| | Event type

200 metres Breaststroke, Women

Date	18 – 19 August 2004
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympiako Kentro Ugrou Stivou, Olympiako Athletiko Kentro Athinon Spiros Loues, Athina (Main Pool)
Participants	31 from 28 countries

Five weeks before the Olympic Games began Australia’s Leisel Jones broke the world record at the Australian trials. Three days later at the US trials, World Champion Amanda Beard took half a second off Jones’ time and reclaimed the record she had previously shared with China’s Qi Hui.

Despite the presence of Qi and reigning champion Ágnes Kovács of Hungary it seemed that the gold medal was certain to be decided between Beard and Jones. Jones had laid off the pace in the early stages of 100 metres final and had been unable to catch Luo of China. In the longer race she seemed determined not to repeat her mistake and sped into the lead. For all but the final five metres it appeared her tactic was the right one but a devastating finishing burst from Beard was just enough to send the championship across to America. After silver in Atlanta and bronze in Sydney, Beard now completed a full set of medals in the event.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	Amanda Beard	USA	2:26.61 (1 h5)	2:25.62 (1 h2)	2:23.37 (1)	Gold
2	Leisel Jones	AUS	2:26.02 (1 h4)	2:26.71 (3 h2)	2:23.60 (2)	Silver
3	Anne Poleska	GER	2:26.48 (1 h3)	2:26.59 (2 h1)	2:25.82 (3)	Bronze
4	Masami Tanaka	JPN	2:26.91 (2 h4)	2:26.38 (2 h2)	2:25.87 (4)
5	Ágnes Kovács	HUN	2:26.90 (2 h5)	2:26.63 (3 h1)	2:26.12 (5)
6	Qi Hui	CHN	2:28.66 (4 h5)	2:26.75 (4 h1)	2:26.35 (6)
7	Mirna Jukic	AUT	2:28.28 (3 h3)	2:26.95 (4 h2)	2:26.36 (7)
8	Brooke Hanson	AUS	2:27.38 (3 h4)	2:26.43 (1 h1)	2:26.39 (8)
9	Caroline Bruce	USA	2:27.82 (3 h5)	2:27.60 (5 h1)	–
10	Kirsty Balfour	GBR	2:29.78 (4 h4)	2:28.92 (5 h2)	–
11	Birte Steven	GER	2:27.42 (2 h3)	2:29.22 (6 h2)	–
12	Yelena Bogomazova	RUS	2:31.49 (5 h5)	2:30.35 (6 h1)	–
13	Lauren Van Oosten	CAN	2:30.44 (5 h4)	2:30.39 (7 h1)	–
14	Chiara Boggiatto	ITA	2:30.32 (4 h3)	2:30.76 (8 h1)	–
15	Marina Kuč	SCG	2:30.39 (1 h2)	2:31.77 (7 h2)	–
16	Ina Kapishina	BLR	2:31.26 (6 h4)	– (DQ h2)	–
17	Smiljana Marinović	CRO	2:32.52 (7 h4)	–	–
18	Alenka Kejžar	SLO	2:32.64 (8 h4)	–	–
19	İlkay Dikmen	TUR	2:32.69 (2 h2)	–	–
20	Jaclyn Pangilinan	PHI	2:33.38 (1 h1)	–	–
21	Siow Yi Ting	MAS	2:33.79 (6 h5)	–	–
22	Eeva Saarinen	FIN	2:34.17 (2 h1)	–	–
23	Diana Gomes	POR	2:34.23 (5 h3)	–	–
24	Lee Ji-Yeong	KOR	2:34.55 (7 h5)	–	–
25	Majken Thorup	DEN	2:35.29 (3 h2)	–	–
26	Agustina De Giovanni	ARG	2:35.94 (4 h2)	–	–
27	Adriana Marmolejo	MEX	2:36.10 (5 h2)	–	–
28	Imaday Núñez	CUB	2:36.40 (6 h2)	–	–
29	Iryna Maistruk	UKR	2:37.42 (6 h3)	–	–
30	Nicolette Teo	SGP	2:38.17 (3 h1)	–	–
31	Athina Tzavella	GRE	2:40.18 (7 h3)	–	–
DNS	Luo Xuejuan	CHN	– (DNS h5)	–	–
DNS	Diána Reményi	HUN	– (DNS h3)	–	–

