| | Event type

200 metres Breaststroke, Women

Date	29 August 1972
Status	Olympic
Location	Schwimmhalle, Olympiapark, München
Participants	40 from 23 countries

The favorite was the 1964 gold medalist and bronze medalist from Mexico City, Halyna Prozumenshchykova, now Stepanova. Stepanova led out the final over American Dana Schoenfield, with two full bodylengths at 150 metres, as another American Claudia Clevenger moved into second on the final turn. But Schoenfield re-grouped and caught Stepanova at 185 metres. Then from nowhere came the unknown Australian Beverley Whitfield, who caught everybody five metres from the wall and won the gold medal. Schoenfield hung on for second with Stepanova winning bronze. This was the fifth individual Olympic breaststroke medal for Halyna Prozumenshchykova-Stepanova, who ended her renowned career after the Munich Olympics.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Beverley Whitfield	AUS	2:44.47 (2 h5)	2:41.71 (1)	Gold
2	Dana Schoenfield	USA	2:43.97 (1 h4)	2:42.05 (2)	Silver
3	Galina Stepanova	URS	2:44.20 (1 h5)	2:42.36 (3)	Bronze
4	Claudia Clevenger	USA	2:44.74 (2 h6)	2:42.88 (4)
5	Petra Nows	FRG	2:45.20 (3 h6)	2:43.38 (5)
6	Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss	HUN	2:43.13 (1 h3)	2:43.41 (6)
7	Lyudmila Porubayko	URS	2:43.68 (1 h6)	2:44.48 (7)
8	Éva Kiss	HUN	2:43.68 (2 h3)	2:45.12 (8)
9	Hannelore Anke	GDR	2:45.92 (2 h4)	–
10	Britt-Marie Smedh	SWE	2:46.05 (1 h2)	–
11	Vreni Eberle	FRG	2:46.17 (1 h1)	–
12	Chieno Shibata	JPN	2:46.87 (4 h6)	–
13	Barbara Mitchell	USA	2:47.05 (2 h2)	–
14	Pat Beavan	GBR	2:47.42 (3 h2)	–
15	Erika Rüegg	SUI	2:47.63 (5 h6)	–
16	Jane Wright	CAN	2:47.85 (3 h5)	–
17	Alie te Riet	NED	2:48.49 (3 h3)	–
18	Judith Hudson	AUS	2:49.09 (3 h4)	–
19	Marian Stuart	CAN	2:49.11 (4 h4)	–
20	Christine Jarvis	GBR	2:49.24 (4 h5)	–
21	Sylvia Langer	GDR	2:49.68 (2 h1)	–
22	Jeanette Pettersson	SWE	2:50.36 (5 h5)	–
23	Ulrike Klees	FRG	2:50.48 (4 h2)	–
24	Tatyana Prudnikova	URS	2:50.79 (3 h1)	–
25	Nieves Panadell	ESP	2:51.50 (6 h5)	–
26	Amanda Radnage	GBR	2:51.85 (4 h3)	–
27	Béatrice Mottoulle	BEL	2:52.18 (5 h4)	–
28	Brigitte Schuchardt	GDR	2:53.03 (5 h2)	–
29	Ann O'Connor	IRL	2:53.04 (6 h2)	–
30	Patrizia Miserini	ITA	2:53.14 (4 h1)	–
31	Mairi Ioannidou	GRE	2:53.53 (5 h3)	–
32	Shlomit Nir	ISR	2:53.60 (6 h3)	–
33	Zuzana Marková	TCH	2:53.88 (6 h6)	–
34	Ana Elena de la Portilla	MEX	2:54.10 (7 h6)	–
35	Yoko Yamamoto	JPN	2:54.28 (6 h4)	–
36	Rose-Marie Pepe	CAN	2:54.75 (7 h2)	–
37	Leonor Urueta	MEX	2:55.21 (7 h3)	–
38	Winnie Nielsen	DEN	2:59.31 (7 h4)	–
39	Lee Yue-Hwan	TPE	3:04.74 (5 h1)	–
DQ	Cristina Teixeira	BRA	[2:57.03] (DQ h1)	–
DNS	Halina Zawadzka	POL	– (DNS h1)	–
DNS	Ani Jane Mugrditchian	LBN	– (DNS h5)	–

