| | Event type

200 metres Breaststroke, Men

Date	24 July 1976
Status	Olympic
Location	Piscine olympique, Montréal, Québec
Participants	29 from 19 countries

David Wilkie of Great Britain was the slight favorite in this event, but a close contest was expected with his great rival, American John Hencken. Wilkie was World Champion in the 200 breast in 1973 and 1975 but, four days earlier, Hencken had won the 100 breaststroke, Wilkie placing second.

So far in Montréal, American men had won every gold medal when the final of this event started, and there the streak would end. Hencken swam wonderfully, almost a full second ahead of his world record, finishing in 2:17.26. He led through 100 metres, but Wilkie went ahead by the third lap and shattered the world record with 2:15.11, over two seconds ahead of his rival. The mark would last as the world record for over six years. The Olympic gold medal was the first by a British male since 1908.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	Final
1	143	David Wilkie	GBR	2:18.29 (1 h4)	2:15.11 (1)	Gold
2	422	John Hencken	USA	2:21.23 (1 h3)	2:17.26 (2)	Silver
3	409	Rick Colella	USA	2:21.08 (1 h2)	2:19.20 (3)	Bronze
4	78	Graham Smith	CAN	2:22.24 (1 h1)	2:19.42 (4)
5	424	Charles Keating	USA	2:22.22 (2 h4)	2:20.79 (5)
6	377	Arvydas Juozaitis	URS	2:22.59 (2 h1)	2:21.87 (6)
7	394	Nikolay Pankin	URS	2:22.82 (2 h2)	2:22.21 (7)
8	167	Walter Kusch	FRG	2:22.95 (2 h3)	2:22.36 (8)
9	385	Aigars Kudis	URS	2:23.45 (3 h4)	–
10	310	Ove Wisløff	NOR	2:23.49 (4 h4)	–
11	259	Giorgio Lalle	ITA	2:23.63 (3 h2)	–
12	273	Nobutaka Taguchi	JPN	2:24.12 (3 h3)	–
13	359	Anders Norling	SWE	2:24.61 (3 h1)	–
14	169	Peter Lang	FRG	2:24.96 (4 h1)	–
15	59	Dave Heinbuch	CAN	2:25.29 (4 h3)	–
16	131	David Leigh	GBR	2:25.58 (4 h2)	–
17	–	Steffen Kriechbaum	AUT	2:25.73 (5 h3)	–
18	107	Tuomo Kerola	FIN	2:25.87 (5 h1)	–
19	–	Tateki Shinya	JPN	2:26.16 (5 h2)	–
20	332	Orlando Catinchi	PUR	2:26.27 (5 h4)	–
21	320	Cezary Śmiglak	POL	2:27.41 (6 h4)	–
22	–	Paul Jarvie	AUS	2:30.15 (6 h3)	–
23	290	Gustavo Lozano	MEX	2:31.89 (6 h2)	–
24	447	Zdravko Divjak	YUG	2:34.07 (7 h4)	–
25	–	Julio Abreu	PAR	2:35.22 (6 h1)	–
26	323	Henrique Vicêncio	POR	2:41.97 (7 h3)	–
DQ	40	Sérgio Ribeiro	BRA	– (DQ h1)	–
DQ	333	Carlos Nazario	PUR	– (DQ h2)	–
DQ	136	Paul Naisby	GBR	– (DQ h4)	–
DNS	151	Wolfram Sperling	GDR	– (DNS h1)	–
DNS	222	Albán Vermes	HUN	– (DNS h3)	–

