| | Event type

100 metres Breaststroke, Women

Date	18 – 19 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, Ciudad de México
Participants	33 from 20 countries

The 100 metre breaststroke was new to the Olympic Program in 1968. American Catie Ball had set the last five world records and had won the Pan American Games in 1967 and came to Mexico City favored. In the semi-finals she qualified as the equal second fastest, with her teammate Sharon Wichman, behind the surprising Ana María Norbis of Uruguay. Also expected to challenge was the 1964 200 breaststroke gold medalist Halyna Prozumenshchykova of the Soviet Union. The early lead in the final was taken by Germany’s Uta Frommater but Ball led at the turn. However, she flagged badly on the last lap and would place fifth. Prozumenshchykova took the lead at 75 metres only to see Yugoslavia’s Ðurđica Bjedov come from nowhere to touch out Prozumenshchykova for the gold medal, Wichman getting bronze. Bjedov’s only previous international experience came in 1966 when she won bronze at the European Championships. Catie Ball turned out to have been sick in Mexico City the entire time and she was withdrawn from further competition, after she was found to have a fever and swollen glands, and had lost 10 lbs (4.5 kg).

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:17.7 (1 h2)	1:17.1 (2 h1)	1:15.8 (1)	Gold
2	21057	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:18.6 (2 h4)	1:17.5 (3 h1)	1:15.9 (2)	Silver
3	15402	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:18.3 (1 h3)	1:16.8 (1 h1)	1:16.1 (3)	Bronze
4	12331	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:18.5 (1 h4)	1:16.9 (3 h2)	1:16.2 (4)
5	15376	Catie Ball	USA	1:18.8 (1 h1)	1:16.8 (2 h2)	1:16.7 (5)
6	18155	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:18.2 (2 h5)	1:17.7 (4 h2)	1:17.0 (6)
7	21059	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:20.2 (3 h4)	1:18.3 (5 h2)	1:17.2 (7)
8	21520	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:17.4 (1 h5)	1:16.7 (1 h2)	1:17.3 (8)
9	13055	Jo-Anne Barnes	AUS	1:19.1 (2 h1)	1:18.4 (4 h1)	–
=10	21058	Alla Grebennikova	URS	1:19.3 (2 h2)	1:18.6 (5 h1)	–
=10	15388	Suzy Jones	USA	1:19.3 (3 h1)	1:18.6 (6 h2)	–
12	13098	Christl Filippovits	AUT	1:19.9 (5 h1)	1:18.9 (6 h1)	–
=13	13066	Judy Playfair	AUS	1:19.2 (2 h3)	1:19.3 (7 h2)	–
=13	16693	Diana Harris	GBR	1:19.8 (3 h5)	1:19.3 (8 h2)	–
15	16698	Dorothy Harrison	GBR	1:19.6 (4 h1)	1:19.6 (7 h1)	–
16	16695	Jill Slattery	GBR	1:20.7 (4 h4)	1:19.8 (8 h1)	–
17	–	Yukari Takemoto	JPN	1:20.7 (4 h5)	–	–
18	20392	Yvonne Brage	SWE	1:20.8 (3 h3)	–	–
=19	–	Sue McKenzie	AUS	1:20.9 (5 h4)	–	–
=19	17705	Shlomit Nir	ISR	1:20.9 (3 h2)	–	–
21	17615	Ann O'Connor	IRL	1:21.1 (4 h2)	–	–
22	17068	Marjan Janus	NED	1:21.9 (5 h2)	–	–
=23	–	Vreni Eberle	FRG	1:22.6 (4 h3)	–	–
=23	17379	Márta Egerváry	HUN	1:22.6 (5 h5)	–	–
=23	17669	Ellen Ingvadóttir	ISL	1:22.6 (6 h4)	–	–
26	18779	Tamara Oynick	MEX	1:22.7 (6 h1)	–	–
27	18426	Arlette Wilmes	LUX	1:24.4 (6 h5)	–	–
28	18782	Víctoria Casas	MEX	1:24.7 (5 h3)	–	–
29	–	Liana Vicens	PUR	1:25.2 (7 h1)	–	–
30	21874	Tamara Orejuela	ECU	1:26.8 (6 h2)	–	–
31	14928	María Moreno	ESA	1:27.2 (6 h3)	–	–
32	14932	María Castro	ESA	1:36.9 (7 h5)	–	–
33	14931	Celia Jokisch	ESA	1:46.6 (7 h2)	–	–
DNS	18942	Ana Elena de la Portilla	MEX	– (DNS h1)	–	–
DNS	15889	Hedy García	PHI	– (DNS h4)	–	–
DNS	17377	Maria Ballago Szabo	HUN	– (DNS h3)	–	–

