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1968 Summer Olympics
Swimming
200 metres Backstroke, Women

200 metres Backstroke, Women

Date	25 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, Ciudad de México
Participants	30 from 19 countries

The world record holder was Karen Muir of South Africa, who could not compete because her nation was banned from the Olympics because of its policy of apartheid in sport (and elsewhere), and would remain banned until 1992. She had set four world records in the event since 1966 and was missed. Canada’s Elaine Tanner had broken her streak with a single world record set in July 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to win the Pan American Games. America’s best was Pokey Watson, who was young and untried internationally. In the final Tanner took the lead over the first 100 metres with Watson second, followed by Yugoslavia’s Zdenka Gašparač and American Kaye Hall in fourth. Watson caught Tanner at the 125-metre mark and took the lead on the final turn, powering home to win in 2:24.8, 2.6 seconds ahead of Tanner, with Hall coming on strong for the bronze medal, and Gašparač dropping back to sixth.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	Final
1	15400	Pokey Watson	👁 Image USA	2:29.2 (1 h5)	2:24.8 (1)	Gold
2	13885	Elaine Tanner	👁 Image CAN	2:30.9 (1 h4)	2:27.4 (2)	Silver
3	15384	Kaye Hall	👁 Image USA	2:31.1 (1 h1)	2:28.9 (3)	Bronze
4	13069	Lynne Watson	👁 Image AUS	2:33.5 (1 h3)	2:29.5 (4)
5	16694	Wendy Burrell	👁 Image GBR	2:33.2 (2 h4)	2:32.3 (5)
6	21689	Zdenka Gašparac	👁 Image YUG	2:33.7 (2 h5)	2:33.5 (6)
7	–	María Corominas	👁 Image ESP	2:34.5 (1 h2)	2:33.9 (7)
8	16244	Bénédicte Duprez	👁 Image FRA	2:34.5 (3 h5)	2:36.6 (8)
9	23057	Doris Kohardt	👁 Image GDR	2:34.7 (3 h4)	–
10	15374	Susie Atwood	👁 Image USA	2:35.2 (2 h3)	–
11	17074	Bep Weeteling	👁 Image NED	2:35.4 (3 h3)	–
12	21055	Tatyana Savelyeva	👁 Image URS	2:35.5 (2 h2)	–
13	16245	Sylvie Canet	👁 Image FRA	2:36.1 (4 h5)	–
14	12334	Angelika Kraus	👁 Image FRG	2:36.7 (4 h4)	–
15	17073	Coby Sikkens	👁 Image NED	2:36.9 (2 h1)	–
16	13103	Yvette Hafner	👁 Image AUT	2:37.7 (5 h5)	–
17	13887	Jeanne Warren	👁 Image CAN	2:37.9 (3 h1)	–
18	16008	Ulla Patrikka	👁 Image FIN	2:38.1 (3 h2)	–
19	20080	Anca Andreiu	👁 Image ROU	2:38.8 (4 h3)	–
20	13883	Anne Walton	👁 Image CAN	2:39.4 (4 h1)	–
21	16685	Jackie Brown	👁 Image GBR	2:40.0 (5 h1)	–
22	19366	Glenda Stirling	👁 Image NZL	2:40.3 (5 h4)	–
=23	21067	Tina Lek'veishvili	👁 Image URS	2:40.5 (6 h1)	–
=23	–	Kiki Caron	👁 Image FRA	2:40.5 (4 h2)	–
25	18213	Patricia Sentous	👁 Image ARG	2:41.5 (6 h5)	–
26	13288	Francine Dauven	👁 Image BEL	2:43.5 (7 h1)	–
27	12851	María Procopio	👁 Image ARG	2:49.2 (5 h3)	–
28	21523	Felicia Ospitaletche	👁 Image URU	2:51.4 (7 h5)	–
29	14926	Carmen Ferracuti	👁 Image ESA	2:52.6 (6 h4)	–
30	14929	Rosa Hasbún	👁 Image ESA	2:56.2 (8 h5)	–
16863	Silvana Asturias	👁 Image GUA	– (DNS h2)	–
17378	Judit Bárányi	👁 Image HUN	– (DNS h2)	–
–	Andrea Gyarmati	👁 Image HUN	– (DNS h2)	–
17382	Mária Balla-Lantos	👁 Image HUN	– (DNS h3)	–
18778	Lidia Ramírez	👁 Image MEX	– (DNS h3)	–
15890	Helen Elliott	👁 Image PHI	– (DNS h3)	–
12810	Adriana Comolli	👁 Image ARG	– (DNS h4)	–

