Men 200m Breaststroke Swimming Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August

Men 200m Breaststroke Swimming Olympic Games 1948 London, Great Britain - Saturday, 7th August - Gold Medal: Joe Verdeur, United States

Final 15:00		time		gap	L	Y
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:39.3	OR		5	22
2. Keith Carter	United States	2:40.2		+0.9s	4	23
3. Robert Sohl	United States	2:43.9		+4.6s	7	20
4. John Davies	Australia	2:45.7		+6.4s	2	19
5. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:46.1		+6.8s	1	31
6. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:46.4		+7.1s	3	27
7. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:47.5		+8.2s	6	_
8. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:47.6		+8.3s	8	19

32 Competitors from 20 Nations. Empire Pool.

World Record: Joe Verdeur, United States 2:30.0 New Haven, United States 28th June 1948

Olympic Record: Tetsuo Hamuro, Japan 2:41.5 Berlin, Germany 15th August 1936

Todor 66	index Swimming OG
index London 1948	index Swimming London 1948


Men 100m Freestyle	Women 100m Freestyle
Men 400m Freestyle	Women 400m Freestyle
Men 1500m Freestyle
Men 100m Backstroke	Women 100m Backstroke
Men 200m Breaststroke	Women 200m Breaststroke
Men 4x200m Freestyle Relay	Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay

1936 Men 200m Breaststroke

Men 200m Breaststroke History

1952 Men 200m Breaststroke

Joe Verdeur entered the Games as an outstanding favourite for this event having broken the world record on six occasions in the preceding two years. Whilst his times in London were well down on his record breaking performances he led the United States to a clean sweep of the podium positions.
The superiority of the butterfly technique in this event was evident in the fact that only one of the finalists used the traditional breaststroke and he, Bob Bonte of Holland, finished eighth and last. Out of 32 entrants, 20 used the butterfly stroke including twelve of the sixteen semi-finalists.
Artem Nakache of France, a veteran of the Berlin Games, bowed out in the semi-finals but his achievement in returning to the Olympic arena was remarkable. A Jew, he had been deported to Auschwitz in 1944 and his wife and daughter both died there.

Semi-Finals (1/2) - Friday, 6th August 17:00

Best 8 times advanced to Final.

Semi 1		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:43.7	+3.0s	4	_	3.
2. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:43.9	+3.2s	6	27	4.
3. Robert Sohl	United States	2:44.4	+3.7s	5	20	5.
4. John Davies	Australia	2:44.8	+4.1s	3	19	6.
5. Roy Romain	Great Britain	2:49.6	+8.9s	7	30	10.
6. Rene Amabuyck	Philippines	2:51.8	+11.1s	1	_	13.
7. Sigurdur Jonsson	Iceland	2:52.4	+11.7s	8	25	14.
8. Artem Nakache	France	2:59.1	+18.4s	2	32	16.

Semi 2		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:40.7		5	22	1.
2. Keith Carter	United States	2:43.0	+2.3s	4	23	2.
3. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:47.0	+6.3s	7	19	7.
4. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:47.3	+6.6s	6	31	8.
5. Sandor Nemeth	Hungary	2:48.1	+7.4s	3	22	9.
6. Walter Pavlicek	Austria	2:50.1	+9.4s	8	22	11.
7. Maurice Lusien	France	2:51.4	+10.7s	2	21	12.
8. Apolonio Castillo Diaz	Mexico	2:53.5	+12.8s	1	27	15.

Heats - Thursday, 5th August 20:00

Best 16 times advanced to Semi-Finals (1/2).

Heat 5		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:45.5	+5.5s	3	_	3.
2. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:46.3	+6.3s	1	31	4.
3. Maurice Lusien	France	2:49.5	+9.5s	6	21	11.
4. Sigurdur Th. Jonsson	Iceland	2:50.6	+10.6s	4	24	13.
5. Jiri Linhart	Czechoslovakia	2:53.8	+13.8s	8	_	17.
6. Jacinto Cayco	Philippines	2:54.0	+14.0s	2	_	18.
7. Kenneth Hallett	Australia	3:02.0	+22.0s	5	18	28.
8. Prafulla Mullick	India	3:14.9	+34.9s	7	_	31.

