| | Event type
200 metres Freestyle, Women
| Date | 1 September 1972 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Schwimmhalle, Olympiapark, München |
| Participants | 33 from 17 countries |
In 1971 Australian Shane Gould had set two world records in this event. But American Shirley Babashoff bested those at the 1972 US Olympic Trials in Chicago in August. Gould took the lead in the final almost immediately and at 100 metres was half-a-bodylength ahead of the American trio of Babashoff, Keena Rothhammer, and Ann Marshall. By 150 metres Gould had open water. Babashoff and Rothhammer would better the Chicago world record, but it would only be good for the silver and bronze medals, as Gould shattered the mark with 2:03.56. Gould would eventually win three golds, a silver, and a bronze in Munich and then retire from swimming in early 1973.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Shane Gould |  AUS | 2:07.95 (1 h4) | 2:03.56 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 1054 | Shirley Babashoff |  USA | 2:08.48 (2 h5) | 2:04.33 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 1074 | Keena Rothhammer | USA | 2:07.48 (1 h3) | 2:04.92 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 1067 | Ann Marshall | USA | 2:08.12 (1 h1) | 2:05.45 (4) | |||
| 5 | 789 | Andrea Eife |  GDR | 2:07.05 (1 h5) | 2:06.27 (5) | |||
| 6 | – | Hansje Bunschoten |  NED | 2:08.58 (2 h3) | 2:08.40 (6) | |||
| 7 | 856 | Anke Rijnders | NED | 2:09.09 (1 h2) | 2:09.41 (7) | |||
| 8 | 805 | Karin Tülling | GDR | 2:09.01 (2 h1) | 2:11.70 (8) | |||
| 9 | 807 | Gudrun Wegner | GDR | 2:09.49 (3 h5) | – | |||
| 10 | 665 | Debbie Palmer | AUS | 2:10.29 (2 h4) | – | |||
| 11 | 834 | Angela Steinbach |  FRG | 2:10.59 (4 h5) | – | |||
| =12 | 836 | Jutta Weber | FRG | 2:12.44 (3 h1) | – | |||
| =12 | 710 | Merrily Stratten |  CAN | 2:12.44 (4 h1) | – | |||
| 14 | 658 | Helen Gray | AUS | 2:12.76 (2 h2) | – | |||
| 15 | 830 | Uta Schütz | FRG | 2:12.84 (3 h4) | – | |||
| 16 | 1045 | Tatyana Zolotnitskaya |  URS | 2:13.12 (3 h3) | – | |||
| 17 | – | Lesley Allardice |  GBR | 2:13.43 (5 h5) | – | |||
| 18 | 708 | Mary Beth Rondeau | CAN | 2:13.52 (4 h4) | – | |||
| 19 | 764 | Susan Edmondson | GBR | 2:13.54 (5 h4) | – | |||
| 20 | 1032 | Nadezhda Matyukhina | URS | 2:13.60 (3 h2) | – | |||
| 21 | 1042 | Yelena Timoshenko | URS | 2:14.06 (4 h3) | – | |||
| 22 | 959 | Heather Coombridge |  NZL | 2:14.78 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 23 | 1001 | Françoise Monod |  SUI | 2:15.30 (4 h2) | – | |||
| 24 | 777 | Diana Sutherland | GBR | 2:16.00 (5 h3) | – | |||
