200 metres at the Olympics

200 metres
at the Olympic Games
Bolt200.jpg
The 2008 Olympic men's 200 m final
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 19002016
Women: 19482016
Olympic record
Men19.30 Usain Bolt(2008)
Women21.34 Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988)
Reigning champion
Men Andre De Grasse (CAN)
Women Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM)

The 200 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the second edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 200 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 and the women's 200 m has been held continuously since its introduction at the 1948 Games. It is the most prestigious 200 m race at elite level. The competition format typically has three or four qualifying rounds leading to a final race between eight athletes.

The Olympic records for the distance are 19.30 seconds for men, set by Usain Bolt in 2008, and 21.34 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. The men's world record was set at the Olympics in 1956, 1960 (twice), 1968, 1996 (twice) and 2008. The women's world record has similarly been linked to the competition, with records coming at the Olympic Games in 1952 (twice), 1956, 1968, 1972 and 1988 (twice). Griffith-Joyner's 1988 Olympic mark remains the world record for the distance, while Bolt's Olympic record is the third fastest of all-time.

Only three athletes have won the title more than once. Bärbel Wöckel of East Germany became the first to defend the title in 1980 and Veronica Campbell-Brown repeated that feat in 2008. Usain Bolt was the first person to win two Olympic 200 m gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics he defended his title to win his third Olympic 200 m gold medal. Merlene Ottey is the most decorated athlete, having won four medals in the event (though none of them gold). Allyson Felix has won three medals, as has Poland's Irena Szewińska. Reflecting how sprint athletes often compete over various distances, many of the medalists in the Olympic 200 metres have had success in the Olympic 100 metres and 4×100 metres relay as well.

The United States has had by far the most success in the event, having 23 gold medals and 57 medals in total. American men have completed a medal sweep on six occasions. Jamaica is the next most successful, with five gold among their seventeen medals, and became the second nation to sweep the men's medals in 2012. No nation has swept the women's medals; the United States is the only nation to have won both gold and silver in the same year (in 1984).

The 1968 medal podium ceremony for the men's 200 metres witnessed a prominent political protest in the form of a Black Power salute by the African-American medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The third medalist, Peter Norman of Australia, wore a badge for the Olympic Project for Human Rights in solidarity.

Medal summary

Men

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Walter Tewksbury
 United States
Norman Pritchard
 India
Stan Rowley
 Australia
1904 St. Louis
details
Archie Hahn
 United States
Nate Cartmell
 United States
William Hogenson
 United States
1908 London
details
Robert Kerr
 Canada
Robert Cloughen
 United States
Nate Cartmell
 United States
1912 Stockholm
details
Ralph Craig
 United States
Donald Lippincott
 United States
Willie Applegarth
 Great Britain
1920 Antwerp
details
Allen Woodring
 United States
Charley Paddock
 United States
Harry Edward
 Great Britain
1924 Paris
details
Jackson Scholz
 United States
Charley Paddock
 United States
Eric Liddell
 Great Britain
1928 Amsterdam
details
Percy Williams
 Canada
Walter Rangeley
 Great Britain
Helmut Körnig
 Germany
1932 Los Angeles
details
Eddie Tolan
 United States
George Simpson
 United States
Ralph Metcalfe
 United States
1936 Berlin
details
Jesse Owens
 United States
Mack Robinson
 United States
Tinus Osendarp
 Netherlands
1948 London
details
Mel Patton
 United States
Barney Ewell
 United States
Lloyd LaBeach
 Panama
1952 Helsinki
details
Andy Stanfield
 United States
Thane Baker
 United States
James Gathers
 United States
1956 Melbourne
details
Bobby Morrow
 United States
Andy Stanfield
 United States
Thane Baker
 United States
1960 Rome
details
Livio Berruti
 Italy
Lester Carney
 United States
Abdoulaye Seye
 France
1964 Tokyo
details
Henry Carr
 United States
Paul Drayton
 United States
Edwin Roberts
 Trinidad and Tobago
1968 Mexico City
details
Tommie Smith
 United States
Peter Norman
 Australia
John Carlos
 United States
1972 Munich
details
Valeriy Borzov
 Soviet Union
Larry Black
 United States
Pietro Mennea
 Italy
1976 Montreal
details
Don Quarrie
 Jamaica
Millard Hampton
 United States
Dwayne Evans
 United States
1980 Moscow
details
Pietro Mennea
 Italy
Allan Wells
 Great Britain
Don Quarrie
 Jamaica
1984 Los Angeles
details
Carl Lewis
 United States
Kirk Baptiste
 United States
Thomas Jefferson
 United States
1988 Seoul
details
Joe DeLoach
 United States
Carl Lewis
 United States
Robson da Silva
 Brazil
1992 Barcelona
details
Michael Marsh
 United States
Frankie Fredericks
 Namibia
Michael Bates
 United States
1996 Atlanta
details
Michael Johnson
 United States
Frankie Fredericks
 Namibia
Ato Boldon
 Trinidad and Tobago
2000 Sydney
details
Konstantinos Kenteris
 Greece
Darren Campbell
 Great Britain
Ato Boldon
 Trinidad and Tobago
2004 Athens
details
Shawn Crawford
 United States
Bernard Williams
 United States
Justin Gatlin
 United States
2008 Beijing
details
Usain Bolt
 Jamaica
Shawn Crawford
 United States
Walter Dix
 United States
2012 London
details
Usain Bolt
 Jamaica
Yohan Blake
 Jamaica
Warren Weir
 Jamaica
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Usain Bolt
 Jamaica
Andre De Grasse
 Canada
Christophe Lemaitre
 France
2020 Tokyo
details
Andre De Grasse
 Canada
Kenneth Bednarek
 United States
Noah Lyles
 United States
2024 Paris
details

