200 metres Breaststroke, Women

The defending champion was Anita Lonsbrough of Great Britain, who was in Tokyo, but elected to swim only the 400 individual medley. She would not have been favored, that accolade going to Ukrainian Soviet Galina Prozumenshchikova, who had set two world records earlier in 1964, posting 2:45.4 in Berlin in August, the current mark. Other challengers were thought to be Soviet Svetlana Babanina and the Netherlands’ Klena Bimolt, both of whom had gone under 2:47 in the Olympic year. This is not usually the best event for American swimmers, their top entrant this year being Claudia Kolb, who was only 14-years-old. The final was led for 50 metres by East German Bärbel Grimmer, but Prozumenshchikova swept past to lead at 100 metres. She held on to win, but Kolb closed fast for a surprising silver medal, trailed by Babanina in third. Grimmer faded to sixth, followed by Bimolt in seventh. Prozumenshchikova would win bronze medals in this event in 1968 and 1972. Kolb would return to the Olympics in 1968 to win gold in the 200 and 400 individual medleys.