| | Event type
200 metres Breaststroke, Women
| Date | 26 – 29 July 1952 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Helsingin Uimastadion, Helsinki |
| Participants | 34 from 19 countries |
World record holder Éva Novák headed a trio of Hungarians who would contend for Olympic glory. Novák and Éva Székely had been third and fourth respectively in London but were favoured to improve their finishing positions in Helsinki. All three Hungarians record times under the existing Olympic record in the preliminaries as did the Scottish swimmer, Elenor Gordon but the reigning European champion, Raymonda Vergauwen of Belguim, missed a place in the final. The final was a battle of contrasting styles; Székely was a butterfly swimmer whilst Novák favoured the orthodox breaststroke. It was the butterfly technique that won out, as Székely finished well ahead of Novák with a Hungarian sweep of the medals only thwarted by the finishing effort of Elenor Gordon, Gordon spotted her finish better than Klára Killermann. In sixth place was the Ukrainian Mariya Havrysh, the only Soviet swimming finalist of the 1952 Games.
Éva Székely later married triple gold medal winning water polo player Dezső Gyarmati. Their daughter Andrea Gyarmati herself won a brace of swimming medals at the 1972 Olympics and married Mihály Hesz, an Olympic canoeing champion.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 584 | Éva Székely |  HUN | 2:55.1 (1 h4) | 2:54.0 (1 h2) | 2:51.7 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 583 | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:54.0 (1 h1) | 2:55.8 (1 h1) | 2:54.4 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 217 | Elenor Gordon |  GBR | 2:58.6 (1 h3) | 2:57.8 (2 h2) | 2:57.6 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 585 | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:59.1 (2 h3) | 2:56.5 (2 h1) | 2:57.6 (4) | |||
| 5 | 551 | Jytte Hansen |  DEN | 2:57.7 (1 h5) | 2:59.5 (4 h1) | 2:57.8 (5) | |||
| 6 | 392 | Mariya Gavrish |  URS | 3:01.6 (4 h5) | 2:58.6 (3 h1) | 2:58.9 (6) | |||
| 7 | 484 | Ulla-Britt Eklund |  SWE | 3:01.2 (3 h5) | 2:59.6 (4 h2) | 3:01.8 (7) | |||
| 8 | 164 | Nel Garritsen |  NED | 2:59.4 (2 h5) | 2:59.5 (3 h2) | 3:02.1 (8) | |||
| 9 | 163 | Lies Bonnier | NED | 3:00.6 (1 h2) | 3:00.3 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 10 | 165 | Rika Bruins | NED | 3:04.7 (3 h1) | 3:02.4 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 11 | 57 | Raymonda Vergauwen |  BEL | 3:02.8 (2 h4) | 3:02.6 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 12 | 219 | Jean Wrigley | GBR | 3:04.5 (3 h4) | 3:03.2 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 13 | 510 | Ursula Happe |  GER | 3:02.7 (2 h1) | 3:03.8 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 14 | 293 | Kazuko Sakamoto |  JPN | 3:02.7 (3 h3) | 3:04.2 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 15 | – | Nancy Lyons |  AUS | 3:04.4 (2 h2) | 3:05.6 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 16 | 530 | Kaija Mäkelä |  FIN | 3:04.7 (4 h4) | 3:06.2 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 17 | – | Masayo Aoki | JPN | 3:05.6 (5 h5) | – | – | |||
| 18 | 218 | Valerie Harris | GBR | 3:05.9 (3 h2) | – | – | |||
