Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke

The swimming competition than 200 m breaststroke Men at the Olympic Summer Games 1912 took place between 7 July and 10 July 1912. Venue was the Swimming Stadium on Djurgårdsbrunnsviken.

After its debut at the Games in 1908 the competition was for the second time in the Olympic program. It took 24 athletes from some 11 countries.

In breaststroke European athletes were decisive in this time. With the world record holder Félicien Courbet (Belgium ), the winner of the ASA Championships from 1907 to 1909 and in 1912 Percy Courtman ( UK) and Harald Julin (Sweden ), winner of the ASA Championships in 1910, were the most successful swimmers in recent years on this route at the start. Only Odon Toldi (Hungary ), winner of the ASA Championships in 1911, was missing.

Of them but only reached Courtman the final. The competition determined the swimmer from Germany, who celebrated a triple success at the end. Olympic champion Walter Bathe improved it in each of his three races the Olympic record by a total of 5.6 seconds. The world record remained untouched.

Records

Before the start of the Olympic Games following records were valid.

Results

First round

The six heats were held on Sunday, July 7, 1912, held from 13.50 clock. For the semi-finals in each case the two fastest any forward travel as well as the second-best third-place finisher qualified.

Lützow and Henning were par over 150 meters. In a tough final sprint, the German was able to sell and in the end won easily in a new Olympic record time.

Malisch certain the lead and won with a secure lead.

Atkinson had no opponent.

Bathe won clear and improved the recently established by his compatriot Lützow Olympic record by 4.0 seconds.

Courbet and Hanson fought a hard battle. Initially led the Swede, but after the turn of the Belgians went in the lead and won in the final sprint. Towards the end of the race Innocent even came close up to Hanson.

Demján won the race without much effort.

Semifinal

The semi-finals took place on Tuesday, July 9, 1912 held from 20:15 clock. For the finale, in each case the two fastest of each run and the second-best third-place finisher qualified.

When first turning Henning was in the lead. On the last train Malisch moved past him and won in the final sprint. Julin was fighting for 2nd place

Bathe led from the start of the race and improved his own Olympic record from the lead by 1.2 seconds behind his compatriot near Lützow.

Final

The final was held on Wednesday, 10 July 1912 at 19:30 clock.

Bathe, the fastest in the heats and the semi-finals, went from the beginning to lead. Lützow was it about him. In the final sprint won Bathe safely with a new Olympic record. In the battle for third place Malisch and Henning were 50 meters side by side, Courtman a little. The health weakened Swede had to abandon the race after the turn. In an exciting final sprint to Malisch prevailed against the British and secured a German triple success.