Round One

Date	24 July 1976 — 10:30
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	4	David Wilkie	GBR	2:18.29	QOR
2	4	Rick Colella	USA	2:21.08	QOR
3	4	John Hencken	USA	2:21.23	Q
4	3	Charles Keating	USA	2:22.22	Q
5	4	Graham Smith	CAN	2:22.24	Q
6	5	Arvydas Juozaitis	URS	2:22.59	Q
7	5	Nikolay Pankin	URS	2:22.82	Q
8	6	Walter Kusch	FRG	2:22.95	Q
9	5	Aigars Kudis	URS	2:23.45
10	6	Ove Wisløff	NOR	2:23.49
11	3	Giorgio Lalle	ITA	2:23.63
12	3	Nobutaka Taguchi	JPN	2:24.12
13	6	Anders Norling	SWE	2:24.61
14	7	Peter Lang	FRG	2:24.96
15	2	Dave Heinbuch	CAN	2:25.29
16	6	David Leigh	GBR	2:25.58
17	7	Steffen Kriechbaum	AUT	2:25.73
18	2	Tuomo Kerola	FIN	2:25.87
19	7	Tateki Shinya	JPN	2:26.16
20	1	Orlando Catinchi	PUR	2:26.27
21	7	Cezary Śmiglak	POL	2:27.41
22	1	Paul Jarvie	AUS	2:30.15
23	1	Gustavo Lozano	MEX	2:31.89
24	8	Zdravko Divjak	YUG	2:34.07
25	8	Julio Abreu	PAR	2:35.22
26	8	Henrique Vicêncio	POR	2:41.97
DQ	3	Sérgio Ribeiro	BRA	–
DQ	2	Carlos Nazario	PUR	–
DQ	2	Paul Naisby	GBR	–
DNS	1	Wolfram Sperling	GDR	–
DNS	5	Albán Vermes	HUN	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	50 m	100 m	150 m	50-100 m	100-150 m	150-200 m
1	4	Graham Smith	CAN	2:22.24	32.85 (2)	1:09.42 (1)	1:45.91 (1)	36.57 (1)	36.49 (2)	36.33 (2)	Q
2	5	Arvydas Juozaitis	URS	2:22.59	33.39 (=4)	1:10.23 (3)	1:47.25 (3)	36.84 (2)	37.02 (3)	35.34 (1)	Q
3	6	Anders Norling	SWE	2:24.61	33.39 (=4)	1:10.39 (5)	1:46.77 (2)	37.00 (4)	36.38 (1)	37.84 (4)
4	7	Peter Lang	FRG	2:24.96	32.69 (1)	1:09.95 (2)	1:47.79 (4)	37.26 (5)	37.84 (5)	37.17 (3)
5	2	Tuomo Kerola	FIN	2:25.87	33.38 (3)	1:10.35 (4)	1:47.82 (5)	36.97 (3)	37.47 (4)	38.05 (5)
6	8	Julio Abreu	PAR	2:35.22	35.10 (6)	1:13.70 (6)	1:54.08 (6)	38.60 (6)	40.38 (6)	41.14 (6)
DQ	3	Sérgio Ribeiro	BRA	–	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)
DNS	1	Wolfram Sperling	GDR	–	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	50 m	100 m	150 m	50-100 m	100-150 m	150-200 m
1	4	Rick Colella	USA	2:21.08	33.28 (1)	1:09.75 (1)	1:45.32 (1)	36.47 (3)	35.57 (1)	35.76 (1)	QOR
2	5	Nikolay Pankin	URS	2:22.82	33.69 (5)	1:10.04 (3)	1:46.07 (2)	36.35 (2)	36.03 (2)	36.75 (2)	Q
3	3	Giorgio Lalle	ITA	2:23.63	33.50 (3)	1:09.79 (2)	1:46.44 (3)	36.29 (1)	36.65 (3)	37.19 (3)
4	6	David Leigh	GBR	2:25.58	33.60 (4)	1:10.53 (4)	1:47.65 (4)	36.93 (=4)	37.12 (4)	37.93 (5)
5	7	Tateki Shinya	JPN	2:26.16	34.06 (6)	1:10.99 (5)	1:48.48 (5)	36.93 (=4)	37.49 (5)	37.68 (4)
6	1	Gustavo Lozano	MEX	2:31.89	33.38 (2)	1:11.61 (6)	1:51.46 (6)	38.23 (6)	39.85 (6)	40.43 (6)
DQ	2	Carlos Nazario	PUR	–	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	50 m	100 m	150 m	50-100 m	100-150 m	150-200 m
1	4	John Hencken	USA	2:21.23	31.93 (1)	1:07.33 (1)	1:43.96 (1)	35.40 (1)	36.63 (1)	37.27 (3)	Q
2	6	Walter Kusch	FRG	2:22.95	33.06 (4)	1:09.52 (2)	1:46.66 (2)	36.46 (2)	37.14 (4)	36.29 (1)	Q
3	3	Nobutaka Taguchi	JPN	2:24.12	32.65 (2)	1:09.81 (3)	1:46.86 (3)	37.16 (4)	37.05 (3)	37.26 (2)
4	2	Dave Heinbuch	CAN	2:25.29	33.41 (5)	1:10.04 (4)	1:46.97 (4)	36.63 (3)	36.93 (2)	38.32 (5)
5	7	Steffen Kriechbaum	AUT	2:25.73	32.90 (3)	1:10.21 (5)	1:47.48 (5)	37.31 (5)	37.27 (5)	38.25 (4)
6	1	Paul Jarvie	AUS	2:30.15	33.89 (6)	1:11.37 (6)	1:50.35 (6)	37.48 (6)	38.98 (6)	39.80 (6)
7	8	Henrique Vicêncio	POR	2:41.97	36.24 (7)	1:17.85 (7)	1:59.89 (7)	41.61 (7)	42.04 (7)	42.08 (7)
DNS	5	Albán Vermes	HUN	–	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	50 m	100 m	150 m	50-100 m	100-150 m	150-200 m
1	4	David Wilkie	GBR	2:18.29	31.70 (1)	1:06.88 (1)	1:42.54 (1)	35.18 (1)	35.66 (1)	35.75 (1)	QOR
2	3	Charles Keating	USA	2:22.22	32.52 (3)	1:08.36 (2)	1:44.59 (2)	35.84 (2)	36.23 (2)	37.63 (4)	Q
3	5	Aigars Kudis	URS	2:23.45	32.58 (4)	1:09.31 (4)	1:46.86 (4)	36.73 (4)	37.55 (5)	36.59 (2)
4	6	Ove Wisløff	NOR	2:23.49	32.47 (2)	1:08.72 (3)	1:45.72 (3)	36.25 (3)	37.00 (3)	37.77 (5)
5	1	Orlando Catinchi	PUR	2:26.27	33.70 (6)	1:11.54 (6)	1:48.92 (6)	37.84 (6)	37.38 (4)	37.35 (3)
6	7	Cezary Śmiglak	POL	2:27.41	33.14 (5)	1:10.12 (5)	1:47.96 (5)	36.98 (5)	37.84 (6)	39.45 (6)
7	8	Zdravko Divjak	YUG	2:34.07	36.12 (7)	1:15.57 (7)	1:54.51 (7)	39.45 (7)	38.94 (7)	39.56 (7)
DQ	2	Paul Naisby	GBR	–	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)	– (–)

