko Haruoka	JPN	2:44.11 (4 h5)	–
23	Melanie MacKay	CAN	2:45.08 (4 h3)	–
24	Anette Fredriksson	SWE	2:45.31 (6 h4)	–
25	Janis Hape	USA	2:45.57 (5 h5)	–
26	Annick de Susini	FRA	2:45.63 (5 h3)	–
27	Karin Deleurand	DEN	2:45.96 (6 h3)	–
28	Chiharu Mori	JPN	2:46.04 (7 h3)	–
29	Colette Crabbe	BEL	2:47.16 (7 h4)	–
30	Véronique Brisy	BEL	2:47.55 (6 h5)	–
31	Cristina Teixeira	BRA	2:47.69 (4 h1)	–
32	Allison Smith	AUS	2:50.11 (5 h1)	–
33	Beatriz Camuñas	MEX	2:50.78 (6 h1)	–
34	Ángela López	PUR	2:52.71 (8 h4)	–
35	Nancy Deaño	PHI	2:53.08 (7 h5)	–
36	Elena Ospitaletche	URU	2:53.60 (8 h3)	–
37	Dacyl Pérez	VEN	2:56.76 (7 h1)	–
38	Patricia Spohn	ARG	2:59.51 (8 h2)	–
DNS	Éva Kiss	HUN	– (DNS h1)	–

Round One (21 July 1976 — 10:30)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Marina Koshevaya	URS	36.74 (2) 39.95 (2)	1:16.69 (2) 39.38 (1)	1:56.07 (1) 39.07 (1)	2:35.14	QOR
2	6	Debbie Rudd	GBR	36.00 (1) 39.86 (1)	1:15.86 (1) 41.07 (2)	1:56.93 (2) 41.33 (2)	2:38.26	Q
3	3	Marcia Morey	USA	38.03 (3) 41.01 (3)	1:19.04 (3) 41.39 (3)	2:00.43 (3) 41.42 (3)	2:41.85
4	7	Cristina Teixeira	BRA	38.17 (4) 42.31 (4)	1:20.48 (4) 43.10 (4)	2:03.58 (4) 44.11 (4)	2:47.69
5	2	Allison Smith	AUS	39.06 (6) 42.76 (5)	1:21.82 (5) 43.79 (5)	2:05.61 (5) 44.50 (6)	2:50.11
6	1	Beatriz Camuñas	MEX	38.88 (5) 43.37 (6)	1:22.25 (6) 44.06 (6)	2:06.31 (6) 44.47 (5)	2:50.78
7	8	Dacyl Pérez	VEN	40.45 (7) 44.41 (7)	1:24.86 (7) 45.96 (7)	2:10.82 (7) 45.94 (7)	2:56.76
DNS	5	Éva Kiss	HUN	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Marina Yurchenya	URS	36.81 (3) 40.48 (1)	1:17.29 (1) 40.48 (1)	1:57.77 (1) 40.15 (1)	2:37.92	Q
2	3	Susanne Nielsson	DEN	36.39 (1) 41.29 (4)	1:17.68 (2) 41.14 (2)	1:58.82 (2) 42.27 (6)	2:41.09
3	6	Ann-Sofi Roos	SWE	37.24 (6) 41.33 (5)	1:18.57 (6) 41.69 (4)	2:00.26 (5) 41.12 (2)	2:41.38
4	2	Christine Jarvis	GBR	36.72 (2) 41.12 (3)	1:17.84 (3) 41.80 (5)	1:59.64 (4) 41.97 (5)	2:41.61
5	5	Lauri Siering	USA	37.27 (7) 40.66 (2)	1:17.93 (4) 41.39 (3)	1:59.32 (3) 42.34 (7)	2:41.66
6	1	Gaby Askamp	FRG	37.10 (5) 41.38 (6)	1:18.48 (5) 42.16 (6)	2:00.64 (6) 41.94 (3)	2:42.58
7	7	Kazuyo Inaba	JPN	37.01 (4) 42.29 (7)	1:19.30 (7) 42.82 (7)	2:02.12 (7) 41.96 (4)	2:44.08
8	8	Patricia Spohn	ARG	39.03 (8) 44.94 (8)	1:23.97 (8) 46.82 (8)	2:10.79 (8) 48.72 (8)	2:59.51

Heat Three

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	5	Maggie Kelly	GBR	35.92 (1) 40.42 (1)	1:16.34 (1) 41.56 (3)	1:57.90 (2) 41.11 (1)	2:39.01	Q
2	4	Joann Baker	CAN	36.23 (2) 40.43 (2)	1:16.66 (2) 41.00 (1)	1:57.66 (1) 41.61 (3)	2:39.27
3	3	Lisa Borsholt	CAN	36.29 (3) 40.80 (3)	1:17.09 (3) 41.43 (2)	1:58.52 (3) 41.42 (2)	2:39.94
4	6	Melanie MacKay	CAN	38.84 (7) 41.83 (5)	1:20.67 (6) 42.07 (4)	2:02.74 (5) 42.34 (5)	2:45.08
5	1	Annick de Susini	FRA	38.76 (6) 42.62 (7)	1:21.38 (7) 42.19 (5)	2:03.57 (7) 42.06 (4)	2:45.63
6	7	Karin Deleurand	DEN	37.73 (4) 41.48 (4)	1:19.21 (4) 42.90 (6)	2:02.11 (4) 43.85 (8)	2:45.96
7	2	Chiharu Mori	JPN	37.99 (5) 42.19 (6)	1:20.18 (5) 43.00 (7)	2:03.18 (6) 42.86 (6)	2:46.04
8	8	Elena Ospitaletche	URU	38.99 (8) 45.16 (8)	1:24.15 (8) 45.92 (8)	2:10.07 (8) 43.53 (7)	2:53.60