Round One (29 August 1972 — 10:50)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Vreni Eberle	FRG	37.26 (1) 41.35 (1)	1:18.61 (1) 42.60 (1)	2:01.21 (1) 44.96 (4)	2:46.17
2	–	Sylvia Langer	GDR	38.79 (4) 42.01 (2)	1:20.80 (2) 44.58 (2)	2:05.38 (2) 44.30 (2)	2:49.68
3	–	Tatyana Prudnikova	URS	38.50 (3) 43.29 (3)	1:21.79 (3) 45.03 (4)	2:06.82 (3) 43.97 (1)	2:50.79
4	–	Patrizia Miserini	ITA	39.09 (5) 43.97 (4)	1:23.06 (4) 45.36 (5)	2:08.42 (5) 44.72 (3)	2:53.14
5	–	Lee Yue-Hwan	TPE	42.19 (6) 46.80 (6)	1:28.99 (6) 47.97 (6)	2:16.96 (6) 47.78 (5)	3:04.74
DQ	–	Cristina Teixeira	BRA	[37.65] ([2]) [45.70 (5)]	[1:23.35] ([5]) [44.82 (3)]	[2:08.17] ([4]) [48.86 (6)]	[2:57.03]
DNS	–	Halina Zawadzka	POL	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Britt-Marie Smedh	SWE	37.58 (1) 42.13 (1)	1:19.71 (1) 43.11 (2)	2:02.82 (1) 43.23 (3)	2:46.05
2	–	Barbara Mitchell	USA	38.28 (4) 42.75 (3)	1:21.03 (3) 43.06 (1)	2:04.09 (2) 42.96 (2)	2:47.05
3	–	Pat Beavan	GBR	38.14 (3) 43.29 (4)	1:21.43 (4) 43.40 (3)	2:04.83 (3) 42.59 (1)	2:47.42
4	–	Ulrike Klees	FRG	38.04 (2) 42.57 (2)	1:20.61 (2) 44.59 (5)	2:05.20 (4) 45.28 (4)	2:50.48
5	–	Brigitte Schuchardt	GDR	38.49 (5) 43.62 (5)	1:22.11 (5) 45.14 (7)	2:07.25 (5) 45.78 (7)	2:53.03
6	–	Ann O'Connor	IRL	38.62 (6) 44.59 (7)	1:23.21 (6) 44.40 (4)	2:07.61 (6) 45.43 (6)	2:53.04
7	–	Rose-Marie Pepe	CAN	40.13 (7) 44.39 (6)	1:24.52 (7) 44.82 (6)	2:09.34 (7) 45.41 (5)	2:54.75

Heat Three

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss	HUN	37.27 (2) 41.50 (1)	1:18.77 (2) 41.36 (1)	2:00.13 (1) 43.00 (2)	2:43.13	QOR
2	–	Éva Kiss	HUN	36.81 (1) 41.56 (2)	1:18.37 (1) 42.60 (2)	2:00.97 (2) 42.71 (1)	2:43.68	Q
3	–	Alie te Riet	NED	38.75 (4) 42.78 (4)	1:21.53 (4) 43.09 (3)	2:04.62 (3) 43.87 (3)	2:48.49
4	–	Amanda Radnage	GBR	38.26 (3) 42.74 (3)	1:21.00 (3) 45.63 (7)	2:06.63 (4) 45.22 (4)	2:51.85
5	–	Mairi Ioannidou	GRE	38.80 (5) 44.17 (6)	1:22.97 (6) 44.78 (5)	2:07.75 (6) 45.78 (5)	2:53.53
6	–	Shlomit Nir	ISR	39.43 (7) 44.54 (7)	1:23.97 (7) 43.70 (4)	2:07.67 (5) 45.93 (6)	2:53.60
7	–	Leonor Urueta	MEX	39.26 (6) 43.41 (5)	1:22.67 (5) 45.23 (6)	2:07.90 (7) 47.31 (7)	2:55.21

Heat Four

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Dana Schoenfield	USA	36.90 (1) 42.72 (3)	1:19.62 (2) 41.42 (1)	2:01.04 (1) 42.93 (1)	2:43.97	Q
2	–	Hannelore Anke	GDR	37.33 (3) 42.13 (2)	1:19.46 (1) 43.32 (3)	2:02.78 (2) 43.14 (2)	2:45.92
3	–	Judith Hudson	AUS	37.22 (2) 43.08 (4)	1:20.30 (4) 43.08 (2)	2:03.38 (3) 45.71 (5)	2:49.09
4	–	Marian Stuart	CAN	37.98 (4) 41.91 (1)	1:19.89 (3) 44.22 (4)	2:04.11 (4) 45.00 (4)	2:49.11
5	–	Béatrice Mottoulle	BEL	39.14 (6) 44.48 (5)	1:23.62 (5) 44.27 (=5)	2:07.89 (5) 44.29 (3)	2:52.18
6	–	Yoko Yamamoto	JPN	39.68 (7) 44.56 (6)	1:24.24 (6) 44.27 (=5)	2:08.51 (6) 45.77 (6)	2:54.28
7	–	Winnie Nielsen	DEN	38.51 (5) 45.98 (7)	1:24.49 (7) 46.81 (7)	2:11.30 (7) 48.01 (7)	2:59.31

