Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
| Men's 200 metres at the Games of the XXX Olympiad | |
|---|---|
| File:Usain Bolt 2012 Olympics 2.jpg Usain Bolt | |
| Venue | Olympic Stadium |
| Dates | 7–9 August |
| Competitors | 54 from 40 nations |
| Winning time | 19.32 |
| Medalists | |
The men's 200 metres competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom was held at the Olympic Stadium on 7–9 August.[1] There were 54 competitors from 40 nations.[2] The event was won by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, the first man to repeat as champion in the 200 metres. His teammates Yohan Blake (silver) and Warren Weir (bronze) completed the medal sweep; it was the seventh sweep in the men's 200 metres and the first by a nation other than the United States. Bolt's gold medal was Jamaica's third in the event, moving out of a tie with Canada and Italy for second-most overall (behind the United States' 17 wins). This was only the fourth time that the United States failed to win a medal in the men's 200 metres, Wallace Spearmon finishing fourth with a time of 19.90, 0.06 seconds outside of a medal placing (the others being the 1928 Olympics, the 1980 Olympics in Moscow which the country boycotted, and the 2000 Olympics).
Background
This was the 26th appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Olympics in 1896 but has been on the program ever since. Two of the eight finalists from the 2008 Games returned: gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica, fifth-place finisher Christian Malcolm of Great Britain, and the two men who had finished second and third but been disqualified for stepping out of their lanes: Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and Wallace Spearmon of the United States. Bolt, in addition to being reigning Olympic champion, had won the 2009 and 2011 World Championships. Bolt was looking to do something no man had done before: repeat as 200 metres Olympic champion. Jesse Owens ran afoul of harsh amateurism rules after his 1936 win (and would have lost any opportunity to repeat with the outbreak of World War II in any case); Andy Stanfield lost by 0.22 seconds in 1956 after winning in 1952; Pietro Mennea made the final four times and came away with a gold and a bronze; Carl Lewis lost by 0.04 seconds in 1988 after winning in 1984; food poisoning robbed Michael Johnson of his first opportunity in 1992 before he won in 1996; Bolt himself had made Shawn Crawford the third gold-silver winner by beating him in 2008. He was a heavy favorite in the event; countryman Yohan Blake was his biggest challenger, but Bolt had beaten Blake to repeat as 100 metres champion earlier in London and was considered stronger in the 200 metres. The United States, which had the winner in 5 of the last 7 appearances of the event, had no strong runner to challenge Bolt.[2] For the first time, no nations made their debut in the event. The United States made its 25th appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.
Summary
The semifinal round showed all three Jamaican athletes were the class of the field. In heat one, Yohan Blake had a huge lead and relaxed down the straightaway, almost too much as Wallace Spearmon and Christophe Lemaitre raced to the line behind him in the fastest heat of the day. Usain Bolt dominated the second heat, jogging and looking around for non-existent challengers down the straight. And in heat three, Warren Weir was running easily, easing up at the finish to let Churandy Martina take the first spot, knowing he had qualified in the second position. Slowest qualifier Álex Quiñónez, racing hard for his 20.37, was on the opposite side of a clear dividing line in the field. In the final, Bolt, who was in lane 7, moved past his Jamaican teammate Weir after only 50 metres; coming off the bend and onto the final 100-metre straight, Bolt's lead over the rest of the field had grown to several metres, however Blake began to pull him back. Due to the lead he had built in the first 120 meters, it was Bolt who crossed the line first in a time of 19.32, already easing off before the line. In doing so, he became the first man in history to do the "double double" – winning both the 100 and 200 metres twice, back to back (he would later break this record by winning the 4 × 100 m relay and completing the Double Triple, at the same Olympics). Blake took the silver medal, as he had done in the 100 metres final, again behind Bolt. His time was the fastest ever time to not win a gold medal. Weir completed the 1–2–3 sweep for the Jamaicans by winning the bronze medal, the second time in any international competition that Jamaica has achieved this (after the women did it in the 2008 100 metres).[3] Bolt's time of 19.32 was coincidentally the time he had beaten when he first broke the 200 metres world record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, set by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics 200 metres.[4] As of December 2023, Blake's time of 19.44 seconds remains the fastest non-winning time in history.
