200 metres


The 200 metres is a sprint running event. On an outdoor race 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 Olympic Games. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes predominantly rely on anaerobic energy system during the 200 m sprint. Similarly to other sprint distances, the 200 m begins from the starting blocks. When the sprinters adopt the 'set' position in the blocks they are able to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles. This enables them to stride forwards more powerfully when the race begins and start faster.
In the United States and elsewhere, athletes previously ran the 220-yard dash 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, but other conversion methods exist. Another obsolete version of this race is the 200 metres straight, which was run on tracks that contained such a straight. Initially, when the International Amateur Athletic Association started to ratify world records in 1912, only records set on a straight track were eligible for consideration. In 1951, the IAAF started to recognise records set on a curved track. In 1976, the straight record was discarded.
The race attracts runners from other events, primarily the 100 metres, wishing to double up and claim both titles. This feat has been achieved by men eleven times at the Olympic Games: by Archie Hahn in 1904, Ralph Craig in 1912, Percy Williams in 1928, Eddie Tolan in 1932, Jesse Owens in 1936, Bobby Morrow in 1956, Valeriy Borzov in 1972, Carl Lewis in 1984, and most recently by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2008, 2012, and 2016. The double has been accomplished by women seven times: by Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948, Marjorie Jackson in 1952, Betty Cuthbert in 1956, Wilma Rudolph in 1960, Renate Stecher in 1972, Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988, and Elaine Thompson in 2016. Marion Jones finished first in both races in 2000 but was later disqualified and stripped of her medals after admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs. 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. Usain Bolt is the only man to repeat as Olympic champion, Bärbel Wöckel and Veronica Campbell-Brown are the two women who have repeated as Olympic champion.
The men's world record holder is Usain Bolt of Jamaica, 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 Elaine Thompson. The reigning World Champions are Noah Lyles and Dina Asher-Smith.
Races run with an aiding wind measured over 2.0 metres per second are not acceptable for record purposes.

Continental records

RankTimeWindAthleteNationDateLocationRef
119.19−0.3Usain Bolt20 August 2009Berlin
219.26+0.7Yohan Blake16 September 2011Brussels
319.32+0.4Michael Johnson1 August 1996Atlanta
419.50−0.1Noah Lyles5 July 2019Lausanne
519.53+0.7Walter Dix16 September 2011Brussels
619.57+0.4Justin Gatlin28 June 2015Eugene
719.58+1.3Tyson Gay30 May 2009New York City
819.63+0.4Xavier Carter11 July 2006Lausanne
919.650.0Wallace Spearmon28 September 2006Daegu
1019.68+0.4Frankie Fredericks1 August 1996Atlanta
1119.69 A−0.5Clarence Munyai16 March 2018Pretoria
1219.70+0.7Michael Norman6 June 2019Rome
1319.72 A+1.8Pietro Mennea12 September 1979Mexico City
1419.73−0.2Michael Marsh5 August 1992Barcelona
1419.73+0.8Divine Oduduru7 June 2019Austin
1619.74+1.4LaShawn Merritt8 July 2016Eugene
1719.75+1.5Carl Lewis19 June 1983Indianapolis
1719.75+1.7Joe DeLoach28 September 1988Seoul
1719.75+0.3Steven Gardiner7 April 2018Coral Gables
2019.76+0.7Ramil Guliyev9 August 2018Berlin
2119.77+0.7Ato Boldon13 July 1997Stuttgart
2119.770.0Isaac Makwala14 July 2017Madrid
2319.79+1.2Shawn Crawford26 August 2004Athens
2319.79+0.9Warren Weir23 June 2013Kingston
2519.80+0.8Christophe Lemaitre3 September 2011Daegu
2519.80+2.0Rasheed Dwyer23 July 2015Toronto
2519.80−0.3Andre De Grasse17 August 2016Rio de Janeiro

