Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = Men's 200 metre freestyle

|games = 2000 Summer

|image = Pieter van den Hoogenband (2008-08-25).jpg

|caption = Gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband (2008)

|venue = Sydney International Aquatic Centre

|dates = September 17, 2000 (heats &
semifinals)
September 18, 2000 (final)

|competitors = 51

|nations = 44

|win_value = 1:45.35 {{WR|swimming|eq=yes}}

|gold = Pieter van den Hoogenband

|goldNOC = NED

|silver = Ian Thorpe

|silverNOC = AUS

|bronze = Massimiliano Rosolino

|bronzeNOC = ITA

|longnames=yes

|prev = 1996

|next = 2004}}

{{SwimmingAt2000SummerOlympics}}

The men's 200 metre freestyle event at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on 17–18 September at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre in Sydney, Australia.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/olympics/2000/SWIMMING/schedule.htm|title=Swimming schedule |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=14 September 2000|accessdate=14 May 2013}} There were 51 competitors from 44 nations, with each nation having up to two swimmers (a limit in place since 1984).

Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband edged out Australia's top favorite Ian Thorpe on the final lap to claim a gold medal in the event. Stunning a massive home crowd, he touched the wall first in 1:45.35 to match his own world record from the semifinals.{{cite news|title=Flying Dutchman|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2000/swimming/news/2000/09/18/swimming_finals/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418085426/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2000/swimming/news/2000/09/18/swimming_finals/|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2001|work=Sports Illustrated|publisher=CNN|date=18 September 2000|accessdate=23 May 2013}}{{cite news|title=Dutchman ties own world record|url=https://assets.espn.go.com/oly/summer00/news/2000/0918/754488.html|publisher=ESPN|date=18 September 2000|access-date=23 May 2013}} As a result of starting harder than usual, Thorpe ended up only with a silver in 1:45.83, while Italy's Massimiliano Rosolino added a bronze to his hardware from the 400 m freestyle in a time 1:46.65.{{cite news|last=Morrissey|first=Rick|title=Thorpedo A Dud, At Least This Time|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/09/19/thorpedo-a-dud-at-least-this-time/|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=19 September 2000|access-date=23 May 2013}}{{cite news|last=Whitten|first=Phillip|title=Olympic Day 3 Finals (100 Breast, 100 Back M, 100 Back W, 200 Free)|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/1799.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=18 September 2000|accessdate=23 May 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154738/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/1799.asp|archivedate=30 September 2007}} The medals were the first in the men's 200 metre freestyle for both the Netherlands and Italy.

U.S. swimmer Josh Davis missed the podium by eight hundredths of a second (0.08), finishing with a new American record of 1:46.73. Davis was followed in fifth and sixth by British duo Paul Palmer (1:47.95) and James Salter (1:48.74).{{cite news|last=Hayward|first=Paul|title=Swimming: Thorpe stands tall as a nation is silenced|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4771752/Swimming-Thorpe-stands-tall-as-a-nation-is-silenced.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 September 2000|accessdate=23 May 2013}} Canada's Rick Say (1:48.76) and another Aussie Grant Hackett (1:49.46) closed out the field.

Earlier in the semifinals, Van den Hoogenband blasted a new world record of 1:45.35, slashing 0.16 seconds off the mark set by Thorpe from the Australian trials. One heat later, Thorpe powered home with a second-fastest time of 1:45.37, but missed taking the record back by two hundredths of a second (0.02). He also erased Yevgeny Sadovyi's 1992 Olympic record by 0.14 seconds to pick up a top seed from the prelims (1:46.56).{{cite news|last=Whitten|first=Phillip|title=Olympic Prelims: Day Two|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/1789.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=17 September 2000|accessdate=23 May 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195721/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/1789.asp|archivedate=27 September 2007}}{{cite news|last=Morris|first=Jim|title=Calgary's Curtis Myden qualifies for Olympic finals of 400 IM |url=http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesSwimming/sep17_tho.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628044626/http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesSwimming/sep17_tho.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 June 2013|publisher=Canoe.ca|date=16 September 2000|accessdate=23 May 2013}}