# Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre backstroke

The men's 100 metre backstroke event for the 1976 Summer Olympics was held in Montreal, Canada. The event took place on 18 and 19 July.

## Heats

The fastest 16 advanced to the semi-finals.
Heat 1
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Wanja | East Germany | 58.38 | Q |
| 2 | Mark Tonelli | Australia | 58.53 | Q |
| 3 | Miloslav Roľko | Czechoslovakia | 1:00.41 | |
| 4 | Steve Hardy | Canada | 1:00.69 | |
| 5 | Tadashi Honda | Japan | 1:01.00 | |
| 6 | Ivan Mikolutsky | Soviet Union | 1:03.86 | |
| 7 | Frank Richardson | Nicaragua | 1:12.38 | |
Heat 2
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Carlos Berrocal | Puerto Rico | 58.71 | Q |
| 2 | Paul Jouanneau | Brazil | 59.35 | Q |
| 3 | Steve Pickell | Canada | 59.65 | Q |
| 4 | José Urueta | Mexico | 1:00.85 | |
| 5 | Mikael Brandén | Sweden | 1:01.05 | |
| 6 | Chiang Jin Choon | Malaysia | 1:05.86 | |
Heat 3
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Bob Jackson | United States | 58.02 | Q |
| 2 | Rômulo Arantes Filho | Brazil | 58.46 | Q |
| 3 | Jim Carter | Great Britain | 1:00.39 | |
| 4 | Gary Abraham | Great Britain | 1:00.61 | |
| 5 | Robert Howard | Ireland | 1:00.77 | |
| 6 | Mike Scarth | Canada | 1:01.33 | |
| 7 | António de Melo | Portugal | 1:05.76 | |
Heat 4
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Roland Matthes | East Germany | 57.98 | Q |
| 2 | Glenn Patching | Australia | 59.49 | Q |
| 3 | Ryszard Żugaj | Poland | 1:00.16 | Q |
| 4 | Róbert Rudolf | Hungary | 1:00.58 | |
| 5 | Nenad Miloš | Yugoslavia | 1:00.70 | |
| 6 | Ramón Volcan | Venezuela | 1:01.20 | |
| 7 | Lionel Beylot-Bourcelot | France | 1:01.58 | |
Heat 5
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mark Kerry | Australia | 57.99 | Q |
| 2 | Peter Rocca | United States | 58.12 | Q |
| 3 | Igor Omelchenko | Soviet Union | 59.03 | Q |
| 4 | Reinhold Becker | West Germany | 1:00.57 | |
| 5 | Predrag Miloš | Yugoslavia | 1:01.05 | |
| 6 | Conrado Porta | Argentina | 1:01.13 | |
| 7 | Gerardo Rosario | Philippines | 1:02.08 | |
Heat 6
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Naber | United States | 56.80 | Q |
| 2 | Zoltán Verrasztó | Hungary | 59.30 | Q |
| 3 | Santiago Esteva | Spain | 59.88 | Q |
| 4 | Krasimir Stoykov | Bulgaria | 1:00.24 | |
| 5 | Ignacio Álvarez | Mexico | 1:00.80 | |
| 6 | Enrico Bisso | Italy | 1:01.32 | |
| 7 | Thomas Hofer | Switzerland | 1:01.90 | |

## Semifinals

The fastest 8 advanced to the finals.
Heat 1
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Roland Matthes | East Germany | 57.48 | Q |
| 2 | Lutz Wanja | East Germany | 57.50 | Q |
| 3 | Bob Jackson | United States | 57.65 | Q |
| 4 | Mark Tonelli | Australia | 58.14 | Q |
| 5 | Steve Pickell | Canada | 58.21 | |
| 6 | Igor Omelchenk'o | Soviet Union | 58.77 | |
| 7 | Paul Jouanneau | Brazil | 59.59 | |
| 8 | Ryszard Żugaj | Poland | 59.90 | |
Heat 2
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Naber | United States | 56.19 | Q, WR |
| 2 | Peter Rocca | United States | 56.88 | Q |
| 3 | Carlos Berrocal | Puerto Rico | 57.53 | Q |
| 4 | Mark Kerry | Australia | 58.04 | Q |
| 5 | Glenn Patching | Australia | 58.15 | |
| 6 | Rômulo Arantes Filho | Brazil | 58.49 | |
| 7 | Zoltán Verrasztó | Hungary | 58.63 | |
| 8 | Santiago Esteva | Spain | 59.71 | |

## Final

| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| | John Naber | United States | 55.49 | WR |
| | Peter Rocca | United States | 56.34 | |
| | Roland Matthes | East Germany | 57.22 | |
| 4 | Carlos Berrocal | Puerto Rico | 57.28 | |
| 5 | Lutz Wanja | East Germany | 57.49 | |
| 6 | Bob Jackson | United States | 57.69 | |
| 7 | Mark Kerry | Australia | 57.94 | |
| 8 | Mark Tonelli | Australia | 58.42 | |