Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley explained

The men's 200 metre individual medley event at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held from 1 to 2 August 2024 at the Paris Aquatics Centre.^[1]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows:

The following record was established during the competition:

Qualification

See main article: Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification.

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter a maximum of two qualified athletes in each individual event, but only if both of them have attained the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT). One athlete per event can potentially enter if they meet the Olympic Consideration Time (OCT), or if the total quota of 852 athletes has not been targeted. NOCs may also permit swimmers regardless of time (one per gender) under a Universality place since they have no swimmers attaining either of the standard entry times (OQT/OCT).^{[2] [3]}

Following the end of the qualification window, World Aquatics will assess the number of swimmers who have achieved the OQT, the number of relay-only swimmers, and the number of Universality places, before inviting those with OCT to fulfill the total quota of 852. Additionally, OCT places will be distributed by event according to the position of the World Aquatics Rankings during the qualifying deadline.

Time standards

The qualifying time standards must be obtained at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, continental championships, continental swimming meets, national championships and selection trials, and various international meets approved by World Aquatics in the period between 1 March 2023 and 23 June 2024.^[4]

The following table outlines the qualifying time standards for Paris 2024 for this event:

* OQTs correspond to the time achieved by a fourteenth-place swimmer in his or her respective preliminary heat of each event at the previous Games.

^ OCTs are derived by adding 0.5% of the OQT standard.

Competition format

The competition consists of three rounds: heats, semifinals, and a final. The swimmers with the best 16 times in the heats advance to the semifinals. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the semifinals advance to the final. Swim-offs are used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round.

Schedule

All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Date	Time	Round
1 August 2024	10:00	Heats
	19:37	Semifinals
2 August 2024	17:30	Final

Results

Heats

Rank	Heat	Lane	Swimmer	Nation	Time	Notes
1	4	6			1:57.48
2	3	5	Duncan Scott		1:57.77
3	3	4			1:57.86
4	3	3			1:58.00
5	4	5			1:58.04
6	4	4			1:58.09
7	3	6			1:58.30
	4	3	Tom Dean		1:58.30
9	3	7			1:58.46
10	2	4			1:58.63
11	2	6			1:58.84
	3	2			1:58.84
13	2	5			1:58.97
14	4	2	Thomas Neill		1:59.13
15	4	1			1:59.41
16	3	1			2:00.79
17	2	7			2:01.99
18	2	1			2:02.24
19	4	8			2:03.40
20	1	4			2:03.45
21	2	2			2:04.01
22	1	3			2:06.48
23	1	5			2:08.10
	2	3	Hugo González
	4	7

Semifinals

The swimmers with the best 8 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the final.

Rank	Heat	Lane	Swimmer	Nation	Time	Notes
1	2	5	Léon Marchand		1:56.31
2	1	2	Carson Foster		1:56.37
3	1	4	Duncan Scott		1:56.49
4	1	3	Wang Shun		1:56.54
5	2	4	Daiya Seto		1:56.59
6	1	6	Tom Dean		1:56.92
7	1	5	Alberto Razzetti		1:57.10
8	2	1	Finlay Knox		1:57.76
9	2	3	Shaine Casas		1:57.82
10	1	7	William Petric		1:58.13
11	1	1	Thomas Neill		1:58.77
12	2	6	Ron Polonsky		1:58.89
13	2	2	Jérémy Desplanches		1:58.93
14	2	7	Lewis Clareburt		2:00.06
15	2	8	Jaouad Syoud		2:00.13
16	1	8	Apostolos Papastamos		2:01.02

Final

Rank	Lane	Swimmer	Nation	Time	Notes
	4	Léon Marchand		1:54.06	OR, ER
	3	Duncan Scott		1:55.31
	6	Wang Shun		1:56.00
4	5	Carson Foster		1:56.10
5	7	Tom Dean		1:56.46
6	1	Alberto Razzetti		1:56.82
7	2	Daiya Seto		1:57.21
8	8	Finlay Knox		1:57.26

Notes and References

1. Web site: Competition Schedule World Aquatics Official . 16 July 2024 . World Aquatics . en.
2. Web site: 5 April 2022 . Paris 2024 – Swimming Info . 12 November 2022 . World Aquatics.
3. News: Rieder . David . 3 April 2022 . Event Changes Likely as Paris 2024 Moves to Nine-Day Schedule of Finals . 12 November 2022 . Swimming World Magazine.
4. News: 3 October 2022 . Paris 2024 - Swimming Info . World Aquatics.