200 m is a sprint running event. It is less popular than the 100 m, and often attracts runners from that event who wish to "double up" and claim both titles. This feat has been achieved eight times at the Olympic Games, the last by Carl Lewis in 1984. An Olympic double of 200 m and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Michael Johnson and Marie-José Perec in 1996.
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. To most trained runners, this is a pure power race. A slightly shorter race, run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the Ancient Olympics.
The current men's world record holder is Michael Johnson, who ran 19.32 seconds at the 1996 Olympic Games. The reigning Olympic champions are Shawn Crawford and Veronica Campbell.
Famous 200 m runners
Men
- Shawn Crawford
- Michael Johnson
- Konstantinos Kenteris
- Carl Lewis
- Michael Marsh
- Pietro Mennea
- Jesse Owens
- Tommie Smith
Top ten All time athletes on the 200 meters - men
Updated July 27, 2005. Note that the fastest time represents an average speed of 10.35 m/s, faster than the average speed for the current 100 m world record (9.77 s, average speed 10.24 m/s)
| Rank | Res. | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19.32 | Michael Johnson | USA | 1 august 1996 | Atlanta |
| 2. | 19.68 | Frank Fredericks | NAM | 1 august 1996 | Atlanta |
| 3. | 19.72 | Pietro Mennea | ITA | 12 september 1979 | Mexico City |
| 4. | 19.73 | Michael Marsh | USA | 5 august 1992 | Barcelona |
| 5. | 19.75 | Carl Lewis | USA | 19 june 1983 | Indianapolis |
| 5. | 19.75 | Joe DeLoach | USA | 28 september 1988 | Seoul |
| 7. | 19.77 | Ato Boldon | TRI | 13 july 1997 | Stuttgart |
| 8. | 19.79 | Shawn Crawford | USA | 26 august 2004 | Athens |
| 9. | 19.83 | Tommie Smith | USA | 16 october 1968 | Mexico City |
| 10. | 19.84 | Francis Obikwelu | NGR | 25 august 1999 | Sevilla |
Women
Top ten All time athletes on the 200 meters - women
| Rank | Res. | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21.34 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | 29 September 1988 | Seoul |
| 2. | 21.62 | Marion Jones | USA | 11 September 1998 | Johannesburg |
| 3. | 21.64 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 13 September 1991 | Bruxelles |
| 4. | 21.71 | Marita Koch | GDR | 10 June 1979 | Karl-Marx-Stadt |
| 4. | 21.71 | Heike Drechsler | GDR | 29 June 1986 | Jena |
| 6. | 21.72 | Grace Jackson | JAM | 29 September 1988 | Seoul |
| 6. | 21.72 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 15 August 1992 | Barcelona |
| 8. | 21.74 | Marlies Göhr | GDR | 3 June 1984 | Erfurt |
| 8. | 21.74 | Silke Gladisch-Möller | GDR | 3 September 1987 | Rome |
| 10. | 21.75 | Juliet Cuthbert | JAM | 5 August 1992 | Barcelona |