Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres

Men's 200 metres
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Shawn Crawford (2009)
VenueAthens Olympic Stadium
Dates24–26 August
Competitors54 from 41 nations
Winning time19.79
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Shawn Crawford  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Bernard Williams  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Justin Gatlin  United States
← 2000
2008 →

The men's 200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 24 to 26.[1] There were 54 competitors from 41 nations.[2] The event was won by 0.22 seconds by Shawn Crawford of the United States, the nation's 17th victory in the men's 200 metres after missing the podium entirely four years prior. His teammates Bernard Williams (silver) and Justin Gatlin (bronze) completed the sixth American sweep in the event and first since 1984.

Barely turned eighteen, Usain Bolt came to the Olympics injured and was not able to compete at the level he had achieved earlier in the season. He was eliminated in the heats in his only Olympic defeat. He would eventually go on to win double gold at the Beijing Games, and triple at the London and Rio Olympics.

Background

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This was the 24th 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 2000 Games returned: silver medalist Darren Campbell and fifth-place finisher Christian Malcolm, both of Great Britain. The 1992 and 1996 silver medalist, Frankie Fredericks of Namibia, had missed the 2000 Games due to injury but returned in 2004. Reigning Olympic champion Konstantinos Kenteris of Greece missed a drug test the day before the Games opened, resulting in his suspension.[2]

Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Palau, and Slovenia each made their debut in the event. The United States made its 23rd appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.

Summary

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The final pool looked similar to the 100 metres final pool, with the favorites, Justin Gatlin, Francis Obikwelu and Shawn Crawford in the center of the track. Bernard Williams also was in the final, along with perennial silver medalist Frankie Fredericks. From the gun, Williams near the inside got a clearly better start, quickly making up a step on the stagger to Crawford to his outside. But through the turn, Crawford maintained the distance while running the further distance. Crawford and Gatlin ran about even last portion of the turn looked more powerful than Williams and Gatlin on either side. By the end of the turn, it was the three Americans in the lead, led by Crawford, Obikwelu the closest challenger a step behind. Crawford separated from Gatlin at the head of the straight and the race was for second. Gatlin held the edge down the straight until the last ten metres when Gatlin seemed to struggle and Williams cruised to silver. Next to last at the beginning of the straight, veteran Fredericks gained steadily and was able to dip past Obikwelu for fourth,[3][4] but not enough to break up the American sweep.

Qualification

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The Olympic qualification period for the athletics ran from 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. For this event, each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was permitted to enter up to three athletes, provided they had run below 20.59 seconds during this period in IAAF-sanctioned meetings or tournaments. If a NOC had no athletes qualified under this standard, it could enter up to one athlete that had run below 20.75 seconds.

Competition format

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The competition used the four round format introduced in 1920: heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. The "fastest loser" system introduced in 1960 was used in the heats and quarterfinals.

There were 7 heats of 7 or 8 runners each, with the top 4 men in each advancing to the quarterfinals along with the next 4 fastest overall. The quarterfinals consisted of 4 heats of 8 athletes each; the 3 fastest men in each heat and the next 4 fastest overall advanced to the semifinals. There were 2 semifinals, each with 8 runners. The top 4 athletes in each semifinal advanced. The final had 8 runners. The races were run on a 400 metre track.[2]

Records

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Prior to the competition, the existing world, Olympic record, and world leading time were as follows:

World record  Michael Johnson (USA) 19.32 s Atlanta, United States 1 August 1996
Olympic record  Michael Johnson (USA) 19.32 s Atlanta, United States 1 August 1996
World Leading  Shawn Crawford (USA) 19.88 s Sacramento, United States 16 July 2004

No new world or Olympic records were set during the competition.

Schedule

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The competition used a three-day schedule rather than a two-day schedule, splitting the semifinals and final into two days. The three-day schedule had previously been used in 1992, but before that had last been used in 1908.