| 19 | 443 | Odette Lusien |  FRA | 3:06.7 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 20 | 393 | Vera Kostina | URS | 3:07.3 (4 h1) | – | – | |||
| 21 | 553 | Kirsten Hedegaard Jensen | DEN | 3:07.5 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 22 | 552 | Eileen Ward Petersen | DEN | 3:09.3 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 23 | 394 | Roza Zenziveyeva | URS | 3:10.5 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| 24 | – | Ilse Albert |  AUT | 3:12.5 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 25 | 637 | Gail Peters |  USA | 3:13.3 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 26 | 324 | Irene Strong |  CAN | 3:13.5 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 27 | 639 | Della Sehorn | USA | 3:13.7 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 28 | 542 | Margrit Knabenhans |  SUI | 3:17.4 (7 h1) | – | – | |||
| 29 | 638 | Judy Cornell | USA | 3:17.7 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 30 | 172 | Irene Anita Kwok |  HKG | 3:19.2 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 31 | – | Lilo Kobi | SUI | 3:22.0 (7 h5) | – | – | |||
| 32 | 187 | Dolly Nazir |  IND | 3:37.9 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 33 | 188 | Arati Saha | IND | 3:40.8 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 427 | Aleksandra Mrozówna |  POL | – (DQ h2) | – | – |
Round One
| Date | 26 July 1952 — 10:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:54.0 | ||
| 2 | – | Éva Székely | HUN | 2:55.1 | ||
| 3 | – | Jytte Hansen | DEN | 2:57.7 | ||
| 4 | – | Elenor Gordon | GBR | 2:58.6 | ||
| 5 | – | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:59.1 | ||
| 6 | – | Nel Garritsen | NED | 2:59.4 | ||
| 7 | – | Lies Bonnier | NED | 3:00.6 | ||
| 8 | – | Ulla-Britt Eklund | SWE | 3:01.2 | ||
| 9 | – | Mariya Gavrish | URS | 3:01.6 | ||
| =10 | – | Ursula Happe | GER | 3:02.7 | ||
| =10 | – | Kazuko Sakamoto | JPN | 3:02.7 | ||
| 12 | – | Raymonda Vergauwen | BEL | 3:02.8 | ||
| 13 | – | Nancy Lyons | AUS | 3:04.4 | ||
| 14 | – | Jean Wrigley | GBR | 3:04.5 | ||
| =15 | – | Rika Bruins | NED | 3:04.7 | ||
| =15 | – | Kaija Mäkelä | FIN | 3:04.7 | ||
| 17 | – | Masayo Aoki | JPN | 3:05.6 | ||
| 18 | – | Valerie Harris | GBR | 3:05.9 | 1 | |
| 19 | – | Odette Lusien | FRA | 3:06.7 | ||
| 20 | – | Vera Kostina | URS | 3:07.3 | ||
| 21 | – | Kirsten Hedegaard Jensen | DEN | 3:07.5 | ||
| 22 | – | Eileen Ward Petersen | DEN | 3:09.3 | ||
| 23 | – | Roza Zenziveyeva | URS | 3:10.5 | ||
| 24 | – | Ilse Albert | AUT | 3:12.5 | ||
| 25 | – | Gail Peters | USA | 3:13.3 | ||
| 26 | – | Irene Strong | CAN | 3:13.5 | ||
| 27 | – | Della Sehorn | USA | 3:13.7 | ||
| 28 | – | Margrit Knabenhans | SUI | 3:17.4 | ||
| 29 | – | Judy Cornell | USA | 3:17.7 | ||
| 30 | – | Irene Anita Kwok | HKG | 3:19.2 | ||
| 31 | – | Lilo Kobi | SUI | 3:22.0 | ||
| 32 | – | Dolly Nazir | IND | 3:37.9 | ||
| 33 | – | Arati Saha | IND | 3:40.8 | ||
| – | Aleksandra Mrozówna | POL | – |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:54.0 | ||
| 2 | – | Ursula Happe | GER | 3:02.7 | ||
| 3 | – | Rika Bruins | NED | 3:04.7 | ||
| 4 | – | Vera Kostina | URS | 3:07.3 | ||
| 5 | – | Ilse Albert | AUT | 3:12.5 | ||
| 6 | – | Gail Peters | USA | 3:13.3 | ||
| 7 | – | Margrit Knabenhans | SUI | 3:17.4 |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Lies Bonnier | NED | 3:00.6 | ||