Final Round

Date	24 July 1976 — 19:30

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	50 m	100 m	150 m	50-100 m	100-150 m	150-200 m
1	4	David Wilkie	GBR	2:15.11	31.24 (1)	1:06.49 (2)	1:40.84 (1)	35.25 (3)	34.35 (1)	34.27 (1)	WR
2	3	John Hencken	USA	2:17.26	31.32 (2)	1:06.09 (1)	1:41.50 (2)	34.77 (1)	35.41 (3)	35.76 (2)
3	5	Rick Colella	USA	2:19.20	32.13 (4)	1:07.44 (4)	1:42.78 (3)	35.31 (4)	35.34 (2)	36.42 (5)
4	2	Graham Smith	CAN	2:19.42	32.00 (3)	1:07.01 (3)	1:42.97 (4)	35.01 (2)	35.96 (5)	36.45 (6)
5	6	Charles Keating	USA	2:20.79	32.32 (5)	1:08.35 (6)	1:44.22 (5)	36.03 (6)	35.87 (4)	36.57 (7)
6	7	Arvydas Juozaitis	URS	2:21.87	32.62 (7)	1:08.89 (7)	1:45.98 (7)	36.27 (8)	37.09 (7)	35.89 (3)
7	1	Nikolay Pankin	URS	2:22.21	32.47 (6)	1:07.83 (5)	1:44.47 (6)	35.36 (5)	36.64 (6)	37.74 (8)
8	8	Walter Kusch	FRG	2:22.36	32.75 (8)	1:09.01 (8)	1:46.27 (8)	36.26 (7)	37.26 (8)	36.09 (4)