A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
This is a history of the progression of the world record for the 200-meter backstroke event. It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever swum in the event, in both long course (50-meter) and short course (25-meter) swimming pools. These records are maintained/recognized by FINA, which oversees international competitive swimming and aquatics.
The long course records are historically older than the short course records; the latter having only been recognized since the early 1990s.
Men
Long course
Old regulations
| No | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3'04"4 | Oscar Schiele |  Germany
|
27 June 1909 | Berlin, Germany[1] |
| 2 | 2'59"8 | George Arnold | Germany
|
3 January 1910 | Magdeburg, Germany |
| 3 | 2'56"4 | Maurice Wechesser |  Belgium
|
18 October 1910 | Schaerbeek, Belgium |
| 4 | 2'50"6 | Hermann Pentz | Germany
|
11 March 1911 | Magdeburg, Germany |
| 5 | 2'48"4 | Otto Fahr | Germany
|
3 April 1912 | Magdeburg, Germany |
| 6 | 2'47"1 | Walter Laufer |  United States
|
24 June 1926 | Bremen, Germany[2] |
| 7 | 2'44"9 | Walter Laufer | United States
|
11 July 1926 | Nuremberg, Germany |
| 8 | 2'38"8 | Walter Laufer | United States
|
13 July 1926 | Magdeburg, Germany[3][4] |
| 9 | 2'37"8 | Toshio Irie |  Japan
|
14 October 1928 | Tamagawa, Japan[5] |
| 10 | 2'32"2 | George Kojac | United States
|
16 June 1930 | New Haven, United States |
| 11 | 2'27"8 | Al Vande Weghe | United States
|
30 August 1934 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| 12 | 2'24"0 | Adolph Kiefer | United States
|
11 April 1935 | Chicago, United States |
| 13 | 2'23"0 | Adolph Kiefer | United States
|
23 May 1941 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| 14 | 2'22"9 | Harry Holiday | United States
|
18 May 1943 | Detroit, United States |
| 15 | 2'19"3 | Adolph Kiefer | United States
|
4 March 1944 | Annapolis, United States |
| 16 | 2'18"5 | Allen Stack | United States
|
4 May 1949 | New Haven, United States |
| 17 | 2'18"3 | Gilbert Bozon |  France
|
26 June 1953 | Algiers, Algeria |
New regulations
| # | Time | Name | Nationality | Date | Meet | Location | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:18.5 | Allen Stack | United States
|
4 May 1949 | - | New Haven, United States | [6][7] | ||
| 2:18.3 | Gilbert Bozon | France
|
26 June 1953 | - | Algiers, Algeria | [6] | ||
| 2:18.8 | John Monckton |  Australia
|
15 January 1958 | - | Sydney, Australia | [6] | ||
| 2:18.4 | John Monckton | Australia
|
18 February 1958 | - | Melbourne, Australia | [6] | ||
| 2:17.9 | Frank McKinney | United States
|
12 July 1959 | - | Los Altos, United States | [6][8] | ||
| 2:17.8 | Frank McKinney | United States
|
25 July 1959 | - | Osaka, Japan | [6][9] | ||
| 2:17.6 | Chuck Bittick | United States
|
26 June 1960 | - | Los Angeles, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:16.0 | Tom Stock | United States
|
24 July 1960 | - | Toledo, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:13.2 | Tom Stock | United States
|
2 July 1961 | - | Chicago, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:11.5 | Tom Stock | United States
|
20 August 1961 | - | Los Angeles, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:10.9 | Tom Stock | United States
|
10 August 1962 | - | Cuyahoga Falls, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:10.3 | Jed Graef | United States
|
13 October 1964 | 1964 Summer Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | [6] | ||
| 2:09.4 | Charles Hickcox | United States
|
29 August 1967 | 1967 Summer Universiade | Tokyo, Japan | [6] | ||
| 2:07.9 | Roland Matthes |  East Germany
|
8 November 1967 | - | Leipzig, East Germany | [6] | ||
| 2:07.5 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
14 August 1968 | GDR Olympic Trials | Leipzig, East Germany | [6] | ||
| 2:07.4 | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
12 July 1969 | Santa Clara Invitational | Santa Clara, United States | [6][10] | ||
| 2:06.6 | Gary Hall | United States
|
14 August 1969 | AAU Nationals | Louisville, United States | [6] | ||
| 2:06.6 | = | Roland Matthes | East Germany
|
29 August 1969 | - | Berlin, West Germany | [6] | |