A YouTube video showcasing all men's 200 metres' Olympic winners can be found here.

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Usain Bolt  Jamaica (JAM) 2008–2016 3 0 0 3
2 Andy Stanfield  United States (USA) 1952–1956 1 1 0 2
Carl Lewis  United States (USA) 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
Andre De Grasse  Canada (CAN) 2016–2020 1 1 0 2
Shawn Crawford  United States (USA) 2004–2008 1 1 0 2
6 Pietro Mennea  Italy (ITA) 1972, 1980 1 0 1 2
Don Quarrie  Jamaica (JAM) 1976–1980 1 0 1 2
8 Charlie Paddock  United States (USA) 1920–1924 0 2 0 2
Frankie Fredericks  Namibia (NAM) 1992–1996 0 2 0 2
10 Nate Cartmell  United States (USA) 1904–1908 0 1 1 2
Thane Baker  United States (USA) 1952–1956 0 1 1 2
12 Ato Boldon  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 1996–2000 0 0 2 2

Medals by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 17 18 11 46
2  Jamaica (JAM) 4 1 2 7
3  Canada (CAN) 3 1 0 4
4  Italy (ITA) 2 0 1 3
5  Greece (GRE) 1 0 0 1
 Soviet Union (URS) 1 0 0 1
7  Great Britain (GBR) 0 3 3 6
8  Namibia (NAM) 0 2 0 2
9  Australia (AUS) 0 1 1 2
10  Sri Lanka (SRI) 0 1 0 1
11  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 0 0 3 3
12  France (FRA) 0 0 2 2
13  Brazil (BRA) 0 0 1 1
 Germany (GER) 0 0 1 1
 Netherlands (NED) 0 0 1 1
 Panama (PAN) 0 0 1 1

