200 metres at the Olympics
| 200 metres at the Olympic Games | |
|---|---|
|
The 2008 Olympic men's 200 m final | |
| Overview | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Gender | Men and women |
| Years held |
Men: 1900 – 2012 Women: 1948 – 2012 |
| Olympic record | |
| Men | 19.30 Usain Bolt (2008) |
| Women | 21.34 Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988) |
| Reigning champion | |
| Men |
 Usain Bolt (JAM) |
| Women |
 Allyson Felix (USA) |
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.[1] 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.[2]
Only three athletes have won the title twice. 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 became the first man to win two Olympic 200 m gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Merlene Ottey is the most decorated athlete, having won four medals in the event (though none of them gold). The reigning women's champion Allyson Felix has won three medals, as has Poland's Irena Szewińska. No man has won more than two medals in the event. 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.
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
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Multiple medalists
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolt, UsainUsain Bolt | Jamaica (JAM) |
2008–2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Stanfield, AndyAndy Stanfield | United States (USA) |
1952–1956 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis | United States (USA) |
1984–1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Crawford, ShawnShawn Crawford | United States (USA) |
2004–2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Quarrie, DonDon Quarrie | Jamaica (JAM) |
1976–1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Mennea, PietroPietro Mennea |  Italy (ITA) |
1972–1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Paddock, CharlieCharlie Paddock | United States (USA) |
1920–1924 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Fredericks, FrankieFrankie Fredericks |  Namibia (NAM) |
1992–1996 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Cartmell, NateNate Cartmell | United States (USA) |
1904–1908 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Baker, ThaneThane Baker | United States (USA) |
1952–1956 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Boldon, AtoAto 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) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Italy (ITA) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 |  Canada (CAN) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 5= |  Greece (GRE) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5= |  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 |  India (IND) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 12= |  Brazil (BRA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12= |  France (FRA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12= |  Germany (GER) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12= |  Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12= |  Panama (PAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Women
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Multiple medalists
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Wöckel, BärbelBärbel Wöckel |  East Germany (GDR) | 1976–1980 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1= | Campbell-Brown, VeronicaVeronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica (JAM) | 2004–2008 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix | United States (USA) | 2004–2012 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Szewińska, IrenaIrena Szewińska |  Poland (POL) | 1964–1972 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Griffith, FlorenceFlorence Griffith | United States (USA) | 1984–1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Stecher, RenateRenate Stecher | East Germany (GDR) | 1972–1976 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Boyle, RaeleneRaelene Boyle | Australia (AUS) | 1968–1972 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Ottey, MerleneMerlene Ottey | Jamaica (JAM) | 1980–1996 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Medalists by country
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (USA) | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 | East Germany (GDR) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | Jamaica (JAM) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 4 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | Poland (POL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 |  Bahamas (BAH) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | France (FRA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 |  Unified Team of Germany (EUA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10= | Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10= | Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12= | West Germany (FRG) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12= |  Sri Lanka (SRI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 |  Nigeria (NGR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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.[3]
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.[3]
References
- Participation and athlete data
- Athletics Men's 200 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Athletics Women's 200 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Olympic record progressions
- Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Specific
- ↑ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009." (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 547. Archived from the original (pdf) on November 23, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
- ↑ 200 Metres - men - senior - outdoor. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- 1 2 Handicap Olympic Athletics Events. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
External links
- IAAF 200 metres homepage
- Official Olympics website
- Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News
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