World record progression 200 metres men

The following table shows the world record progression in the men's 200 metres

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. 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. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

, as ratified by the IAAF. The IAAF maintained separate records for 200 m over a straight track and over a curved track. It discarded records for the former after 1976. The IAAF ratified the first record for 200 m (bend) in 1951. "y" denoted times for 220 yards (201.17 m) which were also ratified for the event.

To June 21, 2011, the IAAF has ratified 24 world records in the event.

Records 1951-1976

Time	Wind	Auto	Athlete	Location of race	Date
20.6y			Andy Stanfield Andy Stanfield Andrew William Stanfield was an American sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medallist.-Biography:...	Philadelphia, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	May 26, 1951
20.6			Andy Stanfield Andy Stanfield Andrew William Stanfield was an American sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medallist.-Biography:...	Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 28, 1952
20.6	0.0		Thane Baker Thane Baker Walter Thane Baker is a former American athlete and winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, with a new world record of 39.5 seconds. At those Olympics Baker also won a silver medal in the 100-meter and a bronze in the 200-meter...	Bakersfield Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively.... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 23, 1956
20.6		20.75	Bobby Morrow	Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	November 27, 1956
20.6			Manfred Germar Manfred Germar Manfred Germar is a West German athlete who mainly competed in sprint events.He competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia where he won the bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metre relay with his team mates Lothar Knörzer, Leonhard Pohl and Heinz...	Wuppertal Wuppertal Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	October 1, 1958
20.6y	−1.6		Ray Norton Ray Norton Otis Ray Norton is a former American sprinter. In college he ran for San José State University, where he was coached by Lloyd Winter. He later won two gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games. In that same year he tied Leamon King's record at the 100 meters at 10.1 seconds.In 1960 he set or...	Berkeley Berkeley, California Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	March 19, 1960
20.6			Ray Norton Ray Norton Otis Ray Norton is a former American sprinter. In college he ran for San José State University, where he was coached by Lloyd Winter. He later won two gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games. In that same year he tied Leamon King's record at the 100 meters at 10.1 seconds.In 1960 he set or...	Philadelphia, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	April 30, 1960
20.5y			Peter Radford Peter Radford Peter Frank Radford is a former British athlete, who competed at 100 & 200 metres , broke world records, and won Olympic medals, despite being using a wheelchair by a serious kidney illness as a child.He took up competitive running at the age of 12, soon joining Birchfield Harriers, where he was...	Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	May 28, 1960
20.5	0.0	20.75	Stone Johnson Stone Johnson Stone Johnson was an Olympic sprinting athlete and American football kick returner/running back for the Kansas City Chiefs....	Stanford Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	July 2, 1960
20.5	0.0		Ray Norton Ray Norton Otis Ray Norton is a former American sprinter. In college he ran for San José State University, where he was coached by Lloyd Winter. He later won two gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games. In that same year he tied Leamon King's record at the 100 meters at 10.1 seconds.In 1960 he set or...	Stanford Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	July 2, 1960
20.5		20.65	Livio Berruti Livio Berruti Livio Berruti is an Italian former athlete. He became the surprising winner of the 200 m in the 1960 Summer Olympics....	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	September 3, 1960
20.5		20.62	Livio Berruti Livio Berruti Livio Berruti is an Italian former athlete. He became the surprising winner of the 200 m in the 1960 Summer Olympics....	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	September 3, 1960
20.5y	−1.1	20.67	Paul Drayton	Walnut Mt. San Antonio College Mt. San Antonio College is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut, California, 2.12 miles west of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona .... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 23, 1962
20.3y	−0.1		Henry Carr Henry Carr Henry Carr is a former American track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.-Early life:...	Tempe Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	March 23, 1963
20.2y	0.5		Henry Carr Henry Carr Henry Carr is a former American track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.-Early life:...	Tempe Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	April 4, 1964
20.0y	0.0		Tommie Smith Tommie Smith Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...	Sacramento Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 11, 1968
19.8	0.9	19.83	Tommie Smith Tommie Smith Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...	Mexico City Estadio Olímpico Universitario Estadio Olímpico Universitario is a stadium located in Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City. It was built in 1952 and at that time was the largest stadium in Mexico. This stadium has a capacity of 63,186 . During the 50s and the 60s this stadium was used mostly for college American football matches... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	October 16, 1968
19.8	0.9	19.86	Donald Quarrie	Cali Calì Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:... , Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...	August 3, 1971
19.8+	1.3		Donald Quarrie	Eugene, Oregon Hayward Field Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 7, 1975

(+) plus sign denotes en-route time during longer race

Records post-1977

From 1975, the IAAF accepted separate automatically electronically timed records for events up to 400 metres. Starting January 1, 1977, the IAAF required fully automatic timing to the hundredth of a second for these events.

Tommie Smith's 1968 Olympic gold medal victory was the fastest recorded fully electronic 200 metre race to that time.

Time	Wind	Auto	Athlete	Location of race	Date
19.83 A	0.9		Tommie Smith Tommie Smith Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...	Mexico City Estadio Olímpico Universitario Estadio Olímpico Universitario is a stadium located in Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City. It was built in 1952 and at that time was the largest stadium in Mexico. This stadium has a capacity of 63,186 . During the 50s and the 60s this stadium was used mostly for college American football matches... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	October 16, 1968
19.72 A	1.8		Pietro Mennea Pietro Mennea Pietro Paolo Mennea is an Italian former sprinter and politician, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world record for 17 years.-Biography:...	Mexico City Estadio Olímpico Universitario Estadio Olímpico Universitario is a stadium located in Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City. It was built in 1952 and at that time was the largest stadium in Mexico. This stadium has a capacity of 63,186 . During the 50s and the 60s this stadium was used mostly for college American football matches... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	September 12, 1979
19.66	0.4		Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (athlete) Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...	Atlanta Centennial Olympic Stadium Centennial Olympic Stadium was the 85,000-seat main stadium of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Construction of the stadium began in 1993, and it was complete and ready for the Opening Ceremony in July 1996, where it hosted track and field events and the closing ceremony... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	June 23, 1996
19.32	0.4	19.313	Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (athlete) Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...	Atlanta Centennial Olympic Stadium Centennial Olympic Stadium was the 85,000-seat main stadium of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Construction of the stadium began in 1993, and it was complete and ready for the Opening Ceremony in July 1996, where it hosted track and field events and the closing ceremony... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	August 1, 1996
19.30	−0.9	19.296	Usain Bolt Usain Bolt The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...	Beijing Beijing National Stadium Beijing National Stadium, also known officially as the National Stadium, or colloquially as the Bird's Nest , is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.-History:... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	August 20, 2008
19.19	−0.3	19.190	Usain Bolt Usain Bolt The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...	Berlin Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	August 20, 2009

Records 1951-1976

Records post-1977

See also