A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the Ancient Olympics. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes rely on different energy systems during the longer sprint.
In the United States and elsewhere, athletes previously ran the 220-yard dash (201.168 m) instead of the 200 m, though the distance is now obsolete. The standard adjustment used for the conversion from times recorded over 220 yards to 200 m times is to subtract 0.1 seconds,[1] but other conversion methods exist.
The race attracts runners from other events wishing to double up and claim both titles. This feat has been achieved nine times at the Olympic Games, most recently by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2008. An Olympic double of 200 m and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Michael Johnson from the United States and Marie-José Pérec of France both in 1996.
The men's world record holder is Usain Bolt, who ran 19.19 s at the 2009 World Championships. The women's world record holder is Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States, who ran 21.34 s at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The reigning Olympic champions are Usain Bolt and Veronica Campbell-Brown, both of whom are from Jamaica.
Because humans use the same muscles for both support and forward speed, the runners in the inside lanes are disadvantaged by centrifugal force during the bend phase. Consequently, the middle and outer lanes are preferred.[2]
Contents |
Only the fastest time for each athlete is listed.
As of 20 August 2009.
| Rank | Res. | Wind | Athlete | Nation | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19.19 | −0.3 | Usain Bolt |  Jamaica |
20 August 2009 | Berlin |
| 2. | 19.32 | +0.4 | Michael Johnson |  United States |
1 August 1996 | Atlanta |
| 3. | 19.58 | +1.3 | Tyson Gay | United States |
30 May 2009 | New York City |
| 4. | 19.63 | +0.4 | Xavier Carter | United States |
11 July 2006 | Lausanne |
| 5. | 19.65 | 0.0 | Wallace Spearmon | United States |
28 September 2006 | Daegu |
| 6. | 19.68 | +0.4 | Frankie Fredericks |  Namibia |
1 August 1996 | Atlanta |
| 7. | 19.69 | +0.9 | Walter Dix | United States |
26 May 2007 | Gainesville |
| 8. | 19.72 | +1.8 | Pietro Mennea |  Italy |
12 September 1979 | Mexico City |
| 9. | 19.73 | −0.2 | Michael Marsh | United States |
5 August 1992 | Barcelona |
| 10. | 19.75 | +1.5 | Carl Lewis | United States |
19 June 1983 | Indianapolis |
| +1.8 | Joe DeLoach | United States |
28 September 1988 | Seoul |
As of 14 June 2009.
| Rank | Res. | Wind | Athlete | Nation | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21.34 | +1.3 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States |
29 September 1988 | Seoul |
| 2. | 21.62 | −0.6 | Marion Jones | United States |
11 September 1998 | Johannesburg |
| 3. | 21.64 | +0.8 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica |
13 September 1991 | Brussels |
| 4. | 21.71 | +0.7 | Marita Koch |  East Germany |
10 June 1979 | Karl-Marx-Stadt |
| +1.2 | Heike Drechsler | East Germany |
29 June 1986 | Jena | ||
| 6. | 21.72 | +1.3 | Grace Jackson | Jamaica |
29 September 1988 | Seoul |
| −0.1 | Gwen Torrence | United States |
15 August 1992 | Barcelona | ||
| 8. | 21.74 | +0.4 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany |
3 June 1984 | Erfurt |
| +1.2 | Silke Gladisch-Möller | East Germany |
3 September 1987 | Rome | ||
| −0.6 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica |
21 August 2008 | Beijing |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Calvin Smith (USA) | Elliott Quow (USA) | Pietro Mennea (ITA) |
| 1987 | Calvin Smith (USA) | Gilles Queneherve (FRA) | John Regis (GBR) |
| 1991 | Michael Johnson (USA) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Atlee Mahorn (CAN) |
| 1993 | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | John Regis (GBR) | Carl Lewis (USA) |
| 1995 | Michael Johnson (USA) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Jeff Williams (USA) |
| 1997 | Ato Boldon (TRI) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Claudinei da Silva (BRA) |
| 1999 | Maurice Greene (USA) | Claudinei da Silva (BRA) | Francis Obikwelu (NIG) |
| 2001 | Konstantinos Kenteris (GRE) | Christopher Williams (JAM) | Shawn Crawford (USA) |
| 2003 | John Capel (USA) | Darvis Patton (USA) | Shingo Suetsugu (JPN) |
| 2005 | Justin Gatlin (USA) | Wallace Spearmon (USA) | John Capel (USA) |
| 2007 | Tyson Gay (USA) | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Wallace Spearmon (USA) |
| 2009 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Alonso Edward (PAN) | Wallace Spearmon (USA) |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Marita Koch (GDR) | Merlene Ottey (JAM) | Kathy Smallwood-Cook (GBR) |
| 1987 | Silke Gladisch (GDR) | Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
| 1991 | Katrin Krabbe (GER) | Gwen Torrence (USA) | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
| 1993 | Merlene Ottey (JAM) | Gwen Torrence (USA) | Irina Privalova (RUS) |
| 1995 | Merlene Ottey (JAM) | Irina Privalova (RUS) | Galina Malchugina (RUS) |
| 1997 | Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (UKR) | Susanthika Jayasinghe (SRI) | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
| 1999 | Inger Miller (USA) | Beverly McDonald (JAM) | Merlene Frazer (JAM)
Andrea Philipp (GER) |
| 2001 | Marion Jones (USA) | Debbie Ferguson (BAH) | LaTasha Jenkins (USA) |
| 2003 | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (RUS) | Torri Edwards (USA) | Muriel Hurtis (FRA) |
| 2005 | Allyson Felix (USA) | Rachelle Boone-Smith (USA) | Christine Arron (FRA) |
| 2007 | Allyson Felix (USA) | Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) | Susanthika Jayasinghe (SRI) |
| 2009 | Allyson Felix (USA) | Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) | Debbie Ferguson (BAH) |
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Singular |
Plural |
200 metres (uncountable)
   | Masters T&F World Rankings - Masters Athletics, Masters Track and Field, Athletics, World Rankings |
| | Sprintic Magazine - Track and Field Magazine - News, Training, Videos, Photos and Forums |
| | World Masters Athletics - WMA---->World Masters Athletics<----WMA |
| | Athletics all-time performances - Track & Field all-time performances |
| | Converting Times from English to Metric Distances - NFHS | Converting Times from English to Metric Distances |
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