What is the 200m world record?
The men's 200m world record is 19.19 by Usain Bolt, run in Berlin on 20 August 2009. The women's 200m world record is 21.34 by Florence Griffith Joyner, run at the Seoul Olympics on 29 September 1988.
Bolt ran his record into a slight headwind, four days after his 9.58 in the 100m. Griffith Joyner's 21.34 has stood for 38 years. In the last few seasons the women's list has moved fastest, with three of its top four set since 2023.
Men's and women's 200m world records
| Record | Time | Wind | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 19.19 | −0.3 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany | 20 Aug 2009 |
| Women | 21.34 | +1.3 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 29 Sep 1988 |
Bolt broke his own record of 19.30 from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which had itself ended Michael Johnson's 12 years as record holder. For his splits and top speed, see Usain Bolt's speed. Griffith Joyner set the women's record in the Olympic final, the second time that day she broke the old mark.
200m world record progression
Two of the men's records were set at altitude in Mexico City. Pietro Mennea's 19.72 from 1979 lasted almost 17 years, until Michael Johnson ran 19.66 in Atlanta in June 1996. Five weeks later, in the Olympic final, Johnson took the record to 19.32.
| Time | Athlete | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19.83 | Tommie Smith (USA) | Mexico City (altitude) | 1968 |
| 19.72 | Pietro Mennea (ITA) | Mexico City (altitude) | 1979 |
| 19.66 | Michael Johnson (USA) | Atlanta | 1996 |
| 19.32 | Michael Johnson (USA) | Atlanta | 1996 |
| 19.30 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Beijing | 2008 |
| 19.19 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Berlin | 2009 |
Marita Koch's 21.71 from 1979 was equalled three times, once by Koch in 1984 and twice by Heike Drechsler in 1986, before Griffith Joyner ran 21.56 and then 21.34 on the same day in Seoul.
| Time | Athlete | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22.21 | Irena Szewińska (POL) | Potsdam | 1974 |
| 22.06 | Marita Koch (GDR) | Erfurt | 1978 |
| 22.02 | Marita Koch (GDR) | Leipzig | 1979 |
| 21.71 | Marita Koch (GDR) | Karl-Marx-Stadt | 1979 |
| 21.56 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | Seoul | 1988 |
| 21.34 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | Seoul | 1988 |
Fastest 200m times ever
The ten fastest athletes in history, each listed once with a best run in legal wind. One of the top ten men and three of the top ten women set their bests in 2026. For Lyles' races and top speed, see Noah Lyles' speed.
| Time | Athlete | Wind | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.19 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | −0.3 | Berlin | 20 Aug 2009 |
| 19.26 | Yohan Blake (JAM) | +0.7 | Brussels | 16 Sep 2011 |
| 19.31 | Noah Lyles (USA) | +0.4 | Eugene | 21 Jul 2022 |
| 19.32 | Michael Johnson (USA) | +0.4 | Atlanta | 1 Aug 1996 |
| 19.46 | Letsile Tebogo (BOT) | +0.4 | Paris | 8 Aug 2024 |
| 19.49 | Erriyon Knighton (USA) | +1.4 | Baton Rouge | 30 Apr 2022 |
| 19.52 | Kenneth Bednarek (USA) | −0.1 | Budapest | 13 Sep 2026 |
| 19.53 | Walter Dix (USA) | +0.7 | Brussels | 16 Sep 2011 |
| 19.57 | Justin Gatlin (USA) | +0.4 | Eugene | 28 Jun 2015 |
| 19.58 | Tyson Gay (USA) | +1.3 | New York | 30 May 2009 |
| Time | Athlete | Wind | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.34 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | +1.3 | Seoul | 29 Sep 1988 |
| 21.41 | Shericka Jackson (JAM) | +0.1 | Budapest | 25 Aug 2023 |
| 21.47 | Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) | −0.6 | Budapest | 13 Sep 2026 |
| 21.51 | Julien Alfred (LCA) | +0.9 | Monaco | 10 Jul 2026 |
| 21.53 | Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) | +0.8 | Tokyo | 3 Aug 2021 |
| 21.60 | Gabrielle Thomas (USA) | −0.4 | Eugene | 9 Jul 2023 |
| 21.62 | Marion Jones (USA) | −0.6 | Johannesburg | 11 Sep 1998 |
| 21.63 | Dafne Schippers (NED) | +0.2 | Beijing | 28 Aug 2015 |
| 21.64 | Merlene Ottey (JAM) | +0.8 | Brussels | 13 Sep 1991 |
| 21.68 | Adaejah Hodge (IVB) | −0.4 | Eugene | 13 Jun 2026 |
Indoor 200m world records
Indoors the 200m is run on a 200m track with tighter bends, and times are slower. The short-track records are Frankie Fredericks' 19.92 (Liévin, France, 18 February 1996) and Merlene Ottey's 21.87 (Liévin, 13 February 1993). The closest anyone has come to Fredericks is Garrett Kaalund's 19.95 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on 14 March 2026.
