Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres explained

Event:	Men's 200 metres
Games:	2016 Summer
Venue:	Estádio Olímpico João Havelange
Dates:	16 August 2016 (quarterfinals) 17 August 2016 (semifinals) 18 August 2016 (final)
Competitors:	77
Nations:	48
Win Value:	19.78
Longnames:	yes
Gold:	Usain Bolt
Goldnoc:	JAM
Silver:	Andre De Grasse
Silvernoc:	CAN
Bronze:	Christophe Lemaitre
Bronzenoc:	FRA
Prev:	2012
Next:	2020

The men's 200 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place between 16–18 August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange.^[1] There were 77 competitors from 48 nations. The event was won by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, his third consecutive gold medal in the event. Bolt earned his eighth overall gold, needing only the 4x100 metres relay the next day to complete the sprint triple-triple. It was Jamaica's fourth victory in the event, second-most among nations. Andre De Grasse earned Canada's first medal in the event since 1928 with his silver; Christophe Lemaitre's bronze was France's first since 1960. The United States missed the podium for only the fifth time in the history of the men's 200 metres; it was the first time that it had done so in consecutive Games.

Background

This was the 27th appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Olympics in 1896 but has been on the program ever since. Five of the eight finalists from the 2012 Games returned: two-time gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica, silver medalist Yohan Blake of Jamaica, fifth-place finisher Churandy Martina of the Netherlands (who had finished second in 2008 before being disqualified for a lane violation), sixth-place finisher Christophe Lemaitre of France, and eighth-place finisher Anaso Jobodwana of South Africa.^[2]

After winning the 100 metres, 2012 Olympic champion and 2015 World Champion Bolt sought to become the first man to win three consecutive Olympic 200 metres titles (no other man had won even two), en route to the "Triple-Triple"; 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals at 3 consecutive Olympic Games. However, injuries in the early season prevented him from running any 200 metres races before the Jamaican Trials, where he pulled from the event due to an injury. Bolt filed a medical exemption and qualified for the Olympics by running 19.89 seconds in London, ranking him 5th in the year. Though unbeaten in the event since 2012, Bolt faced major opposition from a strong trio of Americans in LaShawn Merritt, Justin Gatlin, and Ameer Webb.^[3] Merritt, the 2008 Olympic Champion in the 400 metres, posted the 19.74 second world lead in the semifinals of the American Trials, while Gatlin, Bolt's main rival for the past 3 years, beat him in the final with the second fastest time of the year at 19.75 seconds. Webb clocked 19.85 seconds in Doha and won in Rome as well.

Bolt's training partners Blake and Miguel Francis of Antigua and Barbuda were entered, with Francis being ranked 4th at 19.88 seconds. Defending silver medalist Blake, the second fastest man in history and the only man to beat Bolt in the 200 metres since his world record, failed to go under 20 seconds in the season, still on the comeback from near-career ending injuries from 2013-2015. In Bolt's absence, he won the Jamaican Trials in a modest 20.29 seconds. Nickel Ashmeade rounded out the Jamaican trio while defending bronze medalist Warren Weir failed to make the team. Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake clocked a personal best of 19.95 seconds earlier in the season; Adam Gemili and Daniel Talbot filled out the British team. Brendon Rodney was the last one under 20 seconds in the season, leading Aaron Brown and Pan-American champion Andre De Grasse on the Canadian team. Others included in the conversation were Diamond League champion Alonso Edward of Panama, European Champion Bruno Hortelano of Spain, and 2012 European Champion Martina.^[4] ^[5]

Summary

De Grasse, fresh off his bronze in the 100 metres, led the quarterfinals with a very relaxed 20.09, throwing his hat into the ring as a potential challenger. Bolt eased to 20.28 seconds, while a sluggish Gatlin clocked 20.42 seconds. Surprise winners included Salem Eid Yaqoob, Jose Carlos Herrera, and Nery Brenes, while notable eliminations included Rodney, Asian record holder Femi Ogunode, and reigning world championship bronze medalist Anaso Jobodwana.

In the semifinal round, Merritt cruised to a sub-20 win in the first. 2011 bronze medalist Christophe Lemaitre finished second with his fastest time in 4 years. In the second semifinal, Bolt was prepared to cruise to victory until De Grasse suddenly rushed to Bolt's shoulder. The two friends laughed with each other to the line, with Bolt clocking a season's best 19.78 seconds and De Grasse breaking his Canadian record with 19.80 seconds. As Bud Winter, the sprint coach who influenced Glen Mills, Bolt's coach, would say; "Relax and win."^[6] Webb meanwhile, was left behind in 6th. Drama unfolded in the third semifinal, with both major contenders Gatlin and Blake failing to qualify. Instead, Alonso Edward led the way with Churandy Martina making a late rush for the second spot. Gatlin maintained a lead up until the homestretch, while Blake never got close to contention and finished a surprising 6th.