Round One (18 August 2004)

Fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One (10:44)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	3	Jaclyn Pangilinan	PHI	34.40 (2) 38.22 (1)	1:12.62 (1) 39.83 (1)	1:52.45 (1) 40.93 (2)	2:33.38	0.69
2	5	Eeva Saarinen	FIN	34.17 (1) 38.91 (2)	1:13.08 (2) 40.79 (2)	1:53.87 (2) 40.30 (1)	2:34.17	0.86
3	4	Nicolette Teo	SGP	35.72 (3) 39.62 (3)	1:15.34 (3) 41.18 (3)	1:56.52 (3) 41.65 (3)	2:38.17	0.76

Heat Two (10:49)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	3	Marina Kuč	SCG	34.61 (2) 37.55 (1)	1:12.16 (1) 38.81 (2)	1:50.97 (1) 39.42 (1)	2:30.39	0.89	Q
2	5	İlkay Dikmen	TUR	34.88 (3) 38.44 (2)	1:13.32 (2) 38.77 (1)	1:52.09 (2) 40.60 (3)	2:32.69	0.71
3	7	Majken Thorup	DEN	34.28 (1) 39.11 (3)	1:13.39 (3) 40.58 (6)	1:53.97 (3) 41.32 (6)	2:35.29	0.75
4	6	Agustina De Giovanni	ARG	35.63 (4) 39.20 (4)	1:14.83 (4) 40.23 (3)	1:55.06 (4) 40.88 (=4)	2:35.94	0.84
5	4	Adriana Marmolejo	MEX	35.83 (6) 39.50 (5)	1:15.33 (6) 40.29 (=4)	1:55.62 (6) 40.48 (2)	2:36.10	0.74
6	2	Imaday Núñez	CUB	35.70 (5) 39.53 (6)	1:15.23 (5) 40.29 (=4)	1:55.52 (5) 40.88 (=4)	2:36.40	0.73

Heat Three (10:54)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	3	Anne Poleska	GER	33.49 (1) 37.40 (3)	1:10.89 (1) 37.62 (2)	1:48.51 (1) 37.97 (1)	2:26.48	0.81	Q
2	5	Birte Steven	GER	33.79 (2) 37.97 (4)	1:11.76 (4) 37.58 (1)	1:49.34 (2) 38.08 (2)	2:27.42	0.76	Q
3	4	Mirna Jukic	AUT	34.34 (4) 37.36 (2)	1:11.70 (3) 38.15 (3)	1:49.85 (3) 38.43 (3)	2:28.28	0.79	Q
4	2	Chiara Boggiatto	ITA	34.02 (3) 37.22 (1)	1:11.24 (2) 38.74 (4)	1:49.98 (4) 40.34 (5)	2:30.32	0.82	Q
5	7	Diana Gomes	POR	35.51 (7) 39.56 (5)	1:15.07 (5) 39.38 (5)	1:54.45 (5) 39.78 (4)	2:34.23	0.83
6	8	Iryna Maistruk	UKR	35.44 (6) 39.89 (6)	1:15.33 (6) 40.77 (6)	1:56.10 (6) 41.32 (6)	2:37.42	0.84
7	1	Athina Tzavella	GRE	35.33 (5) 40.24 (7)	1:15.57 (7) 41.86 (7)	1:57.43 (7) 42.75 (7)	2:40.18	0.82
DNS	6	Diána Reményi	HUN	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–	–