Heat Five

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Galina Stepanova	URS	37.17 (1) 41.31 (1)	1:18.48 (1) 42.00 (1)	2:00.48 (1) 43.72 (4)	2:44.20	Q
2	–	Beverley Whitfield	AUS	37.71 (3) 41.63 (2)	1:19.34 (2) 43.20 (3)	2:02.54 (2) 41.93 (1)	2:44.47	Q
3	–	Jane Wright	CAN	38.38 (4) 42.96 (4)	1:21.34 (4) 42.93 (2)	2:04.27 (3) 43.58 (3)	2:47.85
4	–	Christine Jarvis	GBR	37.19 (2) 42.78 (3)	1:19.97 (3) 44.42 (6)	2:04.39 (4) 44.85 (=5)	2:49.24
5	–	Jeanette Pettersson	SWE	38.63 (5) 45.13 (6)	1:23.76 (6) 44.27 (5)	2:08.03 (6) 42.33 (2)	2:50.36
6	–	Nieves Panadell	ESP	38.89 (6) 43.78 (5)	1:22.67 (5) 43.98 (4)	2:06.65 (5) 44.85 (=5)	2:51.50
DNS	–	Ani Jane Mugrditchian	LBN	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–

Heat Six

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	–	Lyudmila Porubayko	URS	37.67 (2) 41.58 (1)	1:19.25 (1) 41.97 (2)	2:01.22 (1) 42.46 (3)	2:43.68	Q
2	–	Claudia Clevenger	USA	37.99 (3) 42.14 (2)	1:20.13 (3) 41.82 (1)	2:01.95 (2) 42.79 (4)	2:44.74	Q
3	–	Petra Nows	FRG	38.06 (4) 43.10 (5)	1:21.16 (4) 42.45 (3)	2:03.61 (4) 41.59 (1)	2:45.20	Q
4	–	Chieno Shibata	JPN	39.85 (7) 42.50 (4)	1:22.35 (5) 42.77 (4)	2:05.12 (5) 41.75 (2)	2:46.87
5	–	Erika Rüegg	SUI	37.33 (1) 42.42 (3)	1:19.75 (2) 43.33 (5)	2:03.08 (3) 44.55 (5)	2:47.63
6	–	Zuzana Marková	TCH	38.36 (5) 44.40 (7)	1:22.76 (6) 45.45 (7)	2:08.21 (6) 45.67 (7)	2:53.88
7	–	Ana Elena de la Portilla	MEX	39.49 (6) 43.96 (6)	1:23.45 (7) 45.11 (6)	2:08.56 (7) 45.54 (6)	2:54.10

Final (29 August 1972 — 18:20)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time
1	7	Beverley Whitfield	AUS	38.37 (8) 41.27 (2)	1:19.64 (=3) 41.51 (4)	2:01.15 (4) 40.56 (1)	2:41.71	OR
2	6	Dana Schoenfield	USA	38.16 (7) 41.47 (3)	1:19.63 (2) 41.39 (3)	2:01.02 (3) 41.03 (2)	2:42.05
3	2	Galina Stepanova	URS	37.28 (1) 40.62 (1)	1:17.90 (1) 41.58 (5)	1:59.48 (1) 42.88 (8)	2:42.36
4	1	Claudia Clevenger	USA	37.46 (2) 42.18 (7)	1:19.64 (=3) 40.90 (1)	2:00.54 (2) 42.34 (6)	2:42.88
5	8	Petra Nows	FRG	38.10 (6) 42.01 (5)	1:20.11 (6) 41.83 (6)	2:01.94 (7) 41.44 (3)	2:43.38
6	4	Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss	HUN	37.89 (4) 42.76 (8)	1:20.65 (8) 41.27 (2)	2:01.92 (6) 41.49 (4)	2:43.41
7	3	Lyudmila Porubayko	URS	37.77 (3) 41.96 (4)	1:19.73 (5) 41.99 (7)	2:01.72 (5) 42.76 (7)	2:44.48
8	5	Éva Kiss	HUN	38.04 (5) 42.11 (6)	1:20.15 (7) 42.79 (8)	2:02.94 (8) 42.18 (5)	2:45.12