| | Event type

200 metres Backstroke, Women

Date	25 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	33 from 28 countries

Even though swimming is a sport where teenagers often prosper it is still a rare champion that can retire before their 21st birthday, having won five Olympic titles. Such a champion was Hungary’s Krisztina Egerszegi and in this, the last individual race of her career, she had the opportunity to take that fifth gold medal and tie the record for the most individual swimming golds.

Two years earlier she had announced plans to retire after the 1994 World Championships but a defeat at the hands of He Cihong reinvigorated her and she decided to continue until the Atlanta Games. There was no chance of revenge over He in Atlanta as the Chinese swimmer failed to make the Olympic team in the event.

Egerszegi’s Olympic finale was arguably her most impressive race as she won by the massive margin of 4.15 seconds – the biggest in the history of the event. Whitney Hedgepeth of the USA won the silver to add to same medal she won in the shorter backstroke event.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	B Final	Final
1	Krisztina Egerszegi	HUN	2:09.18 (1 h5)	–	2:07.83 (1)	Gold
2	Whitney Hedgepeth	USA	2:11.63 (1 h4)	–	2:11.98 (2)	Silver
3	Cathleen Rund	GER	2:13.58 (2 h5)	–	2:12.06 (3)	Bronze
4	Anke Scholz	GER	2:12.73 (2 h4)	–	2:12.90 (4)
5	Miki Nakao	JPN	2:12.92 (3 h4)	–	2:13.57 (5)
6	Anna Simcic	NZL	2:13.74 (3 h5)	–	2:14.04 (6)
7	Lorenza Vigarani	ITA	2:13.58 (2 h3)	–	2:14.56 (7)
8	Nina Zhivanevskaya	RUS	2:13.32 (1 h3)	–	2:14.59 (8)
9	Mai Nakamura	JPN	2:15.05 (5 h5)	2:13.40 (1)	–
10	Beth Botsford	USA	2:14.16 (3 h3)	2:13.48 (2)	–
11	Chen Yan	CHN	2:14.74 (4 h5)	2:14.37 (3)	–
12	Joanne Deakins	GBR	2:15.12 (6 h5)	2:14.50 (4)	–
13	Lee Chang-Ha	KOR	2:14.18 (=4 h3)	2:14.55 (5)	–
14	Cătălina Căşaru	ROU	2:15.92 (4 h4)	2:15.15 (6)	–
15	Hélène Ricardo	FRA	2:14.18 (=4 h3)	2:16.29 (7)	–
16	Marianne Kriel	RSA	2:15.99 (5 h4)	2:18.41 (8)	–
17	Mette Jacobsen	DEN	2:16.68 (6 h4)	–	–
18	Nicole Stevenson	AUS	2:16.71 (7 h4)	–	–
19	Izabela Burczyk	POL	2:16.91 (6 h3)	–	–
20	Julie Howard	CAN	2:17.25 (1 h2)	–	–
21	Kateřina Pivoňková	CZE	2:18.20 (7 h5)	–	–
22	Yseult Gervy	BEL	2:18.69 (8 h4)	–	–
23	Ivette María	ESP	2:18.72 (7 h3)	–	–
24	Lydia Lipscombe	NZL	2:19.54 (8 h5)	–	–
25	Anu Koivisto	FIN	2:19.58 (2 h2)	–	–
26	Petra Chaves	POR	2:20.49 (3 h2)	–	–
27	Maja Grozdanić	SCG	2:20.65 (1 h1)	–	–
28	Wu Yanyan	CHN	2:20.89 (8 h3)	–	–
29	Akiko Thomson	PHI	2:21.36 (4 h2)	–	–
30	Praphalsai Minpraphal	THA	2:21.82 (2 h1)	–	–
31	Aikaterini Klepkou	GRE	2:22.83 (5 h2)	–	–
32	Dijana Kvesić	BIH	2:23.78 (3 h1)	–	–
33	Lin Chi-Chan	TPE	2:24.50 (6 h2)	–	–

Round One (25 July 1996)

Fastest eight advanced to the final. Places 9-16 advanced to the B Final.

