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| Event type

200 metres Backstroke, Women

Date27 July 1980
StatusOlympic
LocationPlavatelny basseyn, Sportivny kompleks Olimpiysky, Moskva
Participants21 from 13 countries

American Linda Jezek would have been the favorite if the USA was in Moscow. She had won the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the 1978 World Championships, with her winning mark in this event a still-standing world record of 2:11.93 as the Games started. Four days before Rica Reinisch had won gold in the 100 backstroke, and was highly considered, but her personal best as recently as June 1980 was only 2:15.59, far from the top international level. But she led throughout in Moscow, leading the East German women to a medal sweep, and finishing in 2:11.77 to better Jezek’s world record. Bronze medalist Birgit Treiber had won silver in this event at the 1976 Olympics, and had been silver medalist behind Jezek in both backstrokes at the 1978 Worlds.

PosSwimmerNOCR1Final
1Rica ReinischGDR2:13.00 (1 h2)2:11.77 (1)Gold
2Cornelia PolitGDR2:14.81 (1 h3)2:13.75 (2)Silver
3Birgit TreiberGDR2:15.53 (2 h3)2:14.14 (3)Bronze
4Carmen BunaciuROU2:15.88 (2 h2)2:15.20 (4)
5Yolande Van Der StraetenBEL2:16.62 (2 h1)2:15.58 (5)
6Carine VerbauwenBEL2:16.96 (4 h1)2:16.66 (6)
7Lisa ForrestAUS2:15.40 (1 h1)2:16.75 (7)
8Larisa GorchakovaURS2:16.68 (3 h1)2:17.72 (8)
9Jolanda de RoverNED2:17.12 (3 h3)
10Georgina ParkesAUS2:17.78 (3 h2)
11Helen JamesonGBR2:17.84 (4 h2)
12Jane AdmansGBR2:19.20 (5 h1)
13Monique BosgaNED2:19.21 (5 h2)
14Teresa RiveraMEX2:21.51 (4 h3)
15Yelena KruglovaURS2:22.41 (5 h3)
16Manuela CarosiITA2:22.46 (6 h1)
17Michèle RicaudFRA2:22.86 (7 h1)
18Agnieszka CzopekPOL2:23.06 (6 h3)
19Ágnes FodorHUN2:23.56 (7 h3)
20Magdalena BiałasPOL2:26.85 (8 h3)
21Nguyễn Thị Hồng BíchVIE2:52.90 (8 h1)
DNSMaría ParísCRC– (DNS h1)
DNSAndrea KalmanHUN– (DNS h1)
DNSAnnika UvehallSWE– (DNS h1)

Round One (27 July 1980 — 10:00)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Lisa ForrestAUS2:15.40Q
26Yolande Van Der StraetenBEL2:16.62Q
35Larisa GorchakovaURS2:16.68Q
42Carine VerbauwenBEL2:16.96Q
53Jane AdmansGBR2:19.20
61Manuela CarosiITA2:22.46
77Michèle RicaudFRA2:22.86
88Nguyễn Thị Hồng BíchVIE2:52.90
DNS8María ParísCRC
DNS7Andrea KalmanHUN
DNS2Annika UvehallSWE

Heat Two

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
15Rica ReinischGDR2:13.00QOR
24Carmen BunaciuROU2:15.88Q
36Georgina ParkesAUS2:17.78
41Helen JamesonGBR2:17.84
53Monique BosgaNED2:19.21

Heat Three

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
15Cornelia PolitGDR2:14.81Q
24Birgit TreiberGDR2:15.53Q
33Jolanda de RoverNED2:17.12
48Teresa RiveraMEX2:21.51
52Yelena KruglovaURS2:22.41
61Agnieszka CzopekPOL2:23.06
76Ágnes FodorHUN2:23.56
87Magdalena BiałasPOL2:26.85

Final (27 July 1980 — 18:30)

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Rica ReinischGDR2:11.77WR
25Cornelia PolitGDR2:13.75
36Birgit TreiberGDR2:14.14
42Carmen BunaciuROU2:15.20
57Yolande Van Der StraetenBEL2:15.58
68Carine VerbauwenBEL2:16.66
73Lisa ForrestAUS2:16.75
81Larisa GorchakovaURS2:17.72