| 25 | 700 | Karen LeGresley | CAN | 2:16.34 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 26 | 721 | Olga de Ángulo |  COL | 2:17.34 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 27 | 686 | Lucy Burle |  BRA | 2:18.57 (6 h4) | – | |||
| 28 | 720 | Roselina Ángel | COL | 2:18.62 (6 h5) | – | |||
| 29 | 1088 | Ileana Morales |  VEN | 2:18.84 (6 h3) | – | |||
| 30 | – | Marcia Arriaga |  MEX | 2:18.93 (7 h4) | – | |||
| 31 | – | Belinda Phillips |  JAM | 2:19.49 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 32 | 977 | Hsu Yue-Yun |  TPE | 2:20.17 (7 h5) | – | |||
| 33 | 651 | Silvia Borgini |  ARG | 2:23.11 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 688 | Hriska Peycheva |  BUL | – (DNS h2) | – | ||||
| 927 | Mireille Bassoul |  LBN | – (DNS h3) | – |
Round One
| Date | 1 September 1972 — 11:50 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Eife | GDR | 2:07.05 | ||
| 2 | Keena Rothhammer | USA | 2:07.48 | ||
| 3 | Shane Gould | AUS | 2:07.95 | ||
| 4 | Ann Marshall | USA | 2:08.12 | ||
| 5 | Shirley Babashoff | USA | 2:08.48 | ||
| 6 | Hansje Bunschoten | NED | 2:08.58 | ||
| 7 | Karin Tülling | GDR | 2:09.01 | ||
| 8 | Anke Rijnders | NED | 2:09.09 | ||
| 9 | Gudrun Wegner | GDR | 2:09.49 | ||
| 10 | Debbie Palmer | AUS | 2:10.29 | ||
| 11 | Angela Steinbach | FRG | 2:10.59 | ||
| =12 | Jutta Weber | FRG | 2:12.44 | ||
| =12 | Merrily Stratten | CAN | 2:12.44 | ||
| 14 | Helen Gray | AUS | 2:12.76 | ||
| 15 | Uta Schütz | FRG | 2:12.84 | ||
| 16 | Tatyana Zolotnitskaya | URS | 2:13.12 | ||
| 17 | Lesley Allardice | GBR | 2:13.43 | ||
| 18 | Mary Beth Rondeau | CAN | 2:13.52 | ||
| 19 | Susan Edmondson | GBR | 2:13.54 | ||
| 20 | Nadezhda Matyukhina | URS | 2:13.60 | ||
| 21 | Yelena Timoshenko | URS | 2:14.06 | ||
| 22 | Heather Coombridge | NZL | 2:14.78 | ||
| 23 | Françoise Monod | SUI | 2:15.30 | ||
| 24 | Diana Sutherland | GBR | 2:16.00 | ||
| 25 | Karen LeGresley | CAN | 2:16.34 | ||
| 26 | Olga de Ángulo | COL | 2:17.34 | ||
| 27 | Lucy Burle | BRA | 2:18.57 | ||
| 28 | Roselina Ángel | COL | 2:18.62 | ||
| 29 | Ileana Morales | VEN | 2:18.84 | ||
| 30 | Marcia Arriaga | MEX | 2:18.93 | ||
| 31 | Belinda Phillips | JAM | 2:19.49 | ||
| 32 | Hsu Yue-Yun | TPE | 2:20.17 | ||
| 33 | Silvia Borgini | ARG | 2:23.11 | ||
| Hriska Peycheva | BUL | – | |||
| Mireille Bassoul | LBN | – |
Heat #1
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Marshall | USA | 2:08.12 | 30.91 (4) | 1:02.88 (1) | 1:35.98 (1) | 31.97 (1) | 33.10 (1) | 32.14 (1) | ||
| 2 | Karin Tülling | GDR | 2:09.01 | 30.56 (2) | 1:03.14 (2) | 1:36.39 (2) | 32.58 (2) | 33.25 (2) | 32.62 (2) | ||