The final was held following a light rainstorm that affected the women's javelin throw. The track was still wet and conditions cooler. Still the stadium was electric to see lightning, the star Usain Bolt in what was expected to be his last individual race in the Olympics. Bolt was in lane 6, playing to the camera and to the crowd before the race. Lemaitre and Martina were to his outside, while Merritt and De Grasse, now in major contention, to his inside. Bolt got a good start and quickly made up the stagger on Lemaitre then Martina halfway through the turn. He led by a meter by the time they came into the homestretch, and after extending it to 2.5 metres, there was no challenge and Bolt was home free from a wall of chasers.^[7] Behind him, De Grasse started to pull away from the pack, Merritt started to lag, and Gemili and Martina were in contention for the bronze, with Lemaitre beginning to make a late charge. Bolt, however, was clear and away, gritting his teeth hard in an attempt to close on his world record. He hit the line in 19.78 seconds, equaling his time from the semifinals, visibly disappointed. Still though, the crowd lit up in excitement to see Bolt make history once again. Meanwhile, De Grasse cruised to the silver while Gemili, Lemaitre, and Martina all hit the line together in a dead heat for the bronze medal.

Bolt made his goal of being the first man in history to win 3 consecutive Olympic golds in the 200 metres. He also completed the "Triple-Double" with his 100 metres golds as well, and was now one race away from completing the historic "Triple-Triple". As Bolt celebrated, the crowd lit up as Lemaitre was revealed to be the bronze medalist, pipping Gemili by 3 thousandths and Martina by another 3. A heartbroken Gemili laid on the track in tears, then joined his fellow European athletes. The final was one of the slowest in nearly 2 decades, likely due to the rainy conditions.^[8] Every athlete other than Bolt was nearly a tenth slower than they were in the semifinals, and only Bolt went under 20 seconds.

After the race, Bolt celebrated his last individual victory, kissing the finish line and striking the lightning bolt pose.

In the victory ceremony, the medals for the competition were presented by Sir Philip Craven, Great Britain, member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the International Paralympic Committee, and the gifts were presented by Adille Sumariwalla, Council Member of the IAAF.

Qualification

See main article: Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification.

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the men's 200 metres event if all athletes meet the entry standard during the qualifying period. (The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.) The qualifying standard was 20.50 seconds. The qualifying period was from 1 May 2015 to 11 July 2016. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Only outdoor meets were eligible for the sprints and short hurdles, including the 200 metres. NOCs could also use their universality place—each NOC could enter one male athlete regardless of time if they had no male athletes meeting the entry standard for an athletics event—in the 200 metres.^[9] ^[10]

Competition format

The competition featured three rounds: a quarterfinals stage with ten races, three semifinal races, and a single final. Each race featured eight athletes. The top two from each quarterfinal and the next four fastest overall progressed to the semifinals. The top two finishers in each of the three semifinals reach the final, alongside the next two fastest overall.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing global and area records were as follows:

Record! scope="col"
Athlete (Nation)	Time (s)	Location	Date
World record		19.19	Berlin, Germany	20 August 2009
Olympic record		19.30	Beijing, China	20 August 2008
World leading		19.74 ^[11]	Eugene, Oregon, United States	8 July 2016

Area records before the 2016 Summer Olympics! Area! Time (s)! Wind! Athlete! Nation
	19.68	+0.4
	19.97	−0.4
	19.72	+1.8
	19.19	−0.3
	20.06	+0.9
	19.81	−0.3

The following national records were established during the competition:

Nation	Athlete	Time	Notes
align=left	Spain	Heats	20.12
align=left	Bahrain	Heats	20.19
align=left	Liberia	Heats	20.49
align=left	Swaziland	Heats	20.63
align=left	Costa Rica	Semifinals	20.20
align=left	Canada	Semifinals	19.80

Schedule

All times are Brasilia Time (UTC-3)

Date	Time	Round
Tuesday, 16 August 2016	11:50	Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 17 August 2016	22:00	Semifinals
Thursday, 18 August 2016	22:30	Final

Results

Quarterfinals

Qualification rules: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advance to the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	6	0.137	20.19
2	2	0.143	20.27	,
3	8	0.161	20.31	,
4	7	0.167	20.36
5	3	0.144	20.51
6	4	0.139	20.58
7	5	0.162	20.65
	1	data-sort-value=1.000	—
		Wind: +0.7 m/s

Quarterfinal 2

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	8	0.161	20.12	,
2	6	0.166	20.13	,
3	4	0.157	20.31
4	3	0.175	20.53
5	7	0.197	20.61
6	2	0.164	20.65
7	5	0.151	20.74
8	1	0.200	20.78
		Wind: −0.2 m/s