Heat Four (10:59)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	4	Leisel Jones	AUS	33.46 (2) 37.44 (4)	1:10.90 (2) 37.39 (1)	1:48.29 (1) 37.73 (1)	2:26.02	0.75	Q
2	3	Masami Tanaka	JPN	34.03 (4) 37.33 (2)	1:11.36 (4) 37.62 (2)	1:48.98 (3) 37.93 (2)	2:26.91	0.81	Q
3	5	Brooke Hanson	AUS	33.27 (1) 37.39 (3)	1:10.66 (1) 38.22 (4)	1:48.88 (2) 38.50 (3)	2:27.38	0.76	Q
4	6	Kirsty Balfour	GBR	33.85 (3) 37.27 (1)	1:11.12 (3) 38.13 (3)	1:49.25 (4) 40.53 (6)	2:29.78	0.84	Q
5	2	Lauren Van Oosten	CAN	34.31 (7) 38.27 (7)	1:12.58 (7) 38.97 (6)	1:51.55 (6) 38.89 (4)	2:30.44	0.79	Q
6	8	Ina Kapishina	BLR	34.27 (6) 38.28 (8)	1:12.55 (6) 38.34 (5)	1:50.89 (5) 40.37 (5)	2:31.26	0.78	Q
7	1	Smiljana Marinović	CRO	34.26 (5) 38.21 (6)	1:12.47 (5) 39.10 (7)	1:51.57 (7) 40.95 (8)	2:32.52	0.83
8	7	Alenka Kejžar	SLO	34.67 (8) 38.05 (5)	1:12.72 (8) 39.31 (8)	1:52.03 (8) 40.61 (7)	2:32.64	0.89

Heat Five (11:04)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	4	Amanda Beard	USA	34.13 (3) 37.62 (2)	1:11.75 (3) 37.87 (3)	1:49.62 (3) 36.99 (1)	2:26.61	0.71	Q
2	2	Ágnes Kovács	HUN	33.69 (1) 37.02 (1)	1:10.71 (1) 37.75 (1)	1:48.46 (1) 38.44 (4)	2:26.90	0.82	Q
3	6	Caroline Bruce	USA	34.03 (2) 37.71 (3)	1:11.74 (2) 37.81 (2)	1:49.55 (2) 38.27 (3)	2:27.82	0.76	Q
4	5	Qi Hui	CHN	34.33 (4) 38.03 (5)	1:12.36 (4) 38.40 (4)	1:50.76 (4) 37.90 (2)	2:28.66	0.81	Q
5	7	Yelena Bogomazova	RUS	34.70 (5) 37.84 (4)	1:12.54 (5) 39.12 (5)	1:51.66 (5) 39.83 (5)	2:31.49	0.84	Q
6	8	Siow Yi Ting	MAS	34.99 (6) 38.69 (6)	1:13.68 (6) 39.85 (6)	1:53.53 (6) 40.26 (6)	2:33.79	0.82
7	1	Lee Ji-Yeong	KOR	35.41 (7) 38.93 (7)	1:14.34 (7) 39.91 (7)	1:54.25 (7) 40.30 (7)	2:34.55	0.81
DNS	3	Luo Xuejuan	CHN	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–	–

Semi-Finals (18 August 2004)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One (20:25)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	3	Brooke Hanson	AUS	33.31 (2) 36.97 (1)	1:10.28 (1) 37.87 (3)	1:48.15 (1) 38.28 (4)	2:26.43	0.78	Q
2	4	Anne Poleska	GER	33.81 (3) 37.51 (4)	1:11.32 (4) 37.48 (1)	1:48.80 (3) 37.79 (3)	2:26.59	0.80	Q
3	5	Ágnes Kovács	HUN	33.88 (4) 37.40 (3)	1:11.28 (3) 37.79 (2)	1:49.07 (4) 37.56 (1)	2:26.63	0.87	Q
4	2	Qi Hui	CHN	33.27 (1) 37.15 (2)	1:10.42 (2) 38.02 (4)	1:48.44 (2) 38.31 (5)	2:26.75	0.80	Q
5	6	Caroline Bruce	USA	34.02 (5) 37.57 (5)	1:11.59 (5) 38.24 (5)	1:49.83 (5) 37.77 (2)	2:27.60	0.76
6	8	Yelena Bogomazova	RUS	34.71 (7) 38.05 (7)	1:12.76 (7) 38.70 (7)	1:51.46 (7) 38.89 (7)	2:30.35	0.82
7	1	Lauren Van Oosten	CAN	34.61 (6) 38.45 (8)	1:13.06 (8) 38.84 (8)	1:51.90 (8) 38.49 (6)	2:30.39	0.80
8	7	Chiara Boggiatto	ITA	34.75 (8) 37.70 (6)	1:12.45 (6) 38.65 (6)	1:51.10 (6) 39.66 (8)	2:30.76	0.81