Round One

Date	25 October 1968 — 10:00
Format	Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	1	Pokey Watson	👁 Image USA	2:29.2
2	5	Elaine Tanner	👁 Image CAN	2:30.9
3	1	Kaye Hall	👁 Image USA	2:31.1
4	3	Wendy Burrell	👁 Image GBR	2:33.2
5	2	Lynne Watson	👁 Image AUS	2:33.5
6	7	Zdenka Gašparac	👁 Image YUG	2:33.7
=7	3	María Corominas	👁 Image ESP	2:34.5
=7	4	Bénédicte Duprez	👁 Image FRA	2:34.5
9	2	Doris Kohardt	👁 Image GDR	2:34.7
10	6	Susie Atwood	👁 Image USA	2:35.2
11	3	Bep Weeteling	👁 Image NED	2:35.4
12	4	Tatyana Savelyeva	👁 Image URS	2:35.5
13	5	Sylvie Canet	👁 Image FRA	2:36.1
14	6	Angelika Kraus	👁 Image FRG	2:36.7
15	3	Coby Sikkens	👁 Image NED	2:36.9
16	6	Yvette Hafner	👁 Image AUT	2:37.7
17	2	Jeanne Warren	👁 Image CAN	2:37.9
18	5	Ulla Patrikka	👁 Image FIN	2:38.1
19	5	Anca Andreiu	👁 Image ROU	2:38.8
20	6	Anne Walton	👁 Image CAN	2:39.4
21	4	Jackie Brown	👁 Image GBR	2:40.0
22	7	Glenda Stirling	👁 Image NZL	2:40.3
=23	5	Tina Lek'veishvili	👁 Image URS	2:40.5
=23	6	Kiki Caron	👁 Image FRA	2:40.5
25	2	Patricia Sentous	👁 Image ARG	2:41.5
26	7	Francine Dauven	👁 Image BEL	2:43.5
27	4	María Procopio	👁 Image ARG	2:49.2
28	8	Felicia Ospitaletche	👁 Image URU	2:51.4
29	4	Carmen Ferracuti	👁 Image ESA	2:52.6
30	3	Rosa Hasbún	👁 Image ESA	2:56.2
–	Silvana Asturias	👁 Image GUA	–
–	Judit Bárányi	👁 Image HUN	–
–	Andrea Gyarmati	👁 Image HUN	–
–	Mária Balla-Lantos	👁 Image HUN	–
–	Lidia Ramírez	👁 Image MEX	–
–	Helen Elliott	👁 Image PHI	–
–	Adriana Comolli	👁 Image ARG	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	1	Kaye Hall	👁 Image USA	2:31.1	1:12.0 (1)	1:19.1 (1)
2	3	Coby Sikkens	👁 Image NED	2:36.9	1:17.5 (5)	1:19.4 (2)
3	2	Jeanne Warren	👁 Image CAN	2:37.9	1:16.6 (3)	1:21.3 (4)
4	6	Anne Walton	👁 Image CAN	2:39.4	1:16.9 (4)	1:22.5 (5)
5	4	Jackie Brown	👁 Image GBR	2:40.0	1:14.5 (2)	1:25.5 (7)
6	5	Tina Lek'veishvili	👁 Image URS	2:40.5	1:19.5 (6)	1:21.0 (3)
7	7	Francine Dauven	👁 Image BEL	2:43.5	1:19.7 (7)	1:23.8 (6)