Heat 4		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Keith Carter	United States	2:46.3	+6.3s	1	23	4.
2. John Davies	Australia	2:48.3	+8.3s	2	19	8.
3. Walter Pavlicek	Austria	2:50.6	+10.6s	4	22	13.
4. Nicolas Wildhaber	Switzerland	2:59.2	+19.2s	7	18	24.
-. Ludevit Komadel	Czechoslovakia	DNS		5	20	-.
-. Ahmed Fouad Nessim	Egypt	DNS		3	23	-.
-. Jaffar Ali Shah	Pakistan	DNS		6	_	-.

Heat 3		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:46.4	+6.4s	5	27	6.
2. Sandor Nemeth	Hungary	2:48.2	+8.2s	2	22	7.
3. Roy Romain	Great Britain	2:49.4	+9.4s	7	30	10.
4. Walter Kunz	Switzerland	2:57.6	+17.6s	3	_	23.
5. Aprosio Cesar Benetti	Argentina	3:00.6	+20.6s	8	24	26.
6. Atli Steinarsson	Iceland	3:02.3	+22.3s	1	19	29.
7. Desmond Cohen	South Africa	3:03.3	+23.3s	6	20	30.
8. Iftikhar Ahmed Shah	Pakistan	3:28.1	+48.1s	4	_	32.

Heat 2		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:40.0	OR		7	22	1.
2. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:48.7		+8.7s	8	19	9.
3. Carlos Espejo Perez	Argentina	2:55.0		+15.0s	3	_	19.
4. Sigurdur Jonsson	Iceland	2:56.4		+16.4s	5	25	20.
5. John Goldup Davies	Great Britain	2:56.6		+16.6s	2	34	21.
6. Hans Widmer	Switzerland	2:56.7		+16.7s	4	_	22.
7. Peter Salmon	Canada	3:01.5		+21.5s	1	19	27.
-. G Kettesy	Hungary	DNS			6	_	-.

Heat 1		time	gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Robert Sohl	United States	2:44.9	+4.9s	2	20	2.
2. Artem Nakache	France	2:50.4	+10.4s	1	32	12.
3. Apolonio Castillo Diaz	Mexico	2:50.7	+10.7s	6	27	15.
4. Rene Amabuyck	Philippines	2:52.6	+12.6s	7	_	16.
5. John Service	Great Britain	3:00.4	+20.4s	4	17	25.
-. Laszlo Jeney	Hungary	DNS		3	25	-.
-. Peter Mingie	Canada	DNS		5	17	-.

