The women's 200-metre freestyle event at the 2001 World Aquatic Championships took place 27 July. The heats and semifinals were on 26 July.

Records Prior to this competition, the existing world and competition records were as follows: World record 1:56.78 Rome, Italy 6 September 1994Championship record 1:56.78 Rome, Italy 6 September 1994

Results

Heats Rank Swimmer Nation Time Notes 1 Claudia Poll 1:59.73 Q 2 Nadezhda Chemezova 2:00.07 Q 3 Mette Jacobsen 2:00.31 Q 4 Giaan Rooney 2:00.31 Q 5 Martina Moravcová 2:00.32 Q 6 Elka Graham 2:00.53 Q 7 Yang Yu 2:00.78 Q 8 Camelia Potec 2:00.82 Q 9 Maki Mita 2:00.93 Q 10 Sofie Goffin 2:01.03 Q 10 Nicola Jackson 2:01.03 Q 12 Karen Pickering 2:01.35 Q 13 Carla Geurts 2:01.64 Q 14 Alicia Bozon 2:01.67 Q 14 Jessica Deglau 2:01.67 Q 16 Natallia Baranouskaya 2:01.83 Q 17 Cecilia Vianini 2:02.15 18 Laura Roca 2:02.23 19 Xu Yanwei 2:02.27 20 Josefin Lillhage 2:02.31 21 Florencia Szigeti 2:02.39 22 Nicole Zahnd 2:02.60 23 Sarah Harstick 2:02.62 24 Luisa Striani 2:02.65 25 Zoi Dimoschaki 2:02.66 26 Monique Ferreira 2:03.13 27 Alessa Ries 2:03.21 28 Stefanie Williams 2:03.33 29 Olga Bogoslovenko 2:03.46 30 Colleen Lanne 2:03.52 31 Sophie Simard 2:03.75 32 Nina van Koeckhoven 2:03.95 33 Chantal Gibney 2:04.38 34 Eri Yamanoi 2:04.48 35 Ania Gustomelski 2:04.59 36 Lin Chi-Chan 2:05.50 37 Helen Nolfolk 2:06.12 38 Ivanka Moralieva 2:06.92 39 Christel Bouvron 2:07.77 40 U-Nice Chan 2:08.99 41 Maria Wong 2:09.30 42 Nicole Hayes 2:11.01 43 Lee Huei-Yun 2:14.40 – Elina Partõka DNS

Semifinals Rank Swimmer Nation Time Notes 1 Claudia Poll 1:59.45 Q 2 Giaan Rooney 1:59.62 Q 3 Yang Yu 1:59.68 Q 3 Nicola Jackson 1:59.68 Q 5 Camelia Potec 1:59.73 Q 6 Elka Graham 1:59.75 Q 7 Martina Moravcová 1:59.76 Q 8 Maki Mita 2:00.05 QSO 8 Mette Jacobsen 2:00.05 QSO 10 Nadezhda Chemezova 2:00.37 10 Natallia Baranouskaya 2:00.37 12 Karen Pickering 2:00.52 13 Alicia Bozon 2:00.95 14 Carla Geurts 2:01.71 15 Sofie Goffin 2:01.80 16 Jessica Deglau 2:02.16

Swim-off Rank Swimmer Nation Time Notes 1 Mette Jacobsen 2:00.31 Q 2 Maki Mita 2:01.01

Final Rank Name Nationality Time Notes Giaan Rooney 1:58.57 Yang Yu 1:58.78 Camelia Potec 1:58.85 4 Claudia Poll 1:58.92 5 Martina Moravcová 1:59.29 6 Nicola Jackson 1:59.44 7 Elka Graham 1:59.63 8 Mette Jacobsen 1:59.64

Key: WR = World record

References