Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke
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The men's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 1956 Olympic Games took place between 30 November and 6 December.[1] This swimming event used the breaststroke. Because an Olympic-size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of four lengths of the pool.
Medalists
Gold | Masaru Furukawa![]() |
Silver | Masahiro Yoshimura![]() |
Bronze | Kharis Yunichev![]() |
Results
Heats
Three heats were held; the swimmers with the fastest eight times advanced to the Finals. The athletes that advanced are highlighted.
Heat One
Rank | Athlete | Country | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Masaru Furukawa | Japan | 2:36.1 |
2 | Knud Gleie | Denmark | 2:36.4 |
3 | Farid Dosayev | Soviet Union | 2:43.9 |
4 | Louis Kozma | Belgium | 2:48.4 |
5 | Shamsher Khan | India | 3:19.0 |
- | Octávio Mobiglia | Brazil | DSQ |
- | Palsons Naibula | Philippines | DSQ |
Heat Two
Rank | Athlete | Country | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Igor Zaseda | Soviet Union | 2:40.1 |
2 | Terry Gathercole | Australia | 2:40.2 |
3 | Manuel Sanguily | Cuba | 2:41.8 |
4 | Ren Kohn | Luxembourg | 2:50.9 |
5 | István Szívós | Hungary | 3:18.7 |
- | Álvaro Gómez | Colombia | DSQ |
- | Herbert Klein | Germany | DSQ |
Heat Three
Rank | Athlete | Country | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Masahiro Yoshimura | Japan | 2:38.6 |
2 | Kharis Yunichev | Soviet Union | 2:41.2 |
3 | Hugues Broussard | France | 2:43.0 |
4 | Gilbert Desmit | Belgium | 2:43.5 |
5 | Christopher Walkden | Great Britain | 2:47.1 |
6 | Robert Hughes | United States | 2:52.2 |
- | Ghulam Rasul | Pakistan | DSQ |
Final
Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Masaru Furukawa | ![]() | 2:34.7 | |
![]() | Masahiro Yoshimura | ![]() | 2:36.7 | |
![]() | Kharis Yunichev | ![]() | 2:36.8 | |
4 | Terry Gathercole | ![]() | 2:38.7 | |
5 | Igor Zaseda | ![]() | 2:39.0 | |
6 | Knud Gleie | ![]() | 2:40.0 | |
7 | Manuel Sanguily | ![]() | 2:42.0 | |
Hugues Broussard | ![]() | DSQ |
A loophole in the rules allowed swimmers to swim below the surface of the water, which was quicker and more efficient, with Furukawa spending 75% of the race underwater. Underwater swimming was banned in early 1957.[2]
Key: DSQ = Disqualified