| Final | time | +time | L |   |  | 1. Michael Phelps |  USA | 1:54.27 |   | 03 |  Stats |  | 2. Ryan Lochte |  USA | 1:54.90 | +0.63s | 04 |  Stats |  | 3. Laszlo Cseh |  HUN | 1:56.22 | +1.95s | 05 |  Stats |  | 4. Thiago Pereira |  BRA | 1:56.74 | +2.47s | 06 |  Stats |  | 5. Kosuke Hagino |  JPN | 1:57.35 | +3.08s | 02 |  Stats |  | 6. Ken Takakuwa |  JPN | 1:58.53 | +4.26s | 07 |  Stats |  | 7. James Goddard |  GBR | 1:59.05 | +4.78s | 01 |  Stats |  | 8. Markus Deibler |  GER | 1:59.10 | +4.83s | 08 |  Stats |   
 | 
 | 
   |  | Michael Phelps |   
 | 
 |  
|  . - Wednesday 01.08 20:43 |  |  Chad le Clos withdrew from the Final. |   
| Semi 1 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Ryan Lochte |  USA | 1:56.13 | - | 04 | 1. |  Times |  | 2. Michael Phelps |  USA | 1:57.11 | 0.98s | 05 | 3. |  Times |  | 3. James Goddard |  GBR | 1:58.49 | 2.36s | 03 | 7. |  Times |  | 4. Gal Nevo |  ISR | 1:59.17 | 3.04s | 07 | 10. |  Times |  | 5. Henrique Rodrigues |  BRA | 1:59.58 | 3.45s | 02 | 12. |  Times |  | 6. Vytautas Janusaitis |  LTU | 2:00.13 | 4.00s | 01 | 13. |  Times |  | 7. Andrew Ford |  CAN | 2:01.58 | 5.45s | 08 | 15. |  Times |  | -. Markus Rogan |  AUT | DQ |   | 06 |   |  Times |   
| Semi 2 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Laszlo Cseh |  HUN | 1:56.74 | - | 04 | 2. |  Times |  | 2. Thiago Pereira |  BRA | 1:57.45 | 0.71s | 03 | 4. |  Times |  | 3. Kosuke Hagino |  JPN | 1:57.95 | 1.21s | 05 | 5. |  Times |  | 4. Ken Takakuwa |  JPN | 1:58.31 | 1.57s | 02 | 6. |  Times |  | 5. Chad le Clos |  RSA | 1:58.49 | 1.75s | 07 | 7. |  Times |  | 6. Markus Deibler |  GER | 1:58.88 | 2.14s | 06 | 9. |  Times |  | 7. Joe Roebuck |  GBR | 1:59.57 | 2.83s | 08 | 11. |  Times |  | 8. Daniel Tranter |  AUS | 2:00.46 | 3.72s | 01 | 14. |  Times |   
 | 
 | 
 | 
|   | S | F |  | Semi 1 |   | 3  |  | Semi 2 |   | 5  |  | Heat 5 | 7 | 2  |  | Heat 4 | 4 | 3 |  | Heat 3 | 4 | 3 |  | Heat 2 | 1 |  | Heat 1  |   
 |  
| Heat 5 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Ryan Lochte |  USA | 1:58.03 | - | 04 | 2. |  Times |  | 2. Thiago Pereira |  BRA | 1:58.31 | 0.28s | 05 | 5. |  Times |  | 3. Markus Deibler |  GER | 1:58.61 | 0.58s | 03 | 7. |  Times |  | 4. Henrique Rodrigues |  BRA | 1:59.37 | 1.34s | 07 | 10. |  Times |  | 5. Gal Nevo |  ISR | 1:59.56 | 1.53s | 08 | 12. |  Times |  | 6. Daniel Tranter |  AUS | 1:59.70 | 1.67s | 06 | 13. |  Times |  | 7. Vytautas Janusaitis |  LTU | 1:59.84 | 1.81s | 01 | 14. |  Times |  | 8. David Verraszto |  HUN | 2:04.53 | 6.50s | 02 | 35. |  Times |   