Women

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1948 London
details
Fanny Blankers-Koen
 Netherlands
Audrey Williamson
 Great Britain
Audrey Patterson
 United States
1952 Helsinki
details
Marjorie Jackson
 Australia
Bertha Brouwer
 Netherlands
 Soviet Union Nadezhda Khnykina-Dvalishvili
1956 Melbourne
details
Betty Cuthbert
 Australia
Christa Stubnick
 United Team of Germany
Marlene Mathews
 Australia
1960 Rome
details
Wilma Rudolph
 United States
Jutta Heine
 United Team of Germany
Dorothy Hyman
 Great Britain
1964 Tokyo
details
Edith McGuire
 United States
Irena Kirszenstein
 Poland
Marilyn Black
 Australia
1968 Mexico City
details
Irena Szewińska
 Poland
Raelene Boyle
 Australia
Jenny Lamy
 Australia
1972 Munich
details
Renate Stecher
 East Germany
Raelene Boyle
 Australia
Irena Szewińska
 Poland
1976 Montreal
details
Bärbel Eckert
 East Germany
Annegret Richter
 West Germany
Renate Stecher
 East Germany
1980 Moscow
details
Bärbel Wöckel
 East Germany
Natalya Bochina
 Soviet Union
Merlene Ottey
 Jamaica
1984 Los Angeles
details
Valerie Brisco-Hooks
 United States
Florence Griffith
 United States
Merlene Ottey
 Jamaica
1988 Seoul
details
Florence Griffith-Joyner
 United States
Grace Jackson
 Jamaica
Heike Drechsler
 East Germany
1992 Barcelona
details
Gwen Torrence
 United States
Juliet Cuthbert
 Jamaica
Merlene Ottey
 Jamaica
1996 Atlanta
details
Marie-José Pérec
 France
Merlene Ottey
 Jamaica
Mary Onyali
 Nigeria
2000 Sydney
details
Pauline Davis-Thompson
 Bahamas
Susanthika Jayasinghe
 Sri Lanka
Beverly McDonald
 Jamaica
2004 Athens
details
Veronica Campbell
 Jamaica
Allyson Felix
 United States
Debbie Ferguson
 Bahamas
2008 Beijing
details
Veronica Campbell-Brown
 Jamaica
Allyson Felix
 United States
Kerron Stewart
 Jamaica
2012 London
details
Allyson Felix
 United States
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
 Jamaica
Carmelita Jeter
 United States
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Elaine Thompson
 Jamaica
Dafne Schippers
 Netherlands
Tori Bowie
 United States
2020 Tokyo
details
Elaine Thompson-Herah
 Jamaica
Christine Mboma
 Namibia
Gabrielle Thomas
 United States
2024 Paris
details

A YouTube video showcasing all women's 200 metres' Olympic winners can be found here.

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Bärbel Wöckel  East Germany (GDR) 1976–1980 2 0 0 2
Veronica Campbell-Brown  Jamaica (JAM) 2004–2008 2 0 0 2
Elaine Thompson-Herah  Jamaica (JAM) 2016–2020 2 0 0 2
3 Allyson Felix  United States (USA) 2004–2012 1 2 0 3
4 Irena Szewińska  Poland (POL) 1964–1972 1 1 1 3
5 Florence Griffith-Joyner  United States (USA) 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
6 Renate Stecher  East Germany (GDR) 1972–1976 1 0 1 2
7 Raelene Boyle  Australia (AUS) 1968–1972 0 2 0 2
8 Merlene Ottey  Jamaica (JAM) 1980–1996 0 1 3 4

Medalists by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 6 3 4 13
2  Jamaica (JAM) 4 4 5 13
3  East Germany (GDR) 3 0 2 5
4  Australia (AUS) 2 2 3 7
5  Netherlands (NED) 1 2 0 3
6  Poland (POL) 1 1 1 3
7  Bahamas (BAH) 1 0 1 2
8  France (FRA) 1 0 0 1
9  United Team of Germany (EUA) 0 2 0 2
10  Great Britain (GBR) 0 1 1 2
 Soviet Union (URS) 0 1 1 2
12  West Germany (FRG) 0 1 0 1
 Namibia (NAM) 0 1 0 1
 Sri Lanka (SRI) 0 1 0 1
14  Nigeria (NGR) 0 0 1 1