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Get Sprint UniversityHow your 200m compares with the world record
Picture where you would be when the record holder crosses the line. At your average speed, the distance left is 200 × (1 − record ÷ your time). A 25.00 leaves you about 46.5 m behind Bolt.
| Level | Men | Behind Bolt | Women | Behind Griffith Joyner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. high school record | 19.97 | 7.8 m | 22.11 | 7.0 m |
| World Championships entry standard (2025) | 20.16 | 9.6 m | 22.57 | 10.9 m |
| NCAA D1 final, last place (2025) | 20.56 | 13.3 m | 22.86 | 13.3 m |
| Oregon state-meet standard, 6A (2026) | 22.07 | 26.1 m | 24.86 | 28.3 m |
| AAU Junior Olympics median, ages 17–18 (2025) | 22.43 | 28.9 m | 25.38 | 31.8 m |
The U.S. girls' high school record in the table, Allyson Felix's 22.11, was run at altitude. Rate your own time below, or see every age and level on the average 200m time page.
Rate your time
Comparing your time with the record fairly
- Comparing a hand-timed 200m
- Stopwatches read fast. In a study of 40-yard sprints, hand timing came out 0.22–0.26 s quicker than electronic timing. Every time on this page is fully automatic.
- Counting a wind-aided time
- A tailwind over 2.0 m/s makes a 200m ineligible for any record. Check the wind reading on your result before you compare it.
- Putting an indoor time next to an outdoor one
- The indoor record is 0.73 s slower than the outdoor one for men and 0.53 s slower for women. Compare indoor 200m times with indoor marks.
FAQ
Sources
- World Athletics: all-time top list, 200 metres, men (legal wind, best per athlete)
- World Athletics: all-time top list, 200 metres, women (legal wind, best per athlete)
- Wikipedia: List of world records in athletics (outdoor and short-track records)
- Wikipedia: Men's 200 metres world record progression
- Wikipedia: Women's 200 metres world record progression
- World Athletics: all-time top list, 200 metres short track, men
- World Athletics: all-time top list, 200 metres short track, women
- Wikipedia: Wind assistance (2.0 m/s limit for records, IAAF Rule 260.14(c))
- World Athletics, World Championships Tokyo 25: Qualification System and Entry Standards
- 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, final results (Wikipedia)
- List of United States high school national records in track and field (Wikipedia)
- Oregon School Activities Association, 2026 Track & Field State Championships Qualifying Standards (boys and girls)
- AAU Junior Olympic Games 2025 (Humble, TX), full HY-TEK results, all age divisions (MileSplit raw results)
- Mann JB, Ivey PJ, Brechue WF, Mayhew JL. Validity and reliability of hand and electronic timing for 40-yd sprint in college football players. J Strength Cond Res 29(6), 2015