Round One

Date	18 October 1968 — 10:00
Format	Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:17.4	QOR
2	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:17.7	QOR
3	–	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:18.2	Q
4	–	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:18.3	Q
5	–	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:18.5	Q
6	–	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:18.6	Q
7	–	Catie Ball	USA	1:18.8	QOR
8	–	Jo-Anne Barnes	AUS	1:19.1	Q
9	–	Judy Playfair	AUS	1:19.2	Q
=10	–	Suzy Jones	USA	1:19.3	Q
=10	–	Alla Grebennikova	URS	1:19.3	Q
12	–	Dorothy Harrison	GBR	1:19.6	Q
13	–	Diana Harris	GBR	1:19.8	Q
14	–	Christl Filippovits	AUT	1:19.9	Q
15	–	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:20.2	Q
=16	–	Jill Slattery	GBR	1:20.7	Q
=16	–	Yukari Takemoto	JPN	1:20.7
18	–	Yvonne Brage	SWE	1:20.8
=19	–	Shlomit Nir	ISR	1:20.9
=19	–	Sue McKenzie	AUS	1:20.9
21	–	Ann O'Connor	IRL	1:21.1
22	–	Marjan Janus	NED	1:21.9
=23	–	Vreni Eberle	FRG	1:22.6
=23	–	Ellen Ingvadóttir	ISL	1:22.6
=23	–	Márta Egerváry	HUN	1:22.6
26	–	Tamara Oynick	MEX	1:22.7
27	–	Arlette Wilmes	LUX	1:24.4
28	–	Víctoria Casas	MEX	1:24.7
29	–	Liana Vicens	PUR	1:25.2
30	–	Tamara Orejuela	ECU	1:26.8
31	–	María Moreno	ESA	1:27.2
32	–	María Castro	ESA	1:36.9
33	–	Celia Jokisch	ESA	1:46.6
DNS	–	Ana Elena de la Portilla	MEX	–
DNS	–	Maria Ballago Szabo	HUN	–
DNS	–	Hedy García	PHI	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Catie Ball	USA	1:18.8	QOR
2	–	Jo-Anne Barnes	AUS	1:19.1	Q
3	–	Suzy Jones	USA	1:19.3	Q
4	–	Dorothy Harrison	GBR	1:19.6	Q
5	–	Christl Filippovits	AUT	1:19.9	Q
6	–	Tamara Oynick	MEX	1:22.7
7	–	Liana Vicens	PUR	1:25.2
DNS	–	Ana Elena de la Portilla	MEX	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:17.7	QOR
2	–	Alla Grebennikova	URS	1:19.3	Q
3	–	Shlomit Nir	ISR	1:20.9
4	–	Ann O'Connor	IRL	1:21.1
5	–	Marjan Janus	NED	1:21.9
6	–	Tamara Orejuela	ECU	1:26.8
7	–	Celia Jokisch	ESA	1:46.6

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:18.3	Q
2	–	Judy Playfair	AUS	1:19.2	Q
3	–	Yvonne Brage	SWE	1:20.8
4	–	Vreni Eberle	FRG	1:22.6
5	–	Víctoria Casas	MEX	1:24.7
6	–	María Moreno	ESA	1:27.2
DNS	–	Maria Ballago Szabo	HUN	–

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:18.5	Q
2	–	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:18.6	Q
3	–	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:20.2	Q
4	–	Jill Slattery	GBR	1:20.7	Q
5	–	Sue McKenzie	AUS	1:20.9
6	–	Ellen Ingvadóttir	ISL	1:22.6
DNS	–	Hedy García	PHI	–

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:17.4	QOR
2	–	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:18.2	Q
3	–	Diana Harris	GBR	1:19.8	Q
4	–	Yukari Takemoto	JPN	1:20.7
5	–	Márta Egerváry	HUN	1:22.6
6	–	Arlette Wilmes	LUX	1:24.4
7	–	María Castro	ESA	1:36.9

Semi-Finals

Date	18 October 1968 — 17:00
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:16.7	QOR
=2	–	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:16.8	Q
=2	–	Catie Ball	USA	1:16.8	Q
4	–	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:16.9	Q
5	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:17.1	Q
6	–	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:17.5	Q
7	–	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:17.7	Q
8	–	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:18.3	Q
9	–	Jo-Anne Barnes	AUS	1:18.4
=10	–	Alla Grebennikova	URS	1:18.6
=10	–	Suzy Jones	USA	1:18.6
12	–	Christl Filippovits	AUT	1:18.9
=13	–	Judy Playfair	AUS	1:19.3
=13	–	Diana Harris	GBR	1:19.3
15	–	Dorothy Harrison	GBR	1:19.6
16	–	Jill Slattery	GBR	1:19.8

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:16.8	Q
2	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:17.1	Q
3	–	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:17.5	Q
4	–	Jo-Anne Barnes	AUS	1:18.4
5	–	Alla Grebennikova	URS	1:18.6
6	–	Christl Filippovits	AUT	1:18.9
7	–	Dorothy Harrison	GBR	1:19.6
8	–	Jill Slattery	GBR	1:19.8

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:16.7	QOR
2	–	Catie Ball	USA	1:16.8	Q
3	–	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:16.9	Q
4	–	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:17.7	Q
5	–	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:18.3	Q
6	–	Suzy Jones	USA	1:18.6
7	–	Judy Playfair	AUS	1:19.3
8	–	Diana Harris	GBR	1:19.3

Final Round

Date	19 October 1968 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Đurđica Bjedov	YUG	1:15.8	OR
2	–	Galina Prozumenshchikova	URS	1:15.9
3	–	Sharon Wichman	USA	1:16.1
4	–	Uta Frommater	FRG	1:16.2
5	–	Catie Ball	USA	1:16.7
6	–	Kiyoe Nakagawa	JPN	1:17.0
7	–	Svetlana Babanina	URS	1:17.2
8	–	Ana María Norbis	URU	1:17.3