During the final held on 30 July 2021, China's defending bronze medallist Wang Shun won Asia's first title in the event. Initially leading after the halfway mark, Wang was overtaken by USA's Michael Andrew after the breaststroke leg. At the final freestyle leg, Wang overtook Andrew to touch first in an Asian record of 1:55.00. With the performance, Wang became the third fastest performer in the event behind the famed U.S. duo of Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps. Great Britain's Duncan Scott similarly charged home in the freestyle leg but could not catch Wang, settling for his second silver at these Games in 1:55.28. Fourth after the breaststroke leg, Switzerland's
Jérémy Desplanches (1:56.17) edged out the home favourite
Daiya Seto (1:56.22) on the home straight by 5-hundredths of a second for bronze. Meanwhile, after failing to make the final in the longer medley event days earlier, the reigning World champion Seto again fell short of the podium, taking fourth. Coming into the Olympics as the fastest swimmer in the world in 2021 by 0.76 seconds, the U.S.'
Michael Andrew used his typical "fly-and-die" strategy to establish a one second lead on the field at the 150 m mark. However, Andrew faded dramatically over the freestyle lap, splitting 30.69 to finish fifth in 1:57.31 - two seconds behind his personal best time from trials. Japan's defending silver medallist Kosuke Hagino (1:57.40) could not repeat his podium finish from five years earlier, taking sixth in his last Olympics performance. Though Hungarian legend
László Cseh (1:57.68) was second after the butterfly leg, he was soon overtaken by the field to finish in seventh. With this event being his only one at these Games, Cseh announced his retirement from competitive swimming after the race. New Zealand's Lewis Clareburt (1:57.70), finalist in the longer medley event days earlier, rounded out the championship field. Notably, the U.S.' 4-time defending champion Michael Phelps did not contest the event following his retirement in 2016. ==Records==