The men's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place between August 12 and 14 at the Beijing National Aquatics Center. 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 the breaststroke

Breaststroke

The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...

. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of four lengths of the pool.

Seven heats were held, with most containing the maximum number of swimmers (eight). The heat in which a swimmer competed did not formally matter for advancement, as the swimmers with the top sixteen times from the entire field qualified for the semifinals. Two semifinal heats of eight swimmers each were held. The swimmers with the eight fastest times again advanced to the finals; there, they all competed in a single final heat to earn final placements.

The qualifying standards were for the 2008 event were 2:13.70 (A norm) and 2:18.37 (B norm). Nations with two or more swimmers meeting the A standard could enter any two such swimmers; otherwise, they could enter a single swimmer meeting the B standard.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.

Date	Event	Name	Nationality	Time	OR	WR
August 12	Heat 5	Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini is an Italian breaststroke swimmer. He was European Champion in 2004, both short and long course in 200 m breaststroke...		2:08.98	OR
August 12	Heat 7	Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta is a Hungarian swimmer and former Olympic record holder in the 200m breaststroke set on August 12, 2008...		2:08.68	OR
August 13	Semifinal 1	Kosuke Kitajima Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...		2:08.61	OR
August 14	Final	Kosuke Kitajima Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...		2:07.64	OR

Heat 1

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	4	Edvinas Dautartas Edvinas Dautartas Edvinas Dautartas is a swimmer from Lithuania. He participated in the 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics. National records holder....		2:13.11
2	6	Sandeep Sejwal Sandeep Sejwal Sandeep Sejwal , is an Indian swimmer. He contested in the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but failed to reach the finals in both events.-Career:...		2:15.24
3	2	Leopoldo José Andara González		2:17.77
4	5	Omer Aslanoglu		2:17.93
5	3	Sergio Andres Ferreyra		2:20.10

Heat 2

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	4	Carlos Almeida		2:13.34
2	3	Jakob Johann Sveinsson Jakob Jóhann Sveinsson Jakob Sveinsson is a 3-time Olympic swimmer from Iceland who started swimming for S.C. Ægir in 1991. He swam for Iceland at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics....		2:15.58
3	8	Laurent Carnol		2:15.87
4	5	Sujong Sin		2:16.21
5	6	Martti Aljand		2:16.52
6	2	Miguel Molina Miguel Molina (swimmer) Miguel Molina is a swimmer from the Philippines. He represented the country in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. Attended St. Mary's International School in Tokyo.-References:*...		2:16.94
7	1	Wei-Wen Wang		2:17.20
8	7	Valentin Preda		DNS

Heat 3

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	3	Thiago Pereira Thiago Pereira Thiago Machado Vilela Pereira is an international competition swimmer from Brazil. He became known in his native country after winning the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2003.Pereira's biggest success came one year...		2:11.40
2	5	Tom Be'eri Tom Be'eri Tom Beeri is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Biography:He is Jewish.He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.-References:...		2:11.44
3	4	Melquiades Alvarez Melquíades Álvarez Melquíades Álvarez Gónzalez-Posada was a Spanish Republican politician, founder and leader of the Reformist Republican Party , commonly known just as Reformist Party....		2:12.59
4	2	Jiří Jedlička		2:15.79
5	8	Romanos Iasonas Alyfantis		2:16.04
6	7	Sofiane Daid Sofiane Daid Sofiane Daid is a two-time Olympic breaststroke swimmer from Algeria. He swam for Algeria at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.He has swum for Algeria at the:*Olympics: 2004, 2008*All-Africa Games: 2003, 2007*Mediterranean Games: 2005...		2:16.15
7	6	Zhongjian Lai		2:16.28
8	1	Robin van Aggele Robin van Aggele Robin van Aggele is an Olympic and national-record-holding swimmer from the Netherlands who is the most all-round Dutch swimmer since Marcel Wouda....		2:17.14

