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| Event type

200 metres Butterfly, Men

Date28 August 1972
StatusOlympic
LocationSchwimmhalle, Olympiapark, München
Participants30 from 20 countries

This was the first men’s individual final of the Munich Olympic swimming competition. The overwhelming favorite was Mark Spitz who had announced plans to win seven gold medals in seven events at the 1972 Olympics. Since 1967 he had set eight world records in the event, and was considered unbeatable in this one. After recording the fastest qualifier in the morning Spitz streaked to the wall on the first lap, opening a lead of 1.45 seconds in the first 50 metres over teammate Gary Hall. Hall actually stayed close on the second lap, Spitz reaching the halfway mark in 57.79, and the third lap. But by the final 50 Spitz was too strong and he powered home to win by over two seconds, setting a world record of 2:00.70. Hall was a comfortable silver medal winner, with American Robin Backhaus completing a sweep for the US. One down for Spitz. Six to go. Forty minutes later, Spitz would swim in the final of the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, winning his second gold medal. The game was on.

PosSwimmerNOCR1Final
1Mark SpitzUSA2:02.11 (1 h4)2:00.70 (1)Gold
2Gary HallUSA2:03.70 (1 h1)2:02.86 (2)Silver
3Robin BackhausUSA2:03.11 (1 h2)2:03.23 (3)Bronze
4Jorge DelgadoECU2:05.61 (2 h3)2:04.60 (4)
5Hans FaßnachtFRG2:05.39 (1 h3)2:04.69 (5)
6András HargitayHUN2:05.05 (2 h1)2:04.69 (6)
7Hartmut FlöcknerGDR2:05.54 (2 h4)2:05.34 (7)
8Folkert MeeuwFRG2:06.13 (2 h2)2:05.57 (8)
9John MillsGBR2:06.58 (3 h4)
10Viktor SharyginURS2:06.76 (3 h3)
11Brian BrinkleyGBR2:06.82 (4 h4)
12James FindlayAUS2:08.36 (4 h3)
=13Roger PyttelGDR2:08.72 (3 h1)
=13Yasuhiro KomazakiJPN2:08.72 (3 h2)
15Ron JacksCAN2:09.04 (5 h3)
16Sean MaherGBR2:09.39 (4 h1)
17Hugo ValenciaMEX2:09.56 (4 h2)
18Ricardo MarmolejoMEX2:10.00 (6 h3)
19Jorge JaramilloCOL2:10.24 (5 h1)
20Jacques LeloupBEL2:10.79 (7 h3)
21Walter MackFRG2:11.03 (6 h1)
22Vasil DobrevBUL2:11.28 (7 h1)
23Byron MacDonaldCAN2:12.12 (5 h4)
24Gaetano CarboniITA2:12.16 (6 h4)
25Andrzej ChudzińskiPOL2:12.62 (5 h2)
26Hsu Tung-HsiungTPE2:16.35 (7 h4)
27Geoffrey FerreiraTTO2:19.76 (6 h2)
28Roy ChanSGP2:20.30 (8 h3)
29Carlos BrosasPHI2:23.70 (8 h4)
DQAngelo TozziITA[2:10.82] (DQ h2)
DNSAleksandar PavličevićYUG– (DNS h2)

Round One (28 August 1972 — 10:00)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
1Gary HallUSA2:03.70QOR
2András HargitayHUN2:05.05Q
3Roger PyttelGDR2:08.72
4Sean MaherGBR2:09.39
5Jorge JaramilloCOL2:10.24
6Walter MackFRG2:11.03
7Vasil DobrevBUL2:11.28

Heat Two

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
1Robin BackhausUSA2:03.11QOR
2Folkert MeeuwFRG2:06.13Q
3Yasuhiro KomazakiJPN2:08.72
4Hugo ValenciaMEX2:09.56
5Andrzej ChudzińskiPOL2:12.62
6Geoffrey FerreiraTTO2:19.76
DQAngelo TozziITA[2:10.82]
DNSAleksandar PavličevićYUG

Heat Three

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
1Hans FaßnachtFRG2:05.39Q
2Jorge DelgadoECU2:05.61Q
3Viktor SharyginURS2:06.76
4James FindlayAUS2:08.36
5Ron JacksCAN2:09.04
6Ricardo MarmolejoMEX2:10.00
7Jacques LeloupBEL2:10.79
8Roy ChanSGP2:20.30

Heat Four

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
1Mark SpitzUSA2:02.11QOR
2Hartmut FlöcknerGDR2:05.54Q
3John MillsGBR2:06.58
4Brian BrinkleyGBR2:06.82
5Byron MacDonaldCAN2:12.12
6Gaetano CarboniITA2:12.16
7Hsu Tung-HsiungTPE2:16.35
8Carlos BrosasPHI2:23.70

Final (28 August 1972 — 18:00)

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Mark SpitzUSA2:00.70WR
23Gary HallUSA2:02.86
35Robin BackhausUSA2:03.23
41Jorge DelgadoECU2:04.60
52Hans FaßnachtFRG2:04.69
66András HargitayHUN2:04.69
77Hartmut FlöcknerGDR2:05.34
88Folkert MeeuwFRG2:05.57