Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke

The men's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 1956 Olympic Games took place between 30 November and 6 December. This swimming event used the breaststroke. Because an Olympic-size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of four lengths of the pool.

Heats
Three heats were held; the swimmers with the fastest eight times advanced to the Finals. The athletes that advanced are highlighted.

Final
A loophole in the rules allowed swimmers to swim below the surface of the water, which was quicker and more efficient, with Furukawa spending 75% of the race underwater. Underwater swimming was banned in early 1957.

Key: DSQ = Disqualified