Final 15:00		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:39.3	OR		5	22	1.
2. Keith Carter	United States	2:40.2		+0.9s	4	23	2.
3. Robert Sohl	United States	2:43.9		+4.6s	7	20	3.
4. John Davies	Australia	2:45.7		+6.4s	2	19	4.
5. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:46.1		+6.8s	1	31	5.
6. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:46.4		+7.1s	3	27	6.
7. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:47.5		+8.2s	6	_	7.
8. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:47.6		+8.3s	8	19	8.
Semis		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:40.7			5	22	1.
2. Keith Carter	United States	2:43.0		+2.3s	4	23	2.
1. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:43.7		+3.0s	4	_	3.
2. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:43.9		+3.2s	6	27	4.
3. Robert Sohl	United States	2:44.4		+3.7s	5	20	5.
4. John Davies	Australia	2:44.8		+4.1s	3	19	6.
3. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:47.0		+6.3s	7	19	7.
4. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:47.3		+6.6s	6	31	8.
5. Sandor Nemeth	Hungary	2:48.1		+7.4s	3	22	9.
5. Roy Romain	Great Britain	2:49.6		+8.9s	7	30	10.
6. Walter Pavlicek	Austria	2:50.1		+9.4s	8	22	11.
7. Maurice Lusien	France	2:51.4		+10.7s	2	21	12.
6. Rene Amabuyck	Philippines	2:51.8		+11.1s	1	_	13.
7. Sigurdur Jonsson	Iceland	2:52.4		+11.7s	8	25	14.
8. Apolonio Castillo Diaz	Mexico	2:53.5		+12.8s	1	27	15.
8. Artem Nakache	France	2:59.1		+18.4s	2	32	16.
Heats		time		gap	L	Y	Rk
1. Joe Verdeur	United States	2:40.0	OR		7	22	1.
1. Robert Sohl	United States	2:44.9		+4.9s	2	20	2.
1. Ahmed Kandil	Egypt	2:45.5		+5.5s	3	_	3.
1. Keith Carter	United States	2:46.3		+6.3s	1	23	4.
2. Tone Cerer	Yugoslavia	2:46.3		+6.3s	1	31	4.
1. Willy Otto Jordan	Brazil	2:46.4		+6.4s	5	27	6.
2. Sandor Nemeth	Hungary	2:48.2		+8.2s	2	22	7.
2. John Davies	Australia	2:48.3		+8.3s	2	19	8.
2. Bob Herbert Bonte	Netherlands	2:48.7		+8.7s	8	19	9.
3. Roy Romain	Great Britain	2:49.4		+9.4s	7	30	10.
3. Maurice Lusien	France	2:49.5		+9.5s	6	21	11.
2. Artem Nakache	France	2:50.4		+10.4s	1	32	12.
4. Sigurdur Th. Jonsson	Iceland	2:50.6		+10.6s	4	24	13.
3. Walter Pavlicek	Austria	2:50.6		+10.6s	4	22	13.
3. Apolonio Castillo Diaz	Mexico	2:50.7		+10.7s	6	27	15.
4. Rene Amabuyck	Philippines	2:52.6		+12.6s	7	_	16.
5. Jiri Linhart	Czechoslovakia	2:53.8		+13.8s	8	_	17.
6. Jacinto Cayco	Philippines	2:54.0		+14.0s	2	_	18.
3. Carlos Espejo Perez	Argentina	2:55.0		+15.0s	3	_	19.
4. Sigurdur Jonsson	Iceland	2:56.4		+16.4s	5	25	20.
5. John Goldup Davies	Great Britain	2:56.6		+16.6s	2	34	21.
6. Hans Widmer	Switzerland	2:56.7		+16.7s	4	_	22.
4. Walter Kunz	Switzerland	2:57.6		+17.6s	3	_	23.
4. Nicolas Wildhaber	Switzerland	2:59.2		+19.2s	7	18	24.
5. John Service	Great Britain	3:00.4		+20.4s	4	17	25.
5. Aprosio Cesar Benetti	Argentina	3:00.6		+20.6s	8	24	26.
7. Peter Salmon	Canada	3:01.5		+21.5s	1	19	27.
7. Kenneth Hallett	Australia	3:02.0		+22.0s	5	18	28.
6. Atli Steinarsson	Iceland	3:02.3		+22.3s	1	19	29.
7. Desmond Cohen	South Africa	3:03.3		+23.3s	6	20	30.
8. Prafulla Mullick	India	3:14.9		+34.9s	7	_	31.
8. Iftikhar Ahmed Shah	Pakistan	3:28.1		+48.1s	4	_	32.
-. Laszlo Jeney	Hungary	DNS			3	25	-.
-. Peter Mingie	Canada	DNS			5	17	-.
-. G Kettesy	Hungary	DNS			6	_	-.
-. Ludevit Komadel	Czechoslovakia	DNS			5	20	-.
-. Ahmed Fouad Nessim	Egypt	DNS			3	23	-.
-. Jaffar Ali Shah	Pakistan	DNS			6	_	-.

Prepared and maintained by Todor Krastev

todor1966@yahoo.com
Last updated: 17 Apr 2023
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