Assisted marks

Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of the fastest wind-assisted times. Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown:
RankTimeWindAthleteNationDateLocationRef
121.34+1.3Florence Griffith-Joyner29 September 1988Seoul
221.62 A−0.6Marion Jones11 September 1998Johannesburg
321.63+0.2Dafne Schippers28 August 2015Beijing
421.64+0.8Merlene Ottey13 September 1991Brussels
521.66+0.2Elaine Thompson28 August 2015Beijing
621.69+1.0Allyson Felix30 June 2012Eugene
721.71+0.7Marita Koch10 June 1979Karl-Marx-Stadt
721.71+0.3Marita Koch21 July 1984Potsdam
721.71+1.2Heike Drechsler29 June 1986Jena
721.71−0.8Heike Drechsler29 August 1986Stuttgart
921.72+1.3Grace Jackson29 September 1988Seoul
921.72−0.1Gwen Torrence5 August 1992Barcelona
1121.74+0.4Marlies Göhr3 June 1984Erfurt
1121.74+1.2Silke Gladisch3 September 1987Rome
1121.74+0.6Veronica Campbell-Brown21 August 2008Beijing
1121.74−0.4Shaunae Miller-Uibo29 August 2019Zürich
1521.75−0.1Juliet Cuthbert5 August 1992Barcelona
1621.77+0.6Inger Miller27 August 1999Seville
1621.77+1.5Tori Bowie27 May 2017Eugene
1821.81−0.1Valerie Brisco-Hooks9 August 1984Los Angeles
1921.83−0.2Evelyn Ashford24 August 1979Montreal
2021.85+0.3Bärbel Wöckel21 July 1984Potsdam
2121.870.0Irina Privalova25 July 1995Monaco
2221.88+0.9Dina Asher-Smith2 October 2019Doha
2321.93+1.3Pam Marshall23 July 1988Indianapolis
2421.95+0.3Katrin Krabbe30 August 1990Split
2521.97+1.9Jarmila Kratochvilova6 June 1981Bratislava

Assisted marks

Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of the fastest wind-assisted times. Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown:
Updated 22 October 2019.
RankTimeAthleteNationDateLocationRef
119.92Frankie Fredericks18 February 1996Liévin
220.02Elijah Hall10 March 2018College Station
320.08Divine Oduduru23 February 2019Lubbock
420.10Wallace Spearmon12 March 2005Fayetteville
520.11Christian Coleman11 March 2017College Station
620.19Trayvon Bromell14 March 2015Fayetteville
720.25Linford Christie19 February 1995Liévin
820.26Obadele Thompson6 March 1999Maebashi
820.26Shawn Crawford10 March 2000Fayetteville
820.26John Capel10 March 2000Fayetteville
820.26Andre De Grasse14 March 2015Fayetteville
1220.27Walter Dix10 March 2006Fayetteville
1320.30Xavier Carter10 March 2006Fayetteville
1320.30Kenny Bednarek2 February 2019Lincoln
1520.31Coby Miller2 March 2001Atlanta
1520.31Jereem Richards11 March 2017College Station
1720.32Rohsaan Griffin27 February 1999Atlanta
1720.32Kevin Little5 March 1999Maebashi
1720.32 ADiondre Batson14 March 2014Albuquerque
1920.33Andrew Hudson22 February 2019Lubbock
2020.34 ADedric Dukes14 March 2014Albuquerque
2020.34Rai Benjamin10 March 2018College Station
2220.35Ato Boldon23 February 1997Birmingham
2320.36Bruno Marie-Rose22 February 1987Liévin
2320.36Derrick Thompson8 March 1996Indianapolis
2320.36Rubin Williams14 March 2008Fayetteville
2320.36Just'n Thymes11 March 2017College Station

Women (indoor)

RankTimeAthleteNationDateLocationRef
121.87Merlene Ottey13 February 1993Liévin
222.10Irina Privalova19 February 1995Liévin
322.27Heike Drechsler7 March 1987Indianapolis
422.33Gwen Torrence2 March 1996Atlanta
522.38Veronica Campbell-Brown18 February 2005Birmingham
522.38Gabrielle Thomas10 March 2018College Station
722.39Marita Koch5 March 1983Budapest
722.39Ionela Tirlea6 March 1999Maebashi
922.40Bianca Knight14 March 2008Fayetteville
1022.41Galina Malchugina13 March 1994Paris
1022.41Ashley Henderson10 March 2018College Station
1222.42Ariana Washington11 March 2017College Station
1322.43Svetlana Goncharenko22 February 1998Liévin
1422.45Felicia Brown26 February 2016Fayetteville
1522.49Muriel Hurtis14 March 2003Birmingham
1522.49Muna Lee14 March 2003Fayetteville
1522.49Sanya Richards-Ross12 March 2004Fayetteville
1822.50Melanie Paschke1 March 1998Valencia
1822.50Kamaria Brown1 March 2014College Station
2022.52Nanceen Perry13 February 2000Liévin
2022.52Jenna Prandini13 March 2015Fayetteville
2222.53Hannah Cunliffe11 March 2017College Station
2322.54Kimberlyn Duncan24 February 2013Fayetteville
2322.54Deanna Hill11 March 2017College Station
2522.55Lynna Irby10 March 2018College Station

Olympic medalists

Men

Women

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

Women

Men

Women