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	3	María Corominas	👁 Image ESP	2:34.5	1:15.9 (3)	1:18.6 (1)
2	4	Tatyana Savelyeva	👁 Image URS	2:35.5	1:15.0 (2)	1:20.5 (2)
3	5	Ulla Patrikka	👁 Image FIN	2:38.1	1:13.8 (1)	1:24.3 (4)
4	6	Kiki Caron	👁 Image FRA	2:40.5	1:17.7 (4)	1:22.8 (3)
–	Silvana Asturias	👁 Image GUA	–	– (–)	– (–)
–	Judit Bárányi	👁 Image HUN	–	– (–)	– (–)
–	Andrea Gyarmati	👁 Image HUN	–	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	2	Lynne Watson	👁 Image AUS	2:33.5	1:14.5 (1)	1:19.0 (1)
2	6	Susie Atwood	👁 Image USA	2:35.2	1:14.6 (2)	1:20.6 (3)
3	3	Bep Weeteling	👁 Image NED	2:35.4	1:15.3 (3)	1:20.1 (2)
4	5	Anca Andreiu	👁 Image ROU	2:38.8	1:17.0 (4)	1:21.8 (4)
5	4	María Procopio	👁 Image ARG	2:49.2	1:21.7 (5)	1:27.5 (5)
–	Mária Balla-Lantos	👁 Image HUN	–	– (–)	– (–)
–	Lidia Ramírez	👁 Image MEX	–	– (–)	– (–)
–	Helen Elliott	👁 Image PHI	–	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	5	Elaine Tanner	👁 Image CAN	2:30.9	1:13.7 (2)	1:17.2 (1)
2	3	Wendy Burrell	👁 Image GBR	2:33.2	1:12.8 (1)	1:20.4 (4)
3	2	Doris Kohardt	👁 Image GDR	2:34.7	1:14.9 (3)	1:19.8 (2)
4	6	Angelika Kraus	👁 Image FRG	2:36.7	1:16.4 (4)	1:20.3 (3)
5	7	Glenda Stirling	👁 Image NZL	2:40.3	1:18.9 (5)	1:21.4 (5)
6	4	Carmen Ferracuti	👁 Image ESA	2:52.6	1:23.6 (6)	1:29.0 (6)
–	Adriana Comolli	👁 Image ARG	–	– (–)	– (–)

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	1	Pokey Watson	👁 Image USA	2:29.2	1:13.8 (2)	1:15.4 (1)
2	7	Zdenka Gašparac	👁 Image YUG	2:33.7	1:13.5 (1)	1:20.2 (4)
3	4	Bénédicte Duprez	👁 Image FRA	2:34.5	1:15.5 (3)	1:19.0 (3)
4	5	Sylvie Canet	👁 Image FRA	2:36.1	1:17.8 (5)	1:18.3 (2)
5	6	Yvette Hafner	👁 Image AUT	2:37.7	1:17.2 (4)	1:20.5 (5)
6	2	Patricia Sentous	👁 Image ARG	2:41.5	1:19.5 (6)	1:22.0 (6)
7	8	Felicia Ospitaletche	👁 Image URU	2:51.4	1:25.4 (8)	1:26.0 (7)
8	3	Rosa Hasbún	👁 Image ESA	2:56.2	1:22.3 (7)	1:33.9 (8)

Final Round

Date	25 October 1968 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time	100 m	100-200 m
1	4	Pokey Watson	👁 Image USA	2:24.8	1:10.4 (2)	1:14.4 (1)
2	5	Elaine Tanner	👁 Image CAN	2:27.4	1:09.1 (1)	1:18.3 (4)
3	3	Kaye Hall	👁 Image USA	2:28.9	1:12.1 (4)	1:16.8 (2)
4	2	Lynne Watson	👁 Image AUS	2:29.5	1:12.5 (5)	1:17.0 (3)
5	6	Wendy Burrell	👁 Image GBR	2:32.3	1:12.9 (6)	1:19.4 (6)
6	7	Zdenka Gašparac	👁 Image YUG	2:33.5	1:11.8 (3)	1:21.7 (8)
7	1	María Corominas	👁 Image ESP	2:33.9	1:14.6 (7)	1:19.3 (5)
8	8	Bénédicte Duprez	👁 Image FRA	2:36.6	1:15.4 (8)	1:21.2 (7)

URL: https://www.olympedia.org/results/6078

⇱ Olympedia – 200 metres Backstroke, Women