Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games:

Brazil's César Cielo Filho was the defending champion, the 2011 World Champion, and the world record holder and was favored. Other contenders were the two Americans, US champion Cullen Jones, and 2000 co-champion Anthony Ervin, who had retired for 10 years only to return in 2011 in an attempt to make another Olympic team. The fastest qualifiers were Cielo and Jones, who dead-heated in their semi-final. Out in lane seven in the final was France's Florent Manaudou, better known as the brother of Laure Manaudou, gold medalist at Athens in 2004. Perhaps he was not seen by the favorites but it was Manaudou who came to the wall first, finishing in 21.34, the fastest ever textile time, to win the gold medal. Jones was second in 21.54, equaling his semi-final time, while Cielo came in for bronze in 21.59.