Olympic record progression

Men

Time Athlete Nation Games Round Date
24.0* Bill Holland  United States (USA) 1900 Heat 1
22.2 Walter Tewksbury  United States (USA) 1900 Final
22.2 Archie Hahn  United States (USA) 1904 Heat 1
21.6 Archie Hahn  United States (USA) 1904 Final
21.6 Jackson Scholz  United States (USA) 1924 Final
21.6 Helmut Körnig  Germany (GER) 1928 Quarterfinal 6
21.5 Ralph Metcalfe  United States (USA) 1932 Quarterfinal 1
21.5 Eddie Tolan  United States (USA) 1932 Quarterfinal 2
21.4 Carlos Bianchi  Argentina (ARG) 1932 Quarterfinal 3
21.4 Arthur Jonath  Germany (GER) 1932 Quarterfinal 4
21.2 Eddie Tolan  United States (USA) 1932 Final
21.1 Jesse Owens  United States (USA) 1936 Heat 3
20.7 WR Jesse Owens  United States (USA) 1936 Final
20.7 Andy Stanfield  United States (USA) 1952 Final
20.6 WR Bobby Morrow  United States (USA) 1956 Final
20.5 WR Livio Berruti  Italy (ITA) 1960 Semifinal 2
20.5 WR Livio Berruti  Italy (ITA) 1960 Final
20.5 Paul Drayton  United States (USA) 1964 Semifinal 1
20.3 Henry Carr  United States (USA) 1964 Final
20.37 Tommie Smith  United States (USA) 1968 Heat 2
20.23 Peter Norman  Australia (AUS) 1968 Heat 6
20.12 John Carlos  United States (USA) 1968 Semifinal 1
19.83 WR Tommie Smith  United States (USA) 1968 Final
19.80 Carl Lewis  United States (USA) 1984 Final
19.75 Joe DeLoach  United States (USA) 1988 Final
19.73 Mike Marsh  United States (USA) 1992 Semifinal 1
19.32 WR Michael Johnson  United States (USA) 1996 Final
19.30 WR Usain Bolt  Jamaica (JAM) 2008 Final

Women

Time Athlete Nation Games Round Date
25.7 Fanny Blankers-Koen  Netherlands (NED) 1948 Heat 1
25.6 Cynthia Thompson  Jamaica (JAM) 1948 Heat 2
25.3 Daphne Hasenjäger  South Africa (RSA) 1948 Heat 4
24.3 Fanny Blankers-Koen  Netherlands (NED) 1948 Semifinal 1
24.3 Nadezhda Khnykina  Soviet Union (URS) 1952 Heat 2
23.6 WR Marjorie Jackson  Australia (AUS) 1952 Heat 3
23.4 WR Marjorie Jackson  Australia (AUS) 1952 Semifinal 1
23.4 Betty Cuthbert  Australia (AUS) 1956 Final
23.2 Wilma Rudolph  United States (USA) 1960 Heat 3
23.0 Edith McGuire  United States (USA) 1964 Final
23.09 Raelene Boyle  Australia (AUS) 1968 Heat 2
22.94 Barbara Ferrell  United States (USA) 1968 Heat 3
22.87 Barbara Ferrell  United States (USA) 1968 Semifinal 2
22.58 Irena Szewińska  Poland (POL) 1968 Final
22.40 WR Renate Stecher  East Germany (GDR) 1972 Final
22.37 Barbel Eckert  East Germany (GDR) 1976 Final
22.26 Natalya Bochina  Soviet Union (URS) 1980 Quarterfinal 3
22.03 Barbel Eckert  East Germany (GDR) 1980 Final
21.81 Valerie Brisco-Hooks  United States (USA) 1984 Final
21.76 Florence Griffith Joyner  United States (USA) 1988 Quarterfinal 1
21.56 WR Florence Griffith Joyner  United States (USA) 1988 Semifinal 1
21.34 WR Florence Griffith Joyner  United States (USA) 1988 Final

Finishing times

Top ten fastest Olympic times

Non-canonical Olympic events

In addition to the main 1900 Olympic men's 200 metres, a 220-yard dash handicap race was also held. The winner was J. McGann for the United States, who ran an estimated 22.8 seconds with a ten-yard start. Frank Lukeman of Canada was second, also with a ten-yard handicap, and American C. Turner was third with a two-yard handicap.

This event is no longer considered part of the official Olympic history of the 200 metres or the athletics programme in general. Consequently, medals from this competition have not been assigned to nations on the all-time medal tables.


This page was last updated at 2023-01-30 12:13 UTC. Update now. View original page.

All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.


Top

If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari