The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics, took place on July 21, at the Olympic Pool in Montreal, Canada. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the twelfth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 39 competitors from 22 nations participated in the event.
Lisa Anne Flood is a Canadian former competitive swimmer and breaststroke specialist. Flood competed at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There she finished in fourteenth position in the women's 200-metre breaststroke. Four years later at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Flood came in tenth place in the women's 100-metre breaststroke.
Claudia Anne Kolb, also known by her married name Claudia Thomas, is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events.
Jan Margo Henne, also known by her married name Jan Hawkins, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1980 Summer Olympics, took place on July 23, at the Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex in Moscow, Soviet Union. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the thirteenth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 25 competitors from 18 nations participated in the event.
Cynthia Lee Goyette, also known by her married name Cynthia McCulloch, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. She represented the United States as an 18-year-old at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She won a gold medal for swimming the breaststroke leg for the first-place U.S. team in the women's 4 × 100-metre medley relay. The U.S. relay team set a new world record of 4:33.9 in the event final; Goyette's teammates included Cathy Ferguson (backstroke), Sharon Stouder (butterfly), and Kathy Ellis (freestyle).
Gary Steven Ilman was an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in two relay events.
Alia Shanee Atkinson, OD is a retired Jamaican swimmer and five time Olympian. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she became the second Jamaican swimmer to place in the top four at an Olympics Games, finishing fourth in the 100-metre breaststroke. In 2014, she became the second woman to swim a 1:02.36 in the short course 100-metre breaststroke tying the world record in the event. In 2016, Atkinson set a new world record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke. Two years later, in 2018, she set a new world record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke for the second time. She was the first Afro-Jamaican to win a world title in swimming. She won a total of 124 medals, of which 74 were gold medals, at Swimming World Cup circuits over the course of her career.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 1936 Summer Olympics, took place from 8 to 11 August, at the Olympiapark Schwimmstadion Berlin. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 23 competitors from 12 nations participated in the event.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics, took place from 30 July to 3 August at the Empire Pool. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was also the first appearance of the event since the outbreak of World War II. A total of 22 competitors from 14 nations participated in the event.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics, took place on 26–29 July, at the Helsinki Swimming Stadium. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the sixth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 33 competitors from 19 nations participated in the event.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics, took place on November 29–30, at the Swimming and Diving Stadium. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the seventh appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 14 competitors from 10 nations participated in the event. This was a decrease from the 1952 Summer Olympics, because the breaststroke event was split into the 200m orthodox breaststroke and the 100m butterfly event.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1960 Summer Olympics, took place on August 26–27, at the Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the eighth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 30 competitors from 19 nations participated in the event. British gold-medalist Anita Lonsbrough became the first swimmer to break the world record in this event, with a time of 2:49.5 in the final.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics, took place on October 22–23, at the Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the tenth appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 31 competitors from 20 nations participated in the event. American Catie Ball was the large favourite to win the event, as she had broken the world record in this event the last three times. However, she was suffering from a virus infection and was forced to withdraw from the heats. Her 16-year-old teammate Sharon Wichman won the event, breaking bronze medalist Galina Prozumenshchikova's Olympic record in the final.
The women's 200 metre breaststroke event, included in the swimming competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics, took place on August 29, at the Olympia Schwimmhalle. In this event, swimmers covered four lengths of the 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-sized pool employing the breaststroke. It was the eleventh appearance of the event, which first appeared at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. A total of 40 competitors from 23 nations participated in the event, another 2 entries from 2 other countries did not compete.
Jamaica competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was Jamaica's most successful performance in the Summer Olympics; it was approximately the same size from the previous games with a delegation of 50 athletes, and its athletes broke the nation's record for the number of medals, won in a single games. Jamaica's participation in London marked its sixteenth appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously competed in four other games as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation. Usain Bolt became the nation's greatest highlight of these games, having won three of Jamaica's four gold medals at London, and breaking an Olympic and world record in two of the three events in which he participated. Because of his repeated successes for the most medals and records, Bolt became Jamaica's first male flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1984.
Judith Ellen Melick is an American former competition swimmer who participated as part of the U.S. team at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Tera van Beilen is a Canadian competition swimmer and Olympian.
Kenneth Owen Merten is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Pan American Games medalist, and former world record-holder.
Wayne Robert Anderson is an American former competition swimmer.
