Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke

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{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = Men's 200 metre breaststroke

|games = 2008 Summer

|image =

|caption =

|venue = Beijing National Aquatics Center

|date =August 12, 2008 (heats)
August 13, 2008 (semifinals)
August 14, 2008 (final)

|competitors = 53

|nations = 39

|win_value = 2:07.64 {{OlyR|swimming}}

|gold = Kosuke Kitajima

|goldNOC = JPN

|silver = Brenton Rickard

|silverNOC = AUS

|bronze = Hugues Duboscq

|bronzeNOC = FRA

|prev = 2004

|next = 2012}}

{{SwimmingAt2008SummerOlympics}}

The men's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 12–14 August at the Beijing National Aquatics Center in Beijing, China.{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/schedule.aspx?dc=SW|title=Olympic Swimming Schedule|publisher=USA Today|date=9 August 2008|access-date=14 May 2013}}

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima blasted a new Olympic record of 2:07.64 to strike another breaststroke double, and to defend his title in the event. He registered a straightforward triumph over Brenton Rickard, who earned a silver medal in an Australian record of 2:08.88. France's Hugues Duboscq added a second bronze and third overall to his collection in 2:08.94, finishing just ahead of Canada's Mike Brown by almost a tenth of a second (0.10) with a time of 2:09.03.{{cite news|last=Lohn|first=John|title=Olympics, Swimming: Kosuke Kitajima Wins 200 Breast Gold With Olympic Record|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18808.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=13 August 2008|access-date=17 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509163705/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18808.asp|archive-date=9 May 2013}}{{cite news|title=Olympics: Kitajima seals double breaststroke gold|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/aug/14/olympics2008.olympicsaquatics5|publisher=Guardian.co.uk|date=13 August 2008|access-date=17 May 2013}}

Hungary's Dániel Gyurta, silver medalist in Athens four years earlier, finished outside the medals in fifth place at 2:09.22. Earlier in the prelims, he established an Olympic record by winning the final of seven heats in 2:08.68.{{cite news|last=Lohn|first=John|title=Olympics, Swimming: Olympic Record Tumbles Twice, Daniel Gyurta Paces Qualifying in 200 Breast|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18785.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=12 August 2008|access-date=17 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608175734/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18785.asp|archive-date=8 June 2013}}

U.S. swimmer Scott Spann turned in another sub-2:10 barrier to earn a sixth spot in 2:09.76. Italian tandem Loris Facci (2:10.57) and Paolo Bossini (2:11.48) closed out the field. Bossini set a new Olympic record of 2:08.98 to shave 0.46 seconds off Kitajima's mark in Athens, until Gyurta took three-tenths of a second (0.30) off the record time a few minutes later.{{cite news|last=Lonsbrough|first=Anita|title=Records tumble in breastroke and relays|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/2546936/Swimming-Record-tumble-in-breastroke-and-relays-Beijing-Olympics-2008.html|publisher=Guardian.co.uk|date=12 August 2008|access-date=17 May 2013}}

Notable swimmers failed to reach the top 8 final, featuring American Eric Shanteau, who entered the Games while battling testicular cancer, and Kazakhstan's Vladislav Polyakov, who finished fifth in Athens four years earlier. Norway's Alexander Dale Oen, silver medalist in the 100 m breaststroke, placed seventeenth in 2:11.30, but missed the semifinals by 0.11 seconds.