Qualification
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the men's 200 metres event if all athletes met the A standard, or 1 athlete if they met the B standard. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the qualifying period that had the approval of the IAAF. For the sprints and short hurdles, including the 200 metres, only outdoor meets were eligible. The A standard for the 2012 men's 200 metres was 20.55 seconds; the B standard was 20.65 seconds. The qualifying period for was from 1 May 2011 to 8 July 2012. NOCs could also have an athlete enter the 200 metres through a universality place. NOCs could enter one male athlete in an athletics event, regardless of time, if they had no male athletes meeting the qualifying A or B standards in any men's athletic event.[5][6][7]
Competition format
For the first time since 1920 established a four-round competition, the number of rounds was changed. The 2012 competition had only three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals and a final. The "fastest loser" system introduced in 1960 was used in the semifinals for the first time, as the number of semifinals increased from 2 to 3.[2][8] There were 7 quarterfinals of 7 or 8 runners each, with the top 3 men in each as well as the next 3 fastest overall advancing to the semifinals. There were 3 semifinals, each with 8 runners. The top 2 athletes in each semifinal and the next 2 overall advanced. The final had 8 runners. The races were run on a 400 metre track.[2][8]
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing global records were as follows:
| Record | Athlete (Nation) | Time (s) | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World record | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Usain Bolt (JAM) | 19.19 | Berlin, Germany | 20 August 2009 |
| Olympic record | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Usain Bolt (JAM) | 19.30 | Beijing, China | 20 August 2008 |
| World leading | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Yohan Blake (JAM) | 19.80 [9] | Kingston, Jamaica | 1 July 2012 |
No new world or Olympic records were set during the competition. The following new national records were set during the competition.
| Nation | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Swaziland national record | Sibusiso Matsenjwa | 20.93 |
| Ecuador national record | Álex Quiñónez | 20.28 |
Schedule
All times are British Summer Time (UTC+1)
| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 7 August 2012 | 11:50 | Quarterfinals |
| Wednesday, 8 August 2012 | 20:10 | Semifinals |
| Thursday, 9 August 2012 | 20:55 | Final |
Results
Quarterfinals
Qual. rule: first 3 of each heat (Q) plus the 3 fastest times (q) qualified.[10]
Quarterfinal 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Usain Bolt | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.39 | Q |
| 2 | Aldemir da Silva Junior | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 20.53 | Q |
| 3 | Isiah Young | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.55 | Q |
| 4 | Alex Wilson | File:Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 20.57 | q |
| 5 | Noah Akwu | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 20.67 | |
| 6 | Michael Herrera | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 21.05 | |
| 7 | Vyacheslav Muravyev | File:Flag of Kazakhstan (3-2).svg Kazakhstan | 21.75 | |
| 8 | Jidou El Moctar | File:Flag of Mauritania (1959–2017).svg Mauritania | 22.94 | PB |
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Quarterfinal 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christophe Lemaitre | File:Flag of France.svg France | 20.34 | Q |
| 2 | Anaso Jobodwana | File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa | 20.46 | Q |
| 3 | Aaron Brown | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 20.55 | Q, PB |
| 4 | Likoúrgos-Stéfanos Tsákonas | File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece | 20.56 | q |
| 5 | Rondel Sorrillo | File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago | 20.76 | |
| 6 | Carlos Jorge | File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic | 21.02 | |
| 7 | Cristián Reyes | File:Flag of Chile.svg Chile | 21.29 | |
| 8 | Ibrahim Turay | File:Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone | 21.90 | PB |
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Quarterfinal 3
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Mitchell | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.54 | Q |
| 2 | Christian Malcolm | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 20.59 | Q |
| 3 | Michael Mathieu | File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas | 20.62 | Q |
| 4 | Roberto Skyers | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 20.66 | |
| 5 | Shota Iizuka | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 20.81 | |
| 6 | Sibusiso Matsenjwa | File:Flag of Swaziland.svg Swaziland | 20.93 | NR |
| 7 | José Carlos Herrera | File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico | 21.17 | |
| 8 | Joel Redhead | File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada | 21.22 |
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Quarterfinal 4
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yohan Blake | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.38 | Q |
| 2 | Bruno de Barros | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 20.52 | Q |
| 3 | Jaysuma Saidy Ndure | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 20.52 | Q |
| 4 | Serhiy Smelyk | File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine | 20.65 | |
| 5 | Paul Hession | File:Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg Ireland | 20.69 | |
| 6 | Xie Zhenye | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 20.69 | |
| 7 | Mosito Lehata | File:Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho | 20.74 |
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Quarterfinal 5
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren Weir | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.29 | Q |
| 2 | Antoine Adams | File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis | 20.59 | Q |
| 3 | Kamil Krynski | File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 20.66 | Q |
| 4 | Pavel Maslák | File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic | 20.67 | |
| 5 | Tremaine Harris | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 20.70 | |