Heat One (10:30)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	5	Maja Grozdanić	SCG	32.85 (1) 34.98 (1)	1:07.83 (1) 36.26 (1)	1:44.09 (1) 36.56 (2)	2:20.65
2	4	Praphalsai Minpraphal	THA	33.43 (3) 35.78 (2)	1:09.21 (2) 36.30 (2)	1:45.51 (2) 36.31 (1)	2:21.82
3	3	Dijana Kvesić	BIH	33.39 (2) 35.83 (3)	1:09.22 (3) 37.16 (3)	1:46.38 (3) 37.40 (3)	2:23.78

Heat Two (10:38)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Julie Howard	CAN	32.09 (1) 34.42 (1)	1:06.51 (1) 35.36 (1)	1:41.87 (1) 35.38 (1)	2:17.25
2	2	Anu Koivisto	FIN	32.25 (2) 35.91 (5)	1:08.16 (2) 35.66 (2)	1:43.82 (2) 35.76 (2)	2:19.58
3	6	Petra Chaves	POR	32.90 (4) 35.61 (2)	1:08.51 (4) 36.01 (3)	1:44.52 (3) 35.97 (3)	2:20.49
4	5	Akiko Thomson	PHI	32.96 (5) 35.62 (3)	1:08.58 (5) 36.37 (4)	1:44.95 (4) 36.41 (4)	2:21.36
5	3	Aikaterini Klepkou	GRE	32.53 (3) 35.83 (4)	1:08.36 (3) 36.88 (5)	1:45.24 (5) 37.59 (6)	2:22.83
6	7	Lin Chi-Chan	TPE	34.34 (6) 35.93 (6)	1:10.27 (6) 37.04 (6)	1:47.31 (6) 37.19 (5)	2:24.50

Heat Three (10:46)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	5	Nina Zhivanevskaya	RUS	31.52 (2) 34.22 (5)	1:05.74 (2) 34.04 (2)	1:39.78 (3) 33.54 (2)	2:13.32	Q
2	3	Lorenza Vigarani	ITA	32.19 (5) 33.81 (4)	1:06.00 (5) 34.06 (3)	1:40.06 (4) 33.52 (1)	2:13.58	Q
3	4	Beth Botsford	USA	31.24 (1) 33.80 (3)	1:05.04 (1) 34.47 (5)	1:39.51 (1) 34.65 (6)	2:14.16	q
=4	2	Hélène Ricardo	FRA	32.12 (3) 33.67 (=1)	1:05.79 (3) 33.84 (1)	1:39.63 (2) 34.55 (5)	2:14.18	q
=4	7	Lee Chang-Ha	KOR	32.17 (4) 33.67 (=1)	1:05.84 (4) 34.41 (4)	1:40.25 (5) 33.93 (3)	2:14.18	q
6	1	Izabela Burczyk	POL	33.03 (8) 34.24 (6)	1:07.27 (7) 35.12 (6)	1:42.39 (6) 34.52 (4)	2:16.91
7	8	Ivette María	ESP	32.46 (6) 34.44 (7)	1:06.90 (6) 35.67 (7)	1:42.57 (7) 36.15 (8)	2:18.72
8	6	Wu Yanyan	CHN	32.68 (7) 35.72 (8)	1:08.40 (8) 36.66 (8)	1:45.06 (8) 35.83 (7)	2:20.89

Heat Four (10:54)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	3	Whitney Hedgepeth	USA	31.36 (2) 32.88 (1)	1:04.24 (1) 33.57 (1)	1:37.81 (1) 33.82 (2)	2:11.63	Q
2	6	Anke Scholz	GER	31.82 (5) 33.48 (5)	1:05.30 (4) 33.89 (2)	1:39.19 (3) 33.54 (1)	2:12.73	Q
3	4	Miki Nakao	JPN	31.30 (1) 33.15 (2)	1:04.45 (2) 34.12 (3)	1:38.57 (2) 34.35 (3)	2:12.92	Q
4	7	Cătălina Căşaru	ROU	32.40 (7) 33.32 (3)	1:05.72 (6) 34.47 (4)	1:40.19 (5) 35.73 (6)	2:15.92	q
5	2	Marianne Kriel	RSA	31.74 (3) 33.46 (4)	1:05.20 (3) 34.69 (5)	1:39.89 (4) 36.10 (8)	2:15.99	q
6	1	Mette Jacobsen	DEN	31.77 (4) 33.70 (6)	1:05.47 (5) 35.39 (6)	1:40.86 (6) 35.82 (7)	2:16.68
7	5	Nicole Stevenson	AUS	31.94 (6) 34.11 (8)	1:06.05 (7) 35.45 (7)	1:41.50 (7) 35.21 (4)	2:16.71
8	8	Yseult Gervy	BEL	33.38 (8) 34.08 (7)	1:07.46 (8) 35.61 (8)	1:43.07 (8) 35.62 (5)	2:18.69