| 2 | – | Nancy Lyons | AUS | 3:04.4 | ||
| 3 | – | Valerie Harris | GBR | 3:05.9 | 2 | |
| 4 | – | Roza Zenziveyeva | URS | 3:10.5 | ||
| 5 | – | Judy Cornell | USA | 3:17.7 | ||
| 6 | – | Irene Anita Kwok | HKG | 3:19.2 | ||
| – | Aleksandra Mrozówna | POL | – |
Heat #3
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Elenor Gordon | GBR | 2:58.6 | ||
| 2 | – | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:59.1 | ||
| 3 | – | Kazuko Sakamoto | JPN | 3:02.7 | ||
| 4 | – | Odette Lusien | FRA | 3:06.7 | ||
| 5 | – | Eileen Ward Petersen | DEN | 3:09.3 | ||
| 6 | – | Arati Saha | IND | 3:40.8 |
Heat #4
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Éva Székely | HUN | 2:55.1 | ||
| 2 | – | Raymonda Vergauwen | BEL | 3:02.8 | ||
| 3 | – | Jean Wrigley | GBR | 3:04.5 | ||
| 4 | – | Kaija Mäkelä | FIN | 3:04.7 | ||
| 5 | – | Kirsten Hedegaard Jensen | DEN | 3:07.5 | ||
| 6 | – | Irene Strong | CAN | 3:13.5 | ||
| 7 | – | Dolly Nazir | IND | 3:37.9 |
Heat #5
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Jytte Hansen | DEN | 2:57.7 | ||
| 2 | – | Nel Garritsen | NED | 2:59.4 | ||
| 3 | – | Ulla-Britt Eklund | SWE | 3:01.2 | ||
| 4 | – | Mariya Gavrish | URS | 3:01.6 | ||
| 5 | – | Masayo Aoki | JPN | 3:05.6 | ||
| 6 | – | Della Sehorn | USA | 3:13.7 | ||
| 7 | – | Lilo Kobi | SUI | 3:22.0 |
Semi-Finals
| Date | 27 July 1952 — 17:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Éva Székely | HUN | 2:54.0 | ||
| 2 | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:55.8 | ||
| 3 | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:56.5 | ||
| 4 | Elenor Gordon | GBR | 2:57.8 | ||
| 5 | Mariya Gavrish | URS | 2:58.6 | ||
| =6 | Jytte Hansen | DEN | 2:59.5 | ||
| =6 | Nel Garritsen | NED | 2:59.5 | ||
| 8 | Ulla-Britt Eklund | SWE | 2:59.6 | ||
| 9 | Lies Bonnier | NED | 3:00.3 | ||
| 10 | Rika Bruins | NED | 3:02.4 | ||
| 11 | Raymonda Vergauwen | BEL | 3:02.6 | ||
| 12 | Jean Wrigley | GBR | 3:03.2 | ||
| 13 | Ursula Happe | GER | 3:03.8 | ||
| 14 | Kazuko Sakamoto | JPN | 3:04.2 | ||
| 15 | Nancy Lyons | AUS | 3:05.6 | ||
| 16 | Kaija Mäkelä | FIN | 3:06.2 |
Heat #1
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:55.8 | ||
| 2 | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:56.5 | ||
| 3 | Mariya Gavrish | URS | 2:58.6 | ||
| 4 | Jytte Hansen | DEN | 2:59.5 | ||
| 5 | Lies Bonnier | NED | 3:00.3 | ||
| 6 | Rika Bruins | NED | 3:02.4 | ||
| 7 | Kazuko Sakamoto | JPN | 3:04.2 | ||
| 8 | Nancy Lyons | AUS | 3:05.6 |
Heat #2
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Éva Székely | HUN | 2:54.0 | ||
| 2 | Elenor Gordon | GBR | 2:57.8 | ||
| 3 | Nel Garritsen | NED | 2:59.5 | ||
| 4 | Ulla-Britt Eklund | SWE | 2:59.6 | ||
| 5 | Raymonda Vergauwen | BEL | 3:02.6 | ||
| 6 | Jean Wrigley | GBR | 3:03.2 | ||
| 7 | Ursula Happe | GER | 3:03.8 | ||
| 8 | Kaija Mäkelä | FIN | 3:06.2 |
Final
| Date | 29 July 1952 — 17:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Éva Székely | HUN | 2:51.7 | ||
| 2 | Éva Novák | HUN | 2:54.4 | ||
| 3 | Elenor Gordon | GBR | 2:57.6 | ||
| 4 | Klára Killermann | HUN | 2:57.6 | ||
| 5 | Jytte Hansen | DEN | 2:57.8 | ||
| 6 | Mariya Gavrish | URS | 2:58.9 | ||
| 7 | Ulla-Britt Eklund | SWE | 3:01.8 | ||
| 8 | Nel Garritsen | NED | 3:02.1 |