| 3 | Jutta Weber | FRG | 2:12.44 | 30.31 (1) | 1:03.61 (3) | 1:38.28 (4) | 33.30 (4) | 34.67 (4) | 34.16 (3) | ||
| 4 | Merrily Stratten | CAN | 2:12.44 | 30.77 (3) | 1:03.65 (4) | 1:38.02 (3) | 32.88 (3) | 34.37 (3) | 34.42 (5) | ||
| 5 | Heather Coombridge | NZL | 2:14.78 | 31.51 (7) | 1:05.64 (5) | 1:40.42 (5) | 34.13 (5) | 34.78 (5) | 34.36 (4) | ||
| 6 | Karen LeGresley | CAN | 2:16.34 | 31.25 (5) | 1:06.02 (6) | 1:41.42 (6) | 34.77 (6) | 35.40 (6) | 34.92 (6) | ||
| 7 | Belinda Phillips | JAM | 2:19.49 | 31.27 (6) | – (–) | – (–) | – | – | – |
Heat #2
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anke Rijnders | NED | 2:09.09 | 30.11 (1) | 1:02.31 (1) | 1:35.72 (1) | 32.20 (1) | 33.41 (1) | 33.37 (1) | ||
| 2 | Helen Gray | AUS | 2:12.76 | 31.18 (3) | 1:04.12 (2) | 1:38.39 (2) | 32.94 (2) | 34.27 (3) | 34.37 (3) | ||
| 3 | Nadezhda Matyukhina | URS | 2:13.60 | 31.55 (4) | 1:05.82 (4) | 1:39.90 (3) | 34.27 (3) | 34.08 (2) | 33.70 (2) | ||
| 4 | Françoise Monod | SUI | 2:15.30 | 30.64 (2) | 1:05.09 (3) | 1:40.66 (4) | 34.45 (5) | 35.57 (4) | 34.64 (4) | ||
| 5 | Olga de Ángulo | COL | 2:17.34 | 31.74 (5) | 1:06.17 (5) | 1:41.75 (5) | 34.43 (4) | 35.58 (5) | 35.59 (5) | ||
| 6 | Silvia Borgini | ARG | 2:23.11 | 32.80 (6) | 1:08.98 (6) | 1:46.91 (6) | 36.18 (6) | 37.93 (6) | 36.20 (6) | ||
| Hriska Peycheva | BUL | – | – (–) | – (–) | – (–) | – | – | – |
Heat #3
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keena Rothhammer | USA | 2:07.48 | 30.34 (1) | 1:02.04 (1) | 1:34.60 (1) | 31.70 (1) | 32.56 (1) | 32.88 (2) | ||
| 2 | Hansje Bunschoten | NED | 2:08.58 | 30.46 (2) | 1:02.30 (2) | 1:35.88 (2) | 31.84 (2) | 33.58 (2) | 32.70 (1) | ||
| 3 | Tatyana Zolotnitskaya | URS | 2:13.12 | 31.00 (3) | 1:03.95 (3) | 1:38.64 (3) | 32.95 (3) | 34.69 (3) | 34.48 (4) | ||
| 4 | Yelena Timoshenko | URS | 2:14.06 | 31.13 (4) | 1:04.74 (4) | 1:39.98 (4) | 33.61 (4) | 35.24 (4) | 34.08 (3) | ||
| 5 | Diana Sutherland | GBR | 2:16.00 | 31.34 (=5) | 1:05.59 (5) | 1:41.22 (5) | 34.25 (5) | 35.63 (5) | 34.78 (5) | ||
| 6 | Ileana Morales | VEN | 2:18.84 | 31.34 (=5) | 1:06.09 (6) | 1:42.10 (6) | 34.75 (6) | 36.01 (6) | 36.74 (6) | ||
| Mireille Bassoul | LBN | – | – (–) | – (–) | – (–) | – | – | – |
Heat #4
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane Gould | AUS | 2:07.95 | 30.48 (1) | 1:02.81 (1) | 1:35.72 (1) | 32.33 (1) | 32.91 (1) | 32.23 (1) | ||
| 2 | Debbie Palmer | AUS | 2:10.29 | 30.67 (3) | 1:03.32 (2) | 1:37.02 (2) | 32.65 (2) | 33.70 (2) | 33.27 (2) | ||