Heat Four

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Hannelore Anke	GDR	34.87 (1) 40.70 (2)	1:15.57 (1) 41.18 (2)	1:56.75 (1) 40.46 (1)	2:37.21	Q
2	5	Lyubov Rusanova	URS	36.46 (2) 40.08 (1)	1:16.54 (2) 40.22 (1)	1:56.76 (2) 40.69 (2)	2:37.45	Q
3	3	Dagmar Rehak	FRG	36.87 (3) 41.08 (3)	1:17.95 (3) 41.89 (4)	1:59.84 (3) 42.14 (4)	2:41.98
4	7	Anna Skolarczyk	POL	36.94 (4) 41.15 (4)	1:18.09 (4) 42.00 (5)	2:00.09 (4) 41.96 (3)	2:42.05
5	2	Judith Hudson	AUS	38.32 (6) 41.64 (5)	1:19.96 (6) 41.60 (3)	2:01.56 (5) 42.32 (5)	2:43.88
6	6	Anette Fredriksson	SWE	37.22 (5) 41.78 (6)	1:19.00 (5) 42.79 (7)	2:01.79 (6) 43.52 (7)	2:45.31
7	1	Colette Crabbe	BEL	39.25 (8) 42.42 (7)	1:21.67 (7) 42.75 (6)	2:04.42 (7) 42.74 (6)	2:47.16
8	8	Ángela López	PUR	38.88 (7) 43.33 (8)	1:22.21 (8) 45.25 (8)	2:07.46 (8) 45.25 (8)	2:52.71

Heat Five

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	5	Karla Linke	GDR	36.01 (2) 39.87 (1)	1:15.88 (2) 40.76 (1)	1:56.64 (1) 40.49 (1)	2:37.13	Q
2	4	Carola Nitschke	GDR	35.07 (1) 40.55 (3)	1:15.62 (1) 41.73 (3)	1:57.35 (2) 41.71 (3)	2:39.06	Q
3	3	Wijda Mazereeuw	NED	36.17 (3) 40.44 (2)	1:16.61 (3) 41.46 (2)	1:58.07 (3) 41.52 (2)	2:39.59
4	7	Toshiko Haruoka	JPN	37.90 (5) 41.32 (4)	1:19.22 (4) 42.15 (4)	2:01.37 (4) 42.74 (6)	2:44.11
5	6	Janis Hape	USA	37.81 (4) 42.55 (5)	1:20.36 (5) 42.53 (5)	2:02.89 (5) 42.68 (4)	2:45.57
6	1	Véronique Brisy	BEL	39.53 (7) 42.60 (6)	1:22.13 (7) 42.72 (6)	2:04.85 (6) 42.70 (5)	2:47.55
7	8	Nancy Deaño	PHI	38.93 (6) 42.98 (7)	1:21.91 (6) 44.94 (7)	2:06.85 (7) 46.23 (7)	2:53.08

Final (21 July 1976 — 19:30)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Marina Koshevaya	URS	36.63 (6) 39.79 (4)	1:16.42 (5) 39.09 (1)	1:55.51 (1) 37.84 (1)	2:33.35	WR
2	2	Marina Yurchenya	URS	36.35 (4) 39.47 (1)	1:15.82 (4) 39.87 (2)	1:55.69 (2) 40.39 (4)	2:36.08
3	6	Lyubov Rusanova	URS	36.72 (=7) 39.80 (5)	1:16.52 (6) 39.93 (3)	1:56.45 (5) 39.77 (3)	2:36.22
4	3	Hannelore Anke	GDR	36.72 (=7) 39.81 (6)	1:16.53 (7) 40.73 (6)	1:57.26 (7) 39.23 (2)	2:36.49
5	5	Karla Linke	GDR	36.15 (3) 39.65 (3)	1:15.80 (3) 40.68 (4)	1:56.48 (6) 40.49 (5)	2:36.97
6	8	Carola Nitschke	GDR	34.91 (1) 40.43 (7)	1:15.34 (2) 40.69 (5)	1:56.03 (3) 42.24 (=7)	2:38.27
7	1	Maggie Kelly	GBR	35.36 (2) 39.53 (2)	1:14.89 (1) 41.24 (7)	1:56.13 (4) 42.24 (=7)	2:38.37
8	7	Debbie Rudd	GBR	36.46 (5) 40.47 (8)	1:16.93 (8) 41.52 (8)	1:58.45 (8) 40.56 (6)	2:39.01