Heat 4

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	7	Andrew Bree Andrew Bree Andrew Patrick Bree is a breaststroke swimmer from Helen's Bay, Co. Down Northern Ireland. He is a 2-time Irish Olympian, having swum at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics....		2:10.91	Q
2	6	Glenn Snyders		2:11.19	Q
3	1	Istvan Hunor Mate		2:11.56
4	5	Yevgeniy Ryzhkov Yevgeniy Ryzhkov Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Ryzhkov is a Kazakhstani swimmer, who won the bronze medal over 200 m breaststroke at the 2006 Short Course World Championships.-Achievements:*2006 FINA Short Course World Championships - bronze medal...		2:12.44
5	8	Julien Nicolardot		2:12.76
6	3	Sergio García		2:14.30
7	2	Maxim Podoprigora Maxim Podoprigora Maxim Podoprigora is an Austrian Olympic swimmer.He is Jewish, and was born in Kyiv, Ukraine.He studied at the University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria...		2:14.43
8	4	James Kirton James Kirton James Alexander Kirton is a British breaststroke swimmer.Kirton represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 m breaststroke swimming event.-External links:**...		2:15.25

Heat 5

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2	Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini is an Italian breaststroke swimmer. He was European Champion in 2004, both short and long course in 200 m breaststroke...		2:08.98	Q, OR, ER
2	5	Scott Spann Scott Spann -Career:At the 2008 US Olympic trials, Spann won the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.97, earning a spot on the US Olympic Team roster. Spann also placed third in the 100m breaststroke at trials in 1:00.59....		2:10.61	Q
3	3	Kristopher Gilchrist Kristopher Gilchrist Kristopher Jon "Kris" Gilchrist is a British breaststroke swimmer.Gilchrist represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke swimming events....		2:11.13	Q
4	4	Grigory Falko Grigory Falko Grigory Falko is an Olympic and national-record-holding breaststroke swimmer from Russia. He swam for Russia at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.He ha swam for Russia at:*Olympics: 2004, 2008...		2:11.88
5	8	Mihail Alexandrov		2:11.94
6	6	Christian Sprenger Christian Sprenger Christian David Sprenger is an Australian breaststroke swimmer. He trains at the Commercial Swimming Club under Stephan Widmar.-Swimming career:...		2:12.56
7	1	Mathieu Bois Mathieu Bois Mathieu Bois is a male swimmer from Canada, who mostly competes in the breaststroke events. He claimed a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....		2:12.87
8	7	Alexey Zinovyev		2:16.40

Heat 6

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	6	Mike Andrew Brown		2:09.84	Q
2	3	Eric Shanteau Eric Shanteau Eric Lee Shanteau is an American Olympic swimmer. He lives and trains in Austin, Texas.-College:...		2:10.29	Q
3	2	William Diering		2:10.39	Q
4	7	Neil Versfeld		2:10.50	Q
5	4	Brenton Rickard Brenton Rickard Brenton Scott Rickard is a breaststroke swimmer from Australia. He emerged at the international level in 2006, swimming at the Commonwealth games...		2:11.00	Q
6	5	Alexander Dale Oen Alexander Dale Oen Alexander Dale Oen is a Norwegian swimmer. He represents the club Vestkantsvømmerne. Dale Oen's gold at the 2008 European Championships made him the first Norwegian male to win a medal at a major international long course championship.Oen got his international breakthrough in 2005, placing seventh...		2:11.30
7	1	Henrique Barbosa		2:12.99
8	8	Chris Christensen Chris Christensen Chris Christensen is a Danish swimmer. He participated for the first time at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the disciplines 200 metre breaststroke and the 200 metre individual medley. His swimming club is West-Swim Esbjerg.-References:...		2:13.92

Heat 7

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	6	Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta is a Hungarian swimmer and former Olympic record holder in the 200m breaststroke set on August 12, 2008...		2:08.68	Q, OR, ER
2	2	Loris Facci Loris Facci Loris Facci is a breaststroke swimmer from Italy, who won the bronze medal in the men's 200 metres breaststroke event at the 2007 World Championships. He represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.-References:*...		2:09.12	Q
3	5	Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq is an Olympic breaststroke swimmer from France. He swam for France at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He has won three Olympic bronze medals....		2:09.42	Q
4	4	Kosuke Kitajima Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...		2:09.89	Q
5	7	Vladislav Polyakov Vladislav Polyakov Vlad Polyakov is an Olympic breaststroke swimmer from Kazakhstan. He swam for his native country at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....		2:10.83	Q
6	1	Igor Borysik Igor Borysik Ihor Borysyk is a Ukrainian swimmer. He was born in Simferopol.-External links:*...		2:11.08	Q
7	3	Yuta Suenaga		2:11.30
8	8	Valerii Dymo		2:11.65

