Home
Games
1968 Summer Olympics
Swimming
200 metres Individual Medley, Men

200 metres Individual Medley, Men

Date	19 – 20 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, Ciudad de México
Participants	46 from 27 countries

This was the first time on the Olympic Program for the 200 individual medley. Official world records had only been recognized in the event since 1966 with Greg Buckingham setting the first two, while Charlie Hickcox bettered him and held the world mark coming into the Olympics. The two made the final along with teammate John Ferris and a medal sweep was considered a possibility. Hickcox was never seriously challenged, taking the lead on the butterfly leg and expanding it on the second 50 using his best stroke, the backstroke. Behind him Buckingham and Ferris were close throughout for the other medals, Buckingham eventually coming in for the silver a full second behind Hickcox, with Ferris third. Peru’s Juan Carlos Bello was in third place briefly on the breaststroke leg, but was passed on the freestyle by Ferris and placed fourth. Through 2008 this remains the best finish ever by a Peruvian swimmer at the Olympics. Hickcox swam again in the 100 backstroke two days later and won a silver behind Roland Matthes, and won gold the next day in the 400 IM, completing an individual medley double.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	Final
1	15348	Charlie Hickcox	👁 Image USA	2:16.1 (1 h1)	2:12.0 (1)	Gold
2	15344	Greg Buckingham	👁 Image USA	2:15.6 (1 h6)	2:13.0 (2)	Silver
3	15346	John Ferris	👁 Image USA	2:14.6 (1 h3)	2:13.3 (3)	Bronze
4	21967	Juan Carlos Bello	👁 Image PER	2:17.5 (2 h5)	2:13.7 (4)
5	13937	George Smith	👁 Image CAN	2:16.4 (1 h2)	2:15.9 (5)
6	–	Sandy Gilchrist	👁 Image CAN	2:16.8 (1 h5)	2:16.6 (6)
7	12241	Mike Holthaus	👁 Image FRG	2:17.5 (2 h2)	2:16.8 (7)
8	17294	Péter Lázár	👁 Image HUN	2:17.1 (2 h1)	2:18.3 (8)
=9	12247	Reinhard Merkel	👁 Image FRG	2:17.8 (2 h3)	–
=9	20408	Hans Ljungberg	👁 Image SWE	2:17.8 (3 h3)	–
11	23079	Frank Wiegand	👁 Image GDR	2:18.0 (3 h2)	–
12	17923	Michele D'Oppido	👁 Image ITA	2:18.5 (2 h6)	–
13	21045	Vladimir Kravchenko	👁 Image URS	2:18.6 (1 h4)	–
14	15079	Juan Fortuny	👁 Image ESP	2:20.6 (3 h5)	–
15	12250	Jürgen Schiller	👁 Image FRG	2:20.8 (1 h7)	–
16	13934	Ken Campbell	👁 Image CAN	2:20.9 (3 h6)	–
17	17296	István Szentirmay	👁 Image HUN	2:21.0 (2 h4)	–
18	14812	Lars Kraus Jensen	👁 Image DEN	2:21.2 (3 h1)	–
19	16688	Martyn Woodroffe	👁 Image GBR	2:22.0 (2 h7)	–
20	13292	François Simons	👁 Image BEL	2:22.5 (4 h5)	–
21	13621	Yuliyan Rusev	👁 Image BUL	2:22.7 (4 h3)	–
22	18759	Eduardo Alanís	👁 Image MEX	2:23.0 (4 h6)	–
23	19613	Zbigniew Pacelt	👁 Image POL	2:23.3 (4 h1)	–
24	16686	Raymond Terrell	👁 Image GBR	2:23.5 (5 h3)	–
25	19612	Jacek Krawczyk	👁 Image POL	2:23.8 (3 h7)	–
26	13622	Angel Chakarov	👁 Image BUL	2:24.0 (3 h4)	–
27	17666	Guðmundur Gíslason	👁 Image ISL	2:24.1 (5 h1)	–
=28	18764	José Joaquín Santibáñez	👁 Image MEX	2:24.6 (4 h4)	–
=28	15865	Tony Asamli	👁 Image PHI	2:24.6 (4 h7)	–
30	18755	Rafael Hernández	👁 Image MEX	2:24.7 (5 h5)	–
31	–	Andrey Dunayev	👁 Image URS	2:25.9 (6 h1)	–
32	–	Gershon Shefa	👁 Image ISR	2:26.6 (5 h6)	–
33	20404	Olle Ferm	👁 Image SWE	2:27.5 (6 h3)	–
34	12046	Karl Byrom	👁 Image AUS	2:28.0 (5 h4)	–
35	14413	José Martínez	👁 Image CUB	2:31.4 (5 h7)	–
36	–	Francisco Ramis	👁 Image PUR	2:31.9 (7 h1)	–
37	14930	Salvador Vilanova	👁 Image ESA	2:33.8 (6 h5)	–
38	21939	Ronnie Wong	👁 Image HKG	2:36.1 (4 h2)	–
39	–	Peter Schmid	👁 Image AUT	2:36.4 (6 h6)	–
40	17614	Donnacha O'Dea	👁 Image IRL	2:36.6 (5 h2)	–
41	14934	Rubén Guerrero	👁 Image ESA	2:37.5 (8 h1)	–
42	21928	Bob Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:39.3 (7 h5)	–
43	14933	Friedrich Jokisch	👁 Image ESA	2:41.6 (7 h6)	–
44	21927	Andrew Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:42.0 (6 h7)	–
45	23707	Chan King-Ming	👁 Image TPE	2:44.9 (6 h4)	–
23708	Lee Tong-Shing	👁 Image TPE	– (DQ h3)	–
19168	Ørjan Madsen	👁 Image NOR	– (DNS h2)	–
19844	José Ferraioli	👁 Image PUR	– (DNS h6)	–

