Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres
The women's 200 metres sprint event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 4 & 7. The favorite would have been Republic of China's Chi Cheng, who set world records in the 200 meters and 220 yards distances in 1970. She suffered a career ending injury at the end of 1970. An attempted surgery in 1971, failed. The top 3 ranked women in the world in 1971, were the 3 women on the podium in Munich. European Champion Renate Stecher, Commonwealth Champion Raelene Boyle, and the defending Champion Irena Szewinska of Poland.Heats
Top five in each heat and the next two fastest advanced to quarterfinal round.| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Alice Anum | | 6 | 23.15 |
| 2 | Barbara Ferrell | | 5 | 23.38 |
| 3 | Rosie Allwood | | 1 | 23.56 |
| 4 | Donna Murray | | 3 | 23.76 |
| 5 | Juana Mosquera | | 2 | 24.20 |
| 6 | Carolina Rieuwpassa | | 7 | 24.68 |
| - | Irene Fitzner | | 4 | DNS |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 2 | 22.96 |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle | | 4 | 23.58 |
| 3 | Nadezhda Besfamilnaya | | 3 | 23.62 |
| 4 | Amelita Alanes | | 5 | 25.28 |
| 5 | Helen Olaye | | 1 | 25.30 |
| 6 | Mabel Saeluzika | | 6 | 28.29 |
| - | Carmen Valdes | | 7 | DNS |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Annegret Kroniger | | 4 | 23.37 |
| 2 | Wilma van Gool | | 6 | 23.86 |
| 3 | Della Pascoe | | 2 | 23.97 |
| 4 | Hannah Afriyie | | 3 | 24.38 |
| 5 | María Luisa Vilca | | 1 | 24.46 |
| 6 | Josefa Vicent | | 7 | 25.09 |
| 7 | Meas Kheng | | 5 | 25.86 |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Ellen Strophal | | 1 | 23.54 |
| 2 | Pam Greene | | 7 | 23.96 |
| 3 | Una Morris | | 6 | 23.99 |
| 4 | Pirjo Wilmi | | 3 | 24.16 |
| 5 | Rose Musani | | 5 | 25.37 |
| 6 | Laura Pierre | | 4 | 26.32 |
| - | Eva Glesková | | 2 | DNS |
Heat 5
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Irena Szewińska | | 3 | 23.37 |
| 2 | Christiane Krause | | 7 | 23.51 |
| 3 | Jackie Thompson | | 6 | 23.67 |
| 4 | Karoline Käfer | | 1 | 24.42 |
| 5 | Russel Carrero | | 5 | 28.02 |
| - | Silvia Chivas | | 2 | DNS |
| - | Claudette Powell | | 4 | DNS |
Heat 6
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Marina Sidorova | | 5 | 23.46 |
| 2 | Sylviane Telliez | | 4 | 23.51 |
| 3 | Christina Heinich | | 6 | 23.90 |
| 4 | Margaret Critchley | | 2 | 24.04 |
| 5 | Marcia Trotman | | 7 | 24.06 |
| 6 | Beatrice Lungu | | 1 | 25.11 |
| 7 | Fatima El-Faquir | | 3 | 25.27 |
Quarterfinals
Top four in each heat advanced to semifinal round.Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Irena Szewińska | | 7 | 22.79 |
| 2 | Nadezhda Besfamilnaya | | 3 | 23.20 |
| 3 | Christina Heinich | | 6 | 23.23 |
| 4 | Barbara Ferrell | | 1 | 23.30 |
| 5 | Una Morris | | 5 | 23.62 |
| 6 | Marcia Trotman | | 2 | 24.00 |
| 7 | Amelita Alanes | | 4 | 24.98 |
| - | Josefa Vicent | | 8 | DNS |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Ellen Strophal | | 8 | 22.93 |
| 2 | Alice Anum | | 5 | 22.95 |
| 3 | Wilma van Gool | | 2 | 23.22 |
| 4 | Christiane Krause | | 4 | 23.22 |
| 5 | Della Pascoe | | 73 | 23.72 |
| 6 | Juana Mosquera | | 1 | 24.00 |
| 7 | María Luisa Vilca | | 7 | 24.48 |
| 8 | Rose Musani | | 6 | 25.28 |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 1 | 23.31 |
| 2 | Rosie Allwood | | 7 | 23.33 |
| 3 | Sylviane Telliez | | 8 | 23.69 |
| 4 | Donna Murray | | 6 | 23.69 |
| 5 | Pam Greene | | 5 | 23.85 |
| 6 | Karoline Käfer | | 4 | 23.92 |
| 7 | Hannah Afriyie | | 3 | 24.47 |
| - | Russel Carrero | | 2 | DNS |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Raelene Boyle | | 7 | 23.06 |
| 2 | Annegret Kroniger | | 3 | 23.14 |
| 3 | Jackie Thompson | | 4 | 23.22 |
| 4 | Marina Sidorova | | 8 | 23.33 |
| 5 | Pirjo Wilmi | | 5 | 23.68 |
| 6 | Margaret Critchley | | 2 | 24.05 |
| 7 | Carolina Rieuwpassa | | 1 | 25.03 |
| 8 | Helen Olaye | | 6 | 25.09 |
Semifinals
Top four in each heat advanced to the final round.Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Ellen Strophal | | 7 | 22.90 |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle | | 3 | 22.92 |
| 3 | Irena Szewińska | | 6 | 22.92 |
| 4 | Rosie Allwood | | 1 | 23.14 |
| 5 | Christiane Krause | | 2 | 23.17 |
| 6 | Jackie Thompson | | 4 | 23.18 |
| 7 | Marina Sidorova | | 8 | 23.40 |
| - | Wilma van Gool | | 5 | DNS |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 8 | 22.83 |
| 2 | Annegret Kroniger | | 5 | 23.05 |
| 3 | Christina Heinich | | 6 | 23.28 |
| 4 | Alice Anum | | 4 | 23.30 |
| 5 | Nadezhda Besfamilnaya | | 1 | 23.31 |
| 6 | Sylviane Telliez | | 3 | 23.34 |
| 7 | Barbara Ferrell | | 2 | 23.39 |
| 8 | Donna Murray | | 7 | 24.03 |
Final
Key: WR = world record; DNS = did not start; T = Tie