Semifinal 1

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	3	Kosuke Kitajima Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...		2:08.61	Q, OR
3	2	Scott Spann Scott Spann -Career:At the 2008 US Olympic trials, Spann won the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.97, earning a spot on the US Olympic Team roster. Spann also placed third in the 100m breaststroke at trials in 1:00.59....		2:09.08	Q
7	4	Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini is an Italian breaststroke swimmer. He was European Champion in 2004, both short and long course in 200 m breaststroke...		2:09.95	Q
8	5	Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq is an Olympic breaststroke swimmer from France. He swam for France at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He has won three Olympic bronze medals....		2:09.97	Q
11	7	Andrew Bree Andrew Bree Andrew Patrick Bree is a breaststroke swimmer from Helen's Bay, Co. Down Northern Ireland. He is a 2-time Irish Olympian, having swum at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics....		2:10.16
12	6	William Diering		2:10.21
14	1	Igor Borysik Igor Borysik Ihor Borysyk is a Ukrainian swimmer. He was born in Simferopol.-External links:*...		2:10.99
16	8	Glenn Snyders		2:12.07

Semifinal 2

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
2	3	Mike Brown Mike Brown (swimmer) Mike Brown is a Canadian swimmer. He started swimming at age seven and is a student at the University of Calgary. His best finish at a world championships was at the 2005 championships in Montreal, Canada when he finished 2nd in the 200 m breaststroke. Brown won gold at the Commonwealth Games...		2:08.88	Q, OC
4	1	Brenton Rickard Brenton Rickard Brenton Scott Rickard is a breaststroke swimmer from Australia. He emerged at the international level in 2006, swimming at the Commonwealth games...		2:09.72	Q
5	4	Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta is a Hungarian swimmer and former Olympic record holder in the 200m breaststroke set on August 12, 2008...		2:09.73	Q
6	5	Loris Facci Loris Facci Loris Facci is a breaststroke swimmer from Italy, who won the bronze medal in the men's 200 metres breaststroke event at the 2007 World Championships. He represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.-References:*...		2:09.75	Q
9	3	Neil Versfeld		2:10.06
10	6	Eric Shanteau Eric Shanteau Eric Lee Shanteau is an American Olympic swimmer. He lives and trains in Austin, Texas.-College:...		2:10.10
13	8	Kristopher Gilchrist Kristopher Gilchrist Kristopher Jon "Kris" Gilchrist is a British breaststroke swimmer.Gilchrist represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke swimming events....		2:10.27	NR
15	7	Vladislav Polyakov Vladislav Polyakov Vlad Polyakov is an Olympic breaststroke swimmer from Kazakhstan. He swam for his native country at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics....		2:11.87

Final

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	4	Kosuke Kitajima Kosuke Kitajima is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Major achievements:...		2:07.64
	6	Brenton Rickard Brenton Rickard Brenton Scott Rickard is a breaststroke swimmer from Australia. He emerged at the international level in 2006, swimming at the Commonwealth games...		2:08.88	OC
	8	Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq Hugues Duboscq is an Olympic breaststroke swimmer from France. He swam for France at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He has won three Olympic bronze medals....		2:08.94
4	5	Mike Brown Mike Brown (swimmer) Mike Brown is a Canadian swimmer. He started swimming at age seven and is a student at the University of Calgary. His best finish at a world championships was at the 2005 championships in Montreal, Canada when he finished 2nd in the 200 m breaststroke. Brown won gold at the Commonwealth Games...		2:09.03
5	2	Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta Dániel Gyurta is a Hungarian swimmer and former Olympic record holder in the 200m breaststroke set on August 12, 2008...		2:09.22
6	3	Scott Spann Scott Spann -Career:At the 2008 US Olympic trials, Spann won the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.97, earning a spot on the US Olympic Team roster. Spann also placed third in the 100m breaststroke at trials in 1:00.59....		2:09.76
7	7	Loris Facci Loris Facci Loris Facci is a breaststroke swimmer from Italy, who won the bronze medal in the men's 200 metres breaststroke event at the 2007 World Championships. He represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.-References:*...		2:10.57
8	1	Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini Paolo Bossini is an Italian breaststroke swimmer. He was European Champion in 2004, both short and long course in 200 m breaststroke...		2:11.48