Round One

Date	19 October 1968 — 10:00
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	John Ferris	👁 Image USA	2:14.6
2	–	Greg Buckingham	👁 Image USA	2:15.6
3	–	Charlie Hickcox	👁 Image USA	2:16.1
4	–	George Smith	👁 Image CAN	2:16.4
5	–	Sandy Gilchrist	👁 Image CAN	2:16.8
6	–	Péter Lázár	👁 Image HUN	2:17.1
=7	–	Mike Holthaus	👁 Image FRG	2:17.5
=7	–	Juan Carlos Bello	👁 Image PER	2:17.5
=9	–	Reinhard Merkel	👁 Image FRG	2:17.8
=9	–	Hans Ljungberg	👁 Image SWE	2:17.8
11	–	Frank Wiegand	👁 Image GDR	2:18.0
12	–	Michele D'Oppido	👁 Image ITA	2:18.5
13	–	Vladimir Kravchenko	👁 Image URS	2:18.6
14	–	Juan Fortuny	👁 Image ESP	2:20.6
15	–	Jürgen Schiller	👁 Image FRG	2:20.8
16	–	Ken Campbell	👁 Image CAN	2:20.9
17	–	István Szentirmay	👁 Image HUN	2:21.0
18	–	Lars Kraus Jensen	👁 Image DEN	2:21.2
19	–	Martyn Woodroffe	👁 Image GBR	2:22.0
20	–	François Simons	👁 Image BEL	2:22.5
21	–	Yuliyan Rusev	👁 Image BUL	2:22.7
22	–	Eduardo Alanís	👁 Image MEX	2:23.0
23	–	Zbigniew Pacelt	👁 Image POL	2:23.3
24	–	Raymond Terrell	👁 Image GBR	2:23.5
25	–	Jacek Krawczyk	👁 Image POL	2:23.8
26	–	Angel Chakarov	👁 Image BUL	2:24.0
27	–	Guðmundur Gíslason	👁 Image ISL	2:24.1
=28	–	José Joaquín Santibáñez	👁 Image MEX	2:24.6
=28	–	Tony Asamli	👁 Image PHI	2:24.6
30	–	Rafael Hernández	👁 Image MEX	2:24.7
31	–	Andrey Dunayev	👁 Image URS	2:25.9
32	–	Gershon Shefa	👁 Image ISR	2:26.6
33	–	Olle Ferm	👁 Image SWE	2:27.5
34	–	Karl Byrom	👁 Image AUS	2:28.0
35	–	José Martínez	👁 Image CUB	2:31.4
36	–	Francisco Ramis	👁 Image PUR	2:31.9
37	–	Salvador Vilanova	👁 Image ESA	2:33.8
38	–	Ronnie Wong	👁 Image HKG	2:36.1
39	–	Peter Schmid	👁 Image AUT	2:36.4
40	–	Donnacha O'Dea	👁 Image IRL	2:36.6
41	–	Rubén Guerrero	👁 Image ESA	2:37.5
42	–	Bob Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:39.3
43	–	Friedrich Jokisch	👁 Image ESA	2:41.6
44	–	Andrew Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:42.0
45	–	Chan King-Ming	👁 Image TPE	2:44.9
–	Lee Tong-Shing	👁 Image TPE	–
–	Ørjan Madsen	👁 Image NOR	–
–	José Ferraioli	👁 Image PUR	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Charlie Hickcox	👁 Image USA	2:16.1
2	–	Péter Lázár	👁 Image HUN	2:17.1
3	–	Lars Kraus Jensen	👁 Image DEN	2:21.2
4	–	Zbigniew Pacelt	👁 Image POL	2:23.3
5	–	Guðmundur Gíslason	👁 Image ISL	2:24.1
6	–	Andrey Dunayev	👁 Image URS	2:25.9
7	–	Francisco Ramis	👁 Image PUR	2:31.9
8	–	Rubén Guerrero	👁 Image ESA	2:37.5

