[1] After finishing fifth in Sydney four years earlier, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps added a second gold to his collection.

Stephen Parry ended Great Britain's 8-year medal drought with a bronze in 1:55.52.

[2] Parry also put his teammate Melanie Marshall on the spot to fulfill her promise of shaving her head if the Brits won a single swimming medal in Athens.

Defending Olympic champion Tom Malchow rounded out the final to eighth place in 1:57.48, matching his semifinal time in the process.

[2] Other notable swimmers missed the top 8 final, featuring Denys Sylantyev (Ukraine), Justin Norris (Australia), Franck Esposito (France), and Anatoly Polyakov (Russia).