| Heat 4 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Kosuke Hagino |  JPN | 1:58.22 | - | 03 | 3. |  Times |  | 2. Michael Phelps |  USA | 1:58.24 | 0.02s | 04 | 4. |  Times |  | 3. Markus Rogan |  AUT | 1:58.66 | 0.44s | 05 | 8. |  Times |  | 4. Ken Takakuwa |  JPN | 1:58.82 | 0.60s | 06 | 9. |  Times |  | 5. Federico Turrini |  ITA | 2:00.63 | 2.41s | 08 | 20. |  Times |  | 6. Philip Heintz |  GER | 2:01.32 | 3.10s | 02 | 27. |  Times |  | 7. Peng Wu |  CHN | 2:01.43 | 3.21s | 01 | 30. |  Times |  | 8. Jayden Hadler |  AUS | 2:01.54 | 3.32s | 07 | 31. |  Times |   
| Heat 3 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Laszlo Cseh |  HUN | 1:57.20 | - | 04 | 1. |  Times |  | 2. James Goddard |  GBR | 1:58.56 | 1.36s | 05 | 6. |  Times |  | 3. Chad le Clos |  RSA | 1:59.45 | 2.25s | 02 | 11. |  Times |  | 4. Joe Roebuck |  GBR | 2:00.04 | 2.84s | 03 | 15. |  Times |  | 5. Diogo Carvalho |  POR | 2:00.40 | 3.20s | 01 | 18. |  Times |  | 6. Marcin Cieslak |  POL | 2:00.45 | 3.25s | 08 | 19. |  Times |  | 7. Darian Townsend |  RSA | 2:00.67 | 3.47s | 07 | 21. |  Times |  | 8. Shun Wang |  CHN | 2:00.85 | 3.65s | 06 | 22. |  Times |   
| Heat 2 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Andrew Ford |  CAN | 2:00.28 | - | 06 | 16. |  Times |  | 2. Raphael Stacchiotti |  LUX | 2:00.38 | 0.10s | 03 | 17. |  Times |  | 3. Bradley Ally |  BAR | 2:00.85 | 0.57s | 04 | 22. |  Times |  | 4. Alexander Tikhonov |  RUS | 2:01.00 | 0.72s | 05 | 24. |  Times |  | 5. Martin Liivamagi |  EST | 2:01.09 | 0.81s | 07 | 25. |  Times |  | 6. Andreas Vazaios |  GRE | 2:01.23 | 0.95s | 01 | 26. |  Times |  | 7. David Karasek |  SUI | 2:01.35 | 1.07s | 08 | 28. |  Times |  | 8. Taki Mrabet |  TUN | 2:01.41 | 1.13s | 02 | 29. |  Times |   
| Heat 1 | time | +time | L | Rk. |   |  | 1. Wonyong Jung |  KOR | 2:03.33 | - | 05 | 32. |  Times |  | 2. Maksym Shemberev |  UKR | 2:03.40 | 0.07s | 04 | 33. |  Times |  | 3. Nuttapong Ketin |  THA | 2:03.91 | 0.58s | 03 | 34. |  Times |  | 4. Ensar Hajder |  BIH | 2:05.70 | 2.37s | 06 | 36. |  Times |   
 | 
 |  
|  Total eligible to participate 36 swimmers |   
|  Olympic Qualifying Time - 2:00.17 - 18+8 |  | Daniel Tranter | AUS | 14. | Jayden Hadler | AUS | 31. |  | Henrique Rodrigues | BRA | 12. | Thiago Pereira | BRA | 4. |  | Wang Shun | CHN | 22. | Wu Peng | CHN | 30. |  | Markus Deibler | GER | 8. | Phillip Heintz | GER | 27. |  | James Goddard | GBR | 7. | Joseph Roebuck | GBR | 11. |  | László Cseh | HUN | 3. | Dávid Verrasztó | HUN | 35. |  | Kosuke Hagino | JPN | 5. | Ken Takakuwa | JPN | 6. |  | Chad le Clos | RSA | 9. | Darian Townsend | RSA | 21. |  | Michael Phelps | USA | 1. | Ryan Lochte | USA | 2. |  | Markus Rogan | AUT | 16. |  | Bradley Ally | BAR | 22. |  | Gal Nevo | ISR | 10. |  | Federico Turrini | ITA | 20. |  | Vytautas Janušaitis | LTU | 13. |  | Marcin Cieślak | POL | 19. |  | Diogo Carvalho | POR | 18. |  | Aleksandr Tikhonov | RUS | 24. |   
 | 
