200 metres
A 200 metre race is a sprint running event. Despite the fact that it is often a faster race than the 100 m, 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 Pérec 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. Despite being twice as long as the 100 m, the best 200 m runners can run a 200 m in a time similar to or even faster than double their 100 m time. This is primarily because the athlete comes into the final straight at full speed already, therefore enabling them to run the second half of the 200 m faster than an athlete can usually run a regular 100 m. For example, Michael Johnson's world record represents an average speed of 10.35 m/s (37.3 km/h or 23.1 mph), faster than the average speed for the current 100 m world record of 9.74 s, which represents an average speed of 10.27 m/s (37.0 km/h or 23.0 mph).
In the United States, athletes previously ran the 220-yard dash (201.168 m) instead of the 200 m, though the distance is now obsolete. The standard adjustment used for the conversion from times recorded over 220 yards to 200 m times is 0.1 seconds,[1] but other conversion factors exist.
The current men's world record holder is Michael Johnson, who ran 19.32 s at the 1996 Olympic Games. The current women's world record holder is Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran 21.34 s at the 1988 Olympic Games. The reigning Olympic champions are Shawn Crawford and Veronica Campbell.
[edit] Famous 200 m runners
[edit] All-time fastest 200 m athletes
Updated 7 January 2008.
Only the fastest time for each athlete is listed.
Updated 7 January 2008
[edit] Olympic medalists
[edit] World Championship medalists
[edit] External links
[edit] References
|
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