| 3 | Uta Schütz | FRG | 2:12.84 | 30.77 (5) | 1:04.13 (3) | 1:38.88 (4) | 33.36 (3) | 34.75 (4) | 33.96 (3) | ||
| 4 | Mary Beth Rondeau | CAN | 2:13.52 | 30.88 (6) | 1:04.36 (4) | 1:39.27 (5) | 33.48 (4) | 34.91 (5) | 34.25 (4) | ||
| 5 | Susan Edmondson | GBR | 2:13.54 | 30.70 (4) | 1:04.42 (5) | 1:38.82 (3) | 33.72 (5) | 34.40 (3) | 34.72 (5) | ||
| 6 | Lucy Burle | BRA | 2:18.57 | 30.63 (2) | 1:05.75 (6) | 1:41.95 (6) | 35.12 (6) | 36.20 (6) | 36.62 (7) | ||
| 7 | Marcia Arriaga | MEX | 2:18.93 | 32.11 (7) | 1:07.43 (7) | 1:43.77 (7) | 35.32 (7) | 36.34 (7) | 35.16 (6) |
Heat #5
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Eife | GDR | 2:07.05 | 30.49 (2) | 1:03.60 (3) | 1:36.07 (2) | 33.11 (3) | 32.47 (1) | 30.98 (1) | ||
| 2 | Shirley Babashoff | USA | 2:08.48 | 30.21 (1) | 1:02.74 (1) | 1:35.88 (1) | 32.53 (=1) | 33.14 (2) | 32.60 (2) | ||
| 3 | Gudrun Wegner | GDR | 2:09.49 | 30.88 (3) | 1:03.41 (2) | 1:36.72 (3) | 32.53 (=1) | 33.31 (3) | 32.77 (4) | ||
| 4 | Angela Steinbach | FRG | 2:10.59 | 31.01 (4) | 1:04.22 (4) | 1:37.88 (4) | 33.21 (4) | 33.66 (4) | 32.71 (3) | ||
| 5 | Lesley Allardice | GBR | 2:13.43 | 31.52 (5) | 1:05.54 (5) | 1:39.60 (5) | 34.02 (5) | 34.06 (5) | 33.83 (5) | ||
| 6 | Roselina Ángel | COL | 2:18.62 | 32.17 (7) | 1:07.32 (6) | 1:43.35 (6) | 35.15 (6) | 36.03 (7) | 35.27 (6) | ||
| 7 | Hsu Yue-Yun | TPE | 2:20.17 | 31.91 (6) | 1:07.92 (7) | 1:43.37 (7) | 36.01 (7) | 35.45 (6) | 36.80 (7) |
Final Round
| Date | 1 September 1972 — 19:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 50 m | 100 m | 150 m | 50-100 m Time (Rank) | 100-150 m Time (Rank) | 150-200 m Time (Rank) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Shane Gould | AUS | 2:03.56 | 29.23 (1) | 1:00.04 (1) | 1:32.29 (1) | 30.81 (1) | 32.25 (3) | 31.27 (2) | ||
| 2 | – | Shirley Babashoff | USA | 2:04.33 | 29.69 (2) | 1:01.44 (3) | 1:33.30 (3) | 31.75 (4) | 31.86 (1) | 31.03 (1) | ||
| 3 | – | Keena Rothhammer | USA | 2:04.92 | 30.03 (8) | 1:01.41 (2) | 1:33.29 (2) | 31.38 (2) | 31.88 (2) | 31.63 (5) | ||
| 4 | – | Ann Marshall | USA | 2:05.45 | 29.90 (=5) | 1:01.45 (4) | 1:33.94 (4) | 31.55 (3) | 32.49 (4) | 31.51 (4) | ||
| 5 | – | Andrea Eife | GDR | 2:06.27 | 29.92 (7) | 1:01.75 (5) | 1:34.98 (5) | 31.83 (5) | 33.23 (6) | 31.29 (3) | ||
| 6 | – | Hansje Bunschoten | NED | 2:08.40 | 29.90 (=5) | 1:02.29 (6) | 1:35.18 (6) | 32.39 (6) | 32.89 (5) | 33.22 (6) | ||
| 7 | – | Anke Rijnders | NED | 2:09.41 | 29.71 (3) | 1:02.34 (7) | 1:35.61 (7) | 32.63 (7) | 33.27 (7) | 33.80 (7) | ||
| 8 | – | Karin Tülling | GDR | 2:11.70 | 29.76 (4) | 1:02.88 (8) | 1:36.64 (8) | 33.12 (8) | 33.76 (8) | 35.06 (8) |