Quarterfinal 3

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	5	0.167	20.19	,
2	6	0.148	20.23	,
3	2	0.127	20.23
4	3	0.163	20.49
5	8	0.219	20.49
6	4	0.196	20.63
7	7	0.186	21.02
8	1	0.130	21.25
		Wind: +0.3 m/s

Quarterfinal 4

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time
1	3	0.143	20.29
2	8	0.149	20.44
3	6	0.176	20.50
4	4	0.161	20.59
5	1	0.130	20.65
6	7	0.175	20.66
7	2	0.152	22.27
	5	data-sort-value=1.000	—
		Wind: 0.0 m/s

Quarterfinal 5

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time
1	4	0.154	20.42
2	6	0.171	20.58
3	5	0.144	20.58
4	2	0.182	20.66
5	7	0.136	20.80
6	8	0.159	20.86
7	3	0.132	20.97
		Wind: –1.5 m/s

Quarterfinal 6

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time
1	5	0.124	20.15
2	2	0.153	20.20
3	8	0.148	20.66
4	4	0.186	20.74
5	1	0.169	21.02
6	7	0.159	21.04
7	6	0.187	21.32
8	3	0.175	22.14
		Wind: +0.4 m/s

Quarterfinal 7

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	8	0.178	20.20	,
2	3	0.150	20.29
3	4	0.169	20.34
4	6	0.145	20.51
5	7	0.182	20.55
6	5	0.117	20.85
7	1	0.156	21.63
	2	data-sort-value=1.000	—
		Wind: +0.2 m/s

Quarterfinal 8

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time
1	3	0.162	20.15
2	2	0.171	20.28
3	4	0.138	20.39
4	7	0.123	20.42
5	8	0.151	20.54
6	6	0.154	20.59
7	5	0.180	20.86
8	1	0.213	21.43
		Wind: +0.4 m/s

Quarterfinal 9

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	5	0.177	20.28
2	8	0.141	20.34	,
3	3	0.136	20.42
4	7	0.147	20.61
5	4	0.162	20.64
6	2	0.153	20.71
7	1	0.153	20.78
7	6	0.150	20.78
		Wind: +0.6 m/s

Quarterfinal 10

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	5	0.137	20.09	,
2	1	0.146	20.24
3	7	0.124	20.27	,
4	8	0.159	20.48
5	6	0.141	20.49
6	3	0.133	20.55
7	2	0.144	20.80
8	4	0.160	21.49
		Wind: +1.0 m/s

Semifinals

Qualification rules: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the final.

Semifinal 1

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	6	0.166	19.94
2	8	0.125	20.01	,
3	7	0.153	20.25
4	4	0.134	20.31
5	1	0.132	20.33
6	3	0.165	20.33
7	2	0.173	20.37
8	5	0.150	20.48
		Wind: −0.4 m/s

Semifinal 2

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	4	0.156	19.78	,
2	5	0.130	19.80	,
3	6	0.142	20.08
4	8	0.157	20.09	,
5	2	0.192	20.43
5	3	0.143	20.43
7	7	0.147	20.59
8	1	0.156	20.60
		Wind: −0.3 m/s

Semifinal 3

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
1	5	0.140	20.07
2	8	0.147	20.10	,
3	2	0.137	20.13
4	4	0.142	20.16
5	7	0.196	20.25
6	6	0.151	20.37
7	1	0.159	20.63
8	3	0.149	20.88
		Wind: −0.2 m/s

Final

Rank	Lane	Reaction	Time	Notes
	6	0.156	19.78
	4	0.141	20.02
	7	0.153	20.12	.116
4	2	0.178	20.12	.119
5	8	0.148	20.13	.122^[12]
6	5	0.189	20.19
7	3	0.162	20.23
8	1	0.141	20.43
		Wind: −0.5 m/s

Notes and References

Web site: Men's 200m . Rio 2016 Organisation . 3 August 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160820183641/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-mens-200m . 20 August 2016 .
Web site: 200 metres, Men . Olympedia . 5 January 2021.
Web site: 200 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2016.
Landells, Steve (2016-08-10). Preview: men's 200m – Rio 2016 Olympic Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-14.
https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/sprints/200-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2016 Senior outdoor 2016 200 Metres men
Web site: Blog Archives. Locomotivation.
Web site: Rio Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt wins 200m gold, his eighth Olympic gold. 19 August 2016. BBC Sport. 19 August 2016.
Web site: Usain Bolt's dominant victory in Rio 200m final makes it eight Olympic gold. 19 August 2016. Guardian. 19 August 2016.
News: IAAF approves entry standards for Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Athletics Weekly. 16 April 2015.
Web site: Qualification System – Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Athletics. IAAF. 15 July 2016.
"Season Top Lists – Senior 2016 – 200 Metres men", World Athletics, 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
Web site: Christophe Lemaitre and Adam Gemili in photo finish for bronze medal in Rio Olympics' 200m. 19 August 2016.