Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle
Encyclopedia
The men's 200 metre freestyle event at the 1968 Olympic Games
took place October 24. This swimming
event used freestyle swimming
, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated (unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events). Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl
or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of four lengths of the pool.
Key: OR = Olympic record
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
took place October 24. This swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
event used freestyle swimming
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated (unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events). Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl
Front crawl
The front crawl, forward crawl, or freestyle is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such, the front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, hence the synonymously used term "freestyle". It is one of two...
or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of four lengths of the pool.
Medalists
Final
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mike Wenden | 1:55.2 | OR | |
 |
Don Schollander Don Schollander Donald Arthur Schollander is a former Olympic swimmer for the United States. He won total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics... |
1:55.8 | ||
 |
John Nelson John Nelson (swimmer) John Nelson is an American Professional Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist. Nelson attended Pompano Beach High School and eventually enrolled in Yale University where he met his future Gold Medalist teammate and World Record competitor, Don Schollander... |
1:58.1 | ||
| 4 | Ralph Hutton Ralph Hutton Ralph Hutton is a former Canadian swimmer. Hutton won a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.-References:* , from http://www.sports-reference.com/; retrieved 2009-11-28.... |
1:58.6 | ||
| 5 | Alain Mosconi Alain Mosconi Alain Mosconi is a French swimmer, Olympic medalist and previous world record holder. He was born in Puteaux. He participated at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in the 400 metre freestyle... |
1:59.1 | ||
| 6 | Bob Windle Bob Windle Robert George "Bob" Windle is a former Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won four Olympic medals, including an individual gold medal... |
2:00.9 | ||
| 7 | Semyon Belits-Geiman Semyon Belits-Geiman Semyon Viktorovich Belits-Geiman is a former Soviet freestyle swimmer. He set a world record in the 800-meter freestyle, and won two Olympic medals.-Early life:Belits-Geiman is Jewish, and was born in Moscow... |
2:01.5 |
Key: OR = Olympic record