Heat Two (20:31)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	5	Amanda Beard	USA	33.66 (3) 37.38 (4)	1:11.04 (4) 37.35 (1)	1:48.39 (1) 37.23 (2)	2:25.62	0.74	Q
2	3	Masami Tanaka	JPN	34.07 (6) 37.58 (5)	1:11.65 (6) 37.78 (3)	1:49.43 (6) 36.95 (1)	2:26.38	0.78	Q
3	4	Leisel Jones	AUS	33.36 (2) 37.76 (6)	1:11.12 (5) 37.80 (4)	1:48.92 (5) 37.79 (3)	2:26.71	0.74	Q
4	2	Mirna Jukic	AUT	33.84 (5) 37.11 (2)	1:10.95 (3) 37.75 (2)	1:48.70 (3) 38.25 (4)	2:26.95	0.78	Q
5	7	Kirsty Balfour	GBR	33.68 (4) 36.94 (1)	1:10.62 (2) 38.20 (6)	1:48.82 (4) 40.10 (6)	2:28.92	0.82
6	6	Birte Steven	GER	33.34 (1) 37.24 (3)	1:10.58 (1) 38.08 (5)	1:48.66 (2) 40.56 (7)	2:29.22	0.80
7	1	Marina Kuč	SCG	34.60 (7) 38.66 (7)	1:13.26 (7) 39.14 (7)	1:52.40 (7) 39.37 (5)	2:31.77	0.92
DQ	8	Ina Kapishina	BLR	– (–) –	– (–) –	– (–) –	–	[0.79]

Final (19 August 2004 — 19:41)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction
1	4	Amanda Beard	USA	33.18 (3) 36.51 (2)	1:09.69 (2) 36.87 (2)	1:46.56 (2) 36.81 (1)	2:23.37	0.72	OR
2	7	Leisel Jones	AUS	32.58 (1) 36.30 (1)	1:08.88 (1) 36.75 (1)	1:45.63 (1) 37.97 (5)	2:23.60	0.76
3	6	Anne Poleska	GER	33.67 (5) 37.31 (6)	1:10.98 (7) 37.40 (5)	1:48.38 (=5) 37.44 (3)	2:25.82	0.85
4	5	Masami Tanaka	JPN	33.85 (8) 37.33 (7)	1:11.18 (8) 37.73 (7)	1:48.91 (8) 36.96 (2)	2:25.87	0.81
5	2	Ágnes Kovács	HUN	33.68 (6) 37.09 (5)	1:10.77 (6) 37.34 (3)	1:48.11 (4) 38.01 (7)	2:26.12	0.81
6	1	Qi Hui	CHN	33.08 (2) 36.92 (3)	1:10.00 (3) 37.36 (4)	1:47.36 (3) 38.99 (8)	2:26.35	0.82
7	8	Mirna Jukic	AUT	33.75 (7) 36.94 (4)	1:10.69 (5) 37.69 (6)	1:48.38 (=5) 37.98 (6)	2:26.36	0.78
8	3	Brooke Hanson	AUS	33.22 (4) 37.40 (8)	1:10.62 (4) 37.82 (8)	1:48.44 (7) 37.95 (4)	2:26.39	0.74