Heat Five (11:02)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Krisztina Egerszegi	HUN	30.86 (1) 32.55 (1)	1:03.41 (1) 33.06 (1)	1:36.47 (1) 32.71 (1)	2:09.18	Q
2	5	Cathleen Rund	GER	32.02 (5) 33.65 (5)	1:05.67 (4) 33.86 (2)	1:39.53 (2) 34.05 (3)	2:13.58	Q
3	2	Anna Simcic	NZL	32.33 (7) 33.55 (=2)	1:05.88 (6) 34.13 (3)	1:40.01 (4) 33.73 (2)	2:13.74	Q
4	6	Chen Yan	CHN	31.51 (2) 34.02 (6)	1:05.53 (3) 34.40 (4)	1:39.93 (3) 34.81 (4)	2:14.74	q
5	3	Mai Nakamura	JPN	31.54 (3) 33.64 (4)	1:05.18 (2) 34.85 (6)	1:40.03 (5) 35.02 (6)	2:15.05	q
6	1	Joanne Deakins	GBR	32.21 (6) 33.55 (=2)	1:05.76 (5) 34.50 (5)	1:40.26 (6) 34.86 (5)	2:15.12	q
7	8	Kateřina Pivoňková	CZE	33.32 (8) 34.16 (7)	1:07.48 (8) 35.59 (7)	1:43.07 (8) 35.13 (7)	2:18.20
8	7	Lydia Lipscombe	NZL	31.92 (4) 34.53 (8)	1:06.45 (7) 36.09 (8)	1:42.54 (7) 37.00 (8)	2:19.54

B Final (25 July 1996 — 20:10)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	2	Mai Nakamura	JPN	31.53 (2) 33.57 (3)	1:05.10 (2) 34.25 (1)	1:39.35 (2) 34.05 (4)	2:13.40
2	4	Beth Botsford	USA	31.00 (1) 33.32 (1)	1:04.32 (1) 34.71 (5)	1:39.03 (1) 34.45 (5)	2:13.48
3	6	Chen Yan	CHN	31.55 (3) 33.94 (6)	1:05.49 (3) 35.04 (7)	1:40.53 (5) 33.84 (2)	2:14.37
4	7	Joanne Deakins	GBR	32.33 (6) 33.65 (4)	1:05.98 (5) 34.48 (3)	1:40.46 (4) 34.04 (3)	2:14.50
5	5	Lee Chang-Ha	KOR	32.17 (4) 34.21 (7)	1:06.38 (6) 34.45 (2)	1:40.83 (6) 33.72 (1)	2:14.55
6	1	Cătălina Căşaru	ROU	32.21 (5) 33.50 (2)	1:05.71 (4) 34.54 (4)	1:40.25 (3) 34.90 (7)	2:15.15
7	3	Hélène Ricardo	FRA	32.95 (8) 33.86 (5)	1:06.81 (8) 34.76 (6)	1:41.57 (7) 34.72 (6)	2:16.29
8	8	Marianne Kriel	RSA	32.38 (7) 34.36 (8)	1:06.74 (7) 35.41 (8)	1:42.15 (8) 36.26 (8)	2:18.41

Final (25 July 1996 — 20:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	4	Krisztina Egerszegi	HUN	30.30 (1) 31.79 (1)	1:02.09 (1) 32.82 (1)	1:34.91 (1) 32.92 (1)	2:07.83
2	5	Whitney Hedgepeth	USA	31.21 (3) 33.14 (2)	1:04.35 (3) 33.88 (3)	1:38.23 (2) 33.75 (4)	2:11.98
3	7	Cathleen Rund	GER	32.05 (7) 33.46 (6)	1:05.51 (5) 33.35 (2)	1:38.86 (4) 33.20 (3)	2:12.06
4	3	Anke Scholz	GER	31.87 (5) 33.72 (7)	1:05.59 (6) 34.20 (6)	1:39.79 (6) 33.11 (2)	2:12.90
5	6	Miki Nakao	JPN	31.43 (4) 33.21 (3)	1:04.64 (4) 34.18 (5)	1:38.82 (3) 34.75 (7)	2:13.57
6	8	Anna Simcic	NZL	32.29 (8) 33.45 (5)	1:05.74 (7) 34.14 (4)	1:39.88 (7) 34.16 (5)	2:14.04
7	1	Lorenza Vigarani	ITA	31.96 (6) 33.80 (8)	1:05.76 (8) 34.34 (7)	1:40.10 (8) 34.46 (6)	2:14.56
8	2	Nina Zhivanevskaya	RUS	31.05 (2) 33.23 (4)	1:04.28 (2) 34.79 (8)	1:39.07 (5) 35.52 (8)	2:14.59