Men's 200 metre individual medley at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venue | Tokyo Aquatics Centre | ||||||||||||
Dates | 28 July 2021 (heats) 29 July 2021 (semifinals) 30 July 2021 (final) | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 45 from 33 nations | ||||||||||||
Winning time | 1:55.00 AS | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |||
---|---|---|---|
Qualification | |||
Freestyle | |||
50 m | men | women | |
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
800 m | men | women | |
1500 m | men | women | |
Backstroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Breaststroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Butterfly | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Individual medley | |||
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
Freestyle relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | women | |
4 × 200 m | men | women | |
Medley relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | mixed | women |
Marathon | |||
10 km | men | women | |
The men's 200 metre individual medley event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 28 to 30 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. [1] It was the event's twelfth appearance, having been first held in 1968 and 1972 and then at every edition since 1984.
China's defending bronze medallist Wang Shun came from behind to win Asia's first title in the event. Leading after the halfway mark but eclipsed by the U.S.' Michael Andrew after the breaststroke leg, Wang used a scintillating final freestyle leg to touch first in an Asian record of 1:55.00. With the performance, Wang became the third fastest performer in the event behind the famed U.S. duo of Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps.
Great Britain's Duncan Scott similarly charged home in the freestyle leg but could not catch Wang, settling for his second silver at these Games in 1:55.28. Fourth after the breaststroke leg, Switzerland's Jérémy Desplanches (1:56.17) edged out the home favourite Daiya Seto (1:56.22) on the home straight by 5-hundredths of a second for bronze. Meanwhile, after failing to make the final in the longer medley event days earlier, the reigning World champion Seto again fell short of the podium, taking fourth.
Coming into the Olympics as the fastest swimmer in the world in 2021 by 0.76 seconds, the U.S.' Michael Andrew used his typical "fly-and-die" strategy to establish a one second lead on the field at the 150 m mark. However, Andrew faded dramatically over the freestyle lap, splitting 30.69 to finish fifth in 1:57.31 - two seconds behind his personal best time from trials. Japan's defending silver medallist Kosuke Hagino (1:57.40) could not repeat his podium finish from five years earlier, taking sixth in his last Olympics performance. Though Hungarian legend László Cseh (1:57.68) was second after the butterfly leg, he was soon overtaken by the field to finish in seventh. With this event being his only one at these Games, Cseh announced his retirement from competitive swimming after the race. New Zealand's Lewis Clareburt (1:57.70), finalist in the longer medley event days earlier, rounded out the championship field.
Notably, the U.S.' 4-time defending champion Michael Phelps did not contest the event following his retirement in 2016.
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
World record | Ryan Lochte (USA) | 1:54.00 | Shanghai, China | 28 July 2011 | [2] [3] |
Olympic record | Michael Phelps (USA) | 1:54.23 | Beijing, China | 15 August 2008 | [4] |
The Olympic Qualifying Time for the event is 1:59.67. Up to two swimmers per National Olympic Committee (NOC) can automatically qualify by swimming that time at an approved qualification event. The Olympic Selection Time is 2:03.26. Up to one swimmer per NOC meeting that time is eligible for selection, allocated by world ranking until the maximum quota for all swimming events is reached. NOCs without a male swimmer qualified in any event can also use their universality place. [5]
The competition consists of three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The swimmers with the best 16 times in the heats advance to the semifinals. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the semifinals advance to the final. Swim-offs are used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round. [6]
All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) [1]
Date | Time | Round |
---|---|---|
28 July 2021 | 19:54 | Heats |
29 July 2021 | 12:08 | Semifinals |
30 July 2021 | 11:16 | Final |
The swimmers with the top 16 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the semifinals. [7]
The swimmers with the best 8 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the final. [8]
Rank | Heat | Lane | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 6 | Wang Shun | China | 1:56.22 | Q |
2 | 1 | 3 | Duncan Scott | Great Britain | 1:56.69 | Q |
3 | 1 | 8 | Daiya Seto | Japan | 1:56.86 | Q |
4 | 2 | 4 | Michael Andrew | United States | 1:57.08 | Q |
5 | 1 | 4 | Jérémy Desplanches | Switzerland | 1:57.38 | Q |
6 | 2 | 3 | Kosuke Hagino | Japan | 1:57.47 | Q |
7 | 2 | 5 | Lewis Clareburt | New Zealand | 1:57.55 | Q |
8 | 1 | 2 | László Cseh | Hungary | 1:57.64 | Q |
9 | 1 | 6 | Alberto Razzetti | Italy | 1:57.70 | |
10 | 2 | 2 | Mitch Larkin | Australia | 1:57.80 | |
11 | 2 | 7 | Hugo González | Spain | 1:57.96 | |
12 | 1 | 5 | Chase Kalisz | United States | 1:58.03 | |
13 | 2 | 1 | Philip Heintz | Germany | 1:58.13 | |
14 | 2 | 8 | Matthew Sates | South Africa | 1:58.75 | |
15 | 1 | 1 | Andrey Zhilkin | ROC | 1:59.05 | |
16 | 1 | 7 | Tomoe Zenimoto Hvas | Norway | 2:00.21 |
Rank | Lane | Name | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Wang Shun | China | 1:55.00 | AS | |
5 | Duncan Scott | Great Britain | 1:55.28 | NR | |
2 | Jérémy Desplanches | Switzerland | 1:56.17 | NR | |
4 | 3 | Daiya Seto | Japan | 1:56.22 | |
5 | 6 | Michael Andrew | United States | 1:57.31 | |
6 | 7 | Kosuke Hagino | Japan | 1:57.49 | |
7 | 8 | László Cseh | Hungary | 1:57.68 | |
8 | 1 | Lewis Clareburt | New Zealand | 1:57.70 |
László Cseh is a retired Hungarian competitive swimmer and six-time Olympic medalist. He is a 33-time European Champion. His father, László Cseh Sr., also represented Hungary at the Olympics in swimming. In 2020, Braden Keith of SwimSwam nominated him as number 1 within top 10 male swimmers who have never won Olympic gold.