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	George Smith	👁 Image CAN	2:16.4
2	–	Mike Holthaus	👁 Image FRG	2:17.5
3	–	Frank Wiegand	👁 Image GDR	2:18.0
4	–	Ronnie Wong	👁 Image HKG	2:36.1
5	–	Donnacha O'Dea	👁 Image IRL	2:36.6
–	Ørjan Madsen	👁 Image NOR	–

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	John Ferris	👁 Image USA	2:14.6
2	–	Reinhard Merkel	👁 Image FRG	2:17.8
3	–	Hans Ljungberg	👁 Image SWE	2:17.8
4	–	Yuliyan Rusev	👁 Image BUL	2:22.7
5	–	Raymond Terrell	👁 Image GBR	2:23.5
6	–	Olle Ferm	👁 Image SWE	2:27.5
–	Lee Tong-Shing	👁 Image TPE	–

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Vladimir Kravchenko	👁 Image URS	2:18.6
2	–	István Szentirmay	👁 Image HUN	2:21.0
3	–	Angel Chakarov	👁 Image BUL	2:24.0
4	–	José Joaquín Santibáñez	👁 Image MEX	2:24.6
5	–	Karl Byrom	👁 Image AUS	2:28.0
6	–	Chan King-Ming	👁 Image TPE	2:44.9

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Sandy Gilchrist	👁 Image CAN	2:16.8
2	–	Juan Carlos Bello	👁 Image PER	2:17.5
3	–	Juan Fortuny	👁 Image ESP	2:20.6
4	–	François Simons	👁 Image BEL	2:22.5
5	–	Rafael Hernández	👁 Image MEX	2:24.7
6	–	Salvador Vilanova	👁 Image ESA	2:33.8
7	–	Bob Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:39.3

Heat #6

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Greg Buckingham	👁 Image USA	2:15.6
2	–	Michele D'Oppido	👁 Image ITA	2:18.5
3	–	Ken Campbell	👁 Image CAN	2:20.9
4	–	Eduardo Alanís	👁 Image MEX	2:23.0
5	–	Gershon Shefa	👁 Image ISR	2:26.6
6	–	Peter Schmid	👁 Image AUT	2:36.4
7	–	Friedrich Jokisch	👁 Image ESA	2:41.6
–	José Ferraioli	👁 Image PUR	–

Heat #7

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Jürgen Schiller	👁 Image FRG	2:20.8
2	–	Martyn Woodroffe	👁 Image GBR	2:22.0
3	–	Jacek Krawczyk	👁 Image POL	2:23.8
4	–	Tony Asamli	👁 Image PHI	2:24.6
5	–	José Martínez	👁 Image CUB	2:31.4
6	–	Andrew Loh	👁 Image HKG	2:42.0

Final Round

Date	20 October 1968 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	–	Charlie Hickcox	👁 Image USA	2:12.0
2	–	Greg Buckingham	👁 Image USA	2:13.0
3	–	John Ferris	👁 Image USA	2:13.3
4	–	Juan Carlos Bello	👁 Image PER	2:13.7
5	–	George Smith	👁 Image CAN	2:15.9
6	–	Sandy Gilchrist	👁 Image CAN	2:16.6
7	–	Mike Holthaus	👁 Image FRG	2:16.8
8	–	Péter Lázár	👁 Image HUN	2:18.3

URL: https://www.olympedia.org/results/5957

⇱ Olympedia – 200 metres Individual Medley, Men