|  Olympic Selection Time - 2:04.38 - 9 |  | Raphael Stacchiotti | LUX | 2:00.22 | 17. |  | Andrew Ford | CAN | 2:00.92 | 15. |  | Taki Mrabet | TUN | 2:01.44 | 29. |  | Martin Liivamagi | EST | 2:01.50 | 25. |  | Andreas Vazaios | GRE | 2:01.64 | 26. |  | David Karasek | SUI | 2:10.79 | 28. |  | Maksym Shemberev | UKR | 2:02.37 | 33. |  | Jung Won-Yong | KOR | 2:02.50 | 32. |  | Nuttapong Ketin | THA | 2:02.90 | 34. |   
 | 
|  Wildcard Places - 1 |  | Ensar Hajder | BIH | 36. |   
 |  
| Olympic Qualification time | time | place | date | birth |  | 1. Ryan Lochte | USA | 1:54.00 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 03/08/1984 |  | 2. Michael Phelps | USA | 1:54.16 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 30/06/1985 |  | 3. Laszlo Cseh | HUN | 1:56.66 | Debrecen(HUN) | 21.05.2012 | 03/12/1985 |  | 4. Thiago Pereira | BRA | 1:57.11 | Rio de Janeiro(BRA) | 24.04.2012 | 26/01/1986 |  | 5. Markus Rogan | AUT | 1:57.74 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 04/05/1982 |  | 6. James Goddard | GBR | 1:57.79 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 30/03/1983 |  | 7. Markus Deibler | GER | 1:57.82 | Berlin(GER) | 10.05.2012 | 28/01/1990 |  | 8. Kosuke Hagino | JPN | 1:58.01 | Tokyo(JPN) | 02.04.2012 | 15/08/1994 |  | 9. Joe Roebuck | GBR | 1:58.16 | London(GBR) | 03.03.2012 | 05/06/1985 |  | 10.Daniel Tranter | AUS | 1:58.19 | Adelaide(AUS) | 15.03.2012 | 11/01/1992 |  | 11.Ken Takakuwa | JPN | 1:58.20 | Tokyo(JPN) | 02.04.2012 | 25/03/1985 |  | 12.Shun Wang | CHN | 1:58.56 | Rizhao(CHN) | 21.09.2011 | 11/02/1994 |  | 13.David Verraszto | HUN | 1:58.69 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 22/08/1988 |  | 14.Philip Heintz | GER | 1:58.82 | Berlin(GER) | 10.05.2012 | 21/02/1991 |  | 15.Chad Le Clos | RSA | 1:58.87 | Durban(RSA) | 16.04.2012 | 12/04/1992 |  | 16.Henrique Rodrigues | BRA | 1:58.91 | Rio de Janeiro(BRA) | 24.04.2012 | 04/02/1991 |  | 17.Jayden Hadler | AUS | 1:58.99 | Adelaide(AUS) | 15.03.2012 | 23/09/1993 |  | 18.Darian Townsend | RSA | 1:59.06 | Port Elizabeth(RSA) | 11.04.2011 | 28/08/1984 |  | 19.Vytautas Janusaitis | LTU | 1:59.43 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 13/10/1981 |  | 20.Peng Wu | CHN | 1:59.50 | Shaoxing(CHN) | 01.04.2012 | 16/05/1987 |  | 21.Diogo Carvalho | POR | 1:59.51 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 26/03/1988 |  | 22.Gal Nevo | ISR | 1:59.62 | Debrecen(HUN) | 21.05.2012 | 29/06/1987 |  | 23.Federico Turrini | ITA | 1:59.64 | Riccione(ITA) | 06.03.2012 | 21/07/1987 |  | 24.Marcin Cieslak | POL | 1:59.77 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 07/04/1992 |  | 25.Bradley Ally | BAR | 2:00.03 | Shanghai(CHN) | 24.07.2011 | 11/12/1986 |  | 26.Alexander Tikhonov | RUS | 2:00.14 | Moscow(RUS) | 18.04.2011 | 04/05/1988 |   
 | 
 |  
 |