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American former competition swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist. He is the third-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history measured by total number of medals, behind only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Lochte's seven individual Olympic medals rank second in history in men's swimming, tied for second among all Olympic swimmers. He currently holds the world records in the 200-meter individual medley. As part of the American teams, he also holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter freestyle (mixed) relay.
Nathan Ghar-jun Adrian is an American competitive swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist who formerly held the American record in the long course 50-meter freestyle event.
David Walters, also known as Dave Walters, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and world record-holder in the 4x200 meter freestyler relay. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Walters earned a gold medal by swimming in the heats of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. As part of the American team, he also formerly held the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay. Walters is also a seven-time medalist at the World Aquatics Championships.
Michael Fred Phelps II is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16). At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games, held by gymnast Alexander Dityatin, by winning six gold and two bronze medals. Four years later, when he won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
Thomas Allen Shields is an American competitive swimmer. He is a two-time Olympian and the current American record-holder in the short course 50-meter butterfly and 200-meter butterfly. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay, swimming the butterfly leg of the relay in the prelims. Later the same year, he became the first American to swim faster than 44 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly, setting a new American record of 43.84 seconds.
The men's 200 metre individual medley competition of the swimming events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships took place July 27 and 28. The heats and semifinals took place July 27 and the final was held July 28.
The men's 200 metre individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on 1–2 August at the London Aquatics Centre in London, United Kingdom.
Ryan Fitzgerald MurphyOLY is an American competitive swimmer specializing in backstroke. He is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and the former world-record holder in the men's 100-meter backstroke.
Kosuke Hagino is a Japanese former competitive swimmer who specialized in the individual medley and 200 m freestyle. He is a four-time Olympic medalist, most notably winning gold in the 400 m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Daiya Seto is a Japanese professional swimmer who specializes in individual medley, butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle events. He holds the world record in the short course 400-metre individual medley and formerly held the world record in the short course 200-metre butterfly. He won the gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley at the 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022 world short course championships, as well as at the 2013, 2015, and 2019 world long course championships.
The men's 200 metre individual medley event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place on 10–11 August at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Caeleb Remel Dressel is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley events. He swims representing the Cali Condors as part of the International Swimming League. He won a record seven gold medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, nine medals, six of which were gold, at the 2018 World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou, and eight medals, including six gold, at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju. Dressel is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and holds world records in the 100 meter butterfly, 50 meter freestyle, and 100 meter individual medley.
The men's 50 metre freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 30 July to 1 August 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. It was the event's tenth appearance, first held in 1904 and then at every edition since 1988. The event is nicknamed the "splash and dash" event.
The men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 27 to 29 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. There were approximately 60 competitors from approximately 45 nations, with the ultimate numbers determined through the ongoing selection process, including universality places.
The men's 200 metre freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 25 to 27 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. There were 39 competitors from 30 nations, with the ultimate numbers determined through the ongoing selection process, including universality places.
The women's 200 metre freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 26 to 28 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. It was the event's fourteenth consecutive appearance, having been held at every edition since 1968.
The men's 200 metre backstroke event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 28 to 30 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. There will be approximately 30 competitors from approximately 20 nations, with the ultimate numbers determined through the ongoing selection process, including universality places.
The men's 400 metre individual medley event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held on 24 and 25 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. It was the event's fifteenth consecutive appearance, having been held at every edition since 1964.
The women's 200 metre individual medley event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 26 to 28 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. It will be the event's twelfth appearance, having been first held in 1968 and 1972 and then at every edition since 1984.