Overview
The men's 200 metre backstroke was contested at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, which were held in Shanghai, China. The competition took place at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center over two days, with heats and semifinals conducted on 26 July 2011 and the final on 27 July 2011.
Competition format
- Heats: All entered swimmers were divided into several heats; the 16 fastest times advanced to the semifinals.
- Semifinals: Two semifinal races were held; the eight swimmers with the best times qualified for the final.
- Final: The eight qualifiers competed for the medals.
Existing records before the event
- World record: 1:51.92, set by Aaron Peirsol (USA) on 22 July 2009.
- Championship record: 1:52.38, also held by Aaron Peirsol from the 2009 World Championships.
No world or championship records were broken during the 2011 competition.
Results
All times are recorded in minutes and seconds.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Radosław Kawęcki | Poland (POL) | 1:55.58 |
| Silver | Ryan Lochte | United States (USA) | 1:55.71 |
| Bronze | Ryosuke Irie | Japan (JPN) | 1:55.93 |
| 4 | Jiayu Tang | China (CHN) | 1:56.02 |
| 5 | Arkady Vyatchanin | Russia (RUS) | 1:56.08 |
| 6 | James Goddard | Great Britain (GBR) | 1:56.21 |
| 7 | Alejandro Gómez | Spain (ESP) | 1:56.45 |
| 8 | Mirco Pizzolini | Italy (ITA) | 1:56.71 |
Heats
A total of 45 swimmers from 30 nations participated in the preliminary heats. The top 16 times progressed to the semifinals; the cutoff for advancement was 1:58.34.
Semifinals
The semifinals were held later on the same day. The eight fastest swimmers across both semifinal heats qualified for the final. The slowest qualifying time was 1:57.20.
Final
The final took place on 27 July 2011, with Radosław Kawęcki securing the gold medal and the first world‑championship title for Poland in a men's backstroke event. Ryan Lochte took silver, and Ryosuke Irie earned bronze.
Medal summary
| Medal | Athlete | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Radosław Kawęcki | Poland |
| Silver | Ryan Lochte | United States |
| Bronze | Ryosuke Irie | Japan |
References
- FINA, Official Results – 2011 World Aquatics Championships, Swimming – Men's 200 m Backstroke (PDF).
- Shanghai Oriental Sports Center – Event Schedule and Results, 2011.
All information presented reflects the data published by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the organizing committee of the 2011 World Aquatics Championships.