| 6 | Marek Niit | File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia | 20.82 | |
| 7 | Reto Schenkel | File:Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 20.98 | |
| — | Alonso Edward | File:Flag of Panama.svg Panama | DQ | R 162.7 |
Quarterfinal 6
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Álex Quiñónez | File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador | 20.28 | Q, NR |
| 2 | Wallace Spearmon | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.47 | Q |
| 3 | Shinji Takahira | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 20.57 | Q |
| 4 | Brendan Christian | File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda | 20.63 | q, SB |
| 5 | Jonathan Åstrand | File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland | 20.73 | SB |
| 6 | Aziz Ouhadi | File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco | 20.80 | |
| 7 | Sandro Viana | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 21.05 | |
| — | Ben Youssef Meité | File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast | DNS |
Quarterfinal 7
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Churandy Martina | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 20.58 | Q |
| 2 | Kei Takase | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 20.72 | Q |
| 3 | Jared Connaughton | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 20.72 | Q |
| 4 | Amr Ibrahim Mostafa Seoud | File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt | 20.81 | |
| 5 | Arnaldo Abrantes | File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal | 20.88 | |
| 6 | James Ellington | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 21.23 | |
| 7 | Trevorvano Mackey | File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas | 21.28 | |
| 8 | Jean-Yves Esparon | File:Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles | 21.99 |
Semifinals
Qual. rule: first 2 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified.[11]
Semifinal 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yohan Blake | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.01 | Q |
| 2 | Wallace Spearmon | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.02 | Q |
| 3 | Christophe Lemaitre | File:Flag of France.svg France | 20.03 | q |
| 4 | Jaysuma Saidy Ndure | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 20.42 | |
| 5 | Likoúrgos-Stéfanos Tsákonas | File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece | 20.52 | PB |
| 6 | Bruno de Barros | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 20.55 | |
| 7 | Jared Connaughton | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 20.64 | |
| 8 | Kei Takase | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 20.70 |
Semifinal 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Usain Bolt | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.18 | Q |
| 2 | Anaso Jobodwana | File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa | 20.27 | Q, PB |
| 3 | Álex Quiñónez | File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador | 20.37 | q |
| 4 | Aaron Brown | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 20.42 | PB |
| 5 | Aldemir da Silva Junior | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 20.63 | |
| 6 | Kamil Krynski | File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 20.83 | |
| 7 | Alex Wilson | File:Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 20.85 | |
| 8 | Isiah Young | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.89 |
Semifinal 3
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Churandy Martina | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 20.17 | Q |
| 2 | Warren Weir | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 20.28 | Q |
| 3 | Christian Malcolm | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 20.51 | |
| 4 | Maurice Mitchell | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 20.56 | |
| 5 | Brendan Christian | File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda | 20.58 | SB |
| 6 | Shinji Takahira | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 20.77 | |
| — | Antoine Adams | File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis | DQ | R 163.3a |
| Michael Mathieu | File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas | DQ | R 162.7 |
Final
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place, gold medalist(s) | 7 | Usain Bolt | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 19.32 | WL, SB | ||
| 2nd place, silver medalist(s) | 4 | Yohan Blake | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 19.44 | SB | ||
| 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) | 8 | Warren Weir | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 19.84 | PB | ||
| 4 | 6 | Wallace Spearmon | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 19.90 | SB | ||
| 5 | 5 | Churandy Martina | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 20.00 | |||
| 6 | 2 | Christophe Lemaitre | File:Flag of France.svg France | 20.19 | |||
| 7 | 3 | Álex Quiñónez | File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador | 20.57 | |||
| 8 | 9 | Anaso Jobodwana | File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa | 20.69 | |||
| Wind: +0.4 m/s | |||||||
References
- ↑ "Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "200 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ↑ "Bolt Is First to Repeat as Winner of 100 and 200 Meters". New York Times. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ↑ "Usain Bolt wins 200m to make Olympic athletics history". BBC Sport. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ↑ "QUALIFICATION SYSTEM – GAMES OF THE XXX OLYMPIAD" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ↑ "Olympic Qualifying Procedures for Athletics". Telegraph. 15 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ↑ "Amended Qualifying Standards". IAAF. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Men's 200m". London 2012 Organising Committee. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "Season Top Lists – Senior 2012 – 200 Metres men", World Athletics, 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ↑ "Men's 200m results". London 2012 Organising Committee. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ↑ "London 2012 200m men Results - Olympic athletics". Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
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