| Rank,Lane,Name,Nationality,Time,Notes | |
| -,4,Pieter van den Hoogenband,Netherlands,1:45.35,=WR | |
| -,5,Ian Thorpe,Australia,1:45.83,- | |
| -,3,Massimiliano Rosolino,Italy,1:46.65,- | |
| 4,6,Josh Davis,United States,1:46.73,AM | |
| 5,8,Paul Palmer,Great Britain,1:47.95,- | |
| 6,7,James Salter,Great Britain,1:48.74,- | |
| 7,2,Rick Say,Canada,1:48.76,- | |
| 8,1,Grant Hackett,Australia,1:49.46,- | |