All times are Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3)

Date Time Round
Tuesday, 24 August 2004 10:35
20:00
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 25 August 2004 22:50 Semifinals
Thursday, 26 August 2004 22:50 Final

Results

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Heats

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Qualification rule: The first four finishers in each heat (Q) plus the next four fastest overall runners (q) qualified.[5]

Heat 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Stéphane Buckland  Mauritius 0.185 20.29 Q
2 2 Francis Obikwelu  Portugal 0.243 20.40 Q
2 2 Juan Pedro Toledo  Mexico 0.214 20.40 Q, NR
4 4 Yang Yaozu  China 0.217 20.59 Q, SB
5 7 Johan Wissman  Sweden 0.245 20.60 q
6 1 Paul Brizzel  Ireland 0.179 21.00
7 3 Nabie Foday Fofanah  Guinea 0.227 21.45
8 Hamed Al-Bishi  Saudi Arabia DNS
Wind: +1.5 m/s

Heat 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 5 Shawn Crawford  United States 0.272 20.55 Q
2 8 Christopher Williams  Jamaica 0.140 20.57 Q
3 3 Marcin Urbaś  Poland 0.174 20.71 Q, SB
4 2 Darren Campbell  Great Britain 0.155 20.72 Q
5 1 Jaysuma Saidy Ndure  The Gambia 0.158 20.78 q
6 4 Leigh Julius  South Africa 0.164 20.80
7 6 Geronimo Goeloe  Netherlands Antilles 0.167 21.09
8 7 Basílio de Moraes Júnior  Brazil 0.236 21.14
Wind: +1.4 m/s

Heat 3

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 5 Frankie Fredericks  Namibia 0.235 20.54 Q
2 3 Malik Louahla  Algeria 0.187 20.67 Q
3 4 David Canal  Spain 0.181 20.72 Q
4 1 Brian Dzingai  Zimbabwe 0.184 20.72 Q
5 7 Heber Viera  Uruguay 0.256 20.94 SB
6 2 Oleg Sergeyev  Russia 0.269 20.95
7 8 Menzi Dlamini  Swaziland 0.270 21.82
6 Chris Lambert  Great Britain 0.244 DNF
Wind: +2.0 m/s

Heat 4

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 7 Marcin Jędrusiński  Poland 0.256 20.63 Q, SB
2 2 Tobias Unger  Germany 0.160 20.65 Q
3 6 Joseph Batangdon  Cameroon 0.239 20.92 Q
4 8 Géza Pauer  Hungary 0.257 21.02 Q
5 5 Usain Bolt  Jamaica 0.254 21.05
6 1 Christian Nsiah  Ghana 0.146 21.06
7 3 Hamoud Abdallah Al-Dalhami  Oman 0.152 21.82
8 4 Ryo Matsuda  Japan 0.223 24.59
Wind: 0.0 m/s

Heat 5

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 7 Dominic Demeritte  Bahamas 0.246 20.62 Q
2 8 Christian Malcolm  Great Britain 0.284 20.62 Q
3 5 Panagiotis Sarris  Greece 0.254 20.67 Q
4 3 Asafa Powell  Jamaica 0.207 20.77 Q
5 2 Jiří Vojtík  Czech Republic 0.179 20.79
6 4 Dion Crabbe  British Virgin Islands 0.231 20.85
7 6 Nazmizan Mohamad  Malaysia 0.238 21.24
8 1 Adam Miller  Australia 0.198 21.31
Wind: +2.2 m/s

Heat 6

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 2 Bernard Williams  United States 0.207 20.29 Q
2 8 Anastasios Gousis  Greece 0.236 20.44 Q, PB
3 3 Andrew Howe  Italy 0.198 20.55 Q
4 4 Matic Osovnikar  Slovenia 0.203 20.57 Q
5 6 Till Helmke  Germany 0.241 20.72 q
6 5 Oumar Loum  Senegal 0.240 20.97
7 7 Anninos Marcoullides  Cyprus 0.247 23.94
Wind: +1.8 m/s

Heat 7

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 2 Sebastian Ernst  Germany 0.220 20.47 Q, =PB
2 8 Justin Gatlin  United States 0.282 20.51 Q
3 6 Marco Torrieri  Italy 0.222 20.68 Q
4 5 Cláudio Roberto Souza  Brazil 0.165 20.70 Q, =SB
5 7 Brendan Christian  Antigua and Barbuda 0.251 20.71 q
6 4 Shinji Takahira  Japan 0.212 21.05
7 3 Dadaş İbrahimov  Azerbaijan 0.141 21.60
8 1 Russel Roman  Palau 0.264 24.89
Wind: 0.0 m/s

Quarterfinals

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Qualification rule: The first three finishers in each heat (Q) plus the next four fastest overall runners (q) advance to the semifinals.[6]

Quarterfinal 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Shawn Crawford  United States 0.207 19.95 Q
2 5 Frankie Fredericks  Namibia 0.228 20.20 Q, SB
3 3 Tobias Unger  Germany 0.162 20.30 Q, PB
4 6 Christopher Williams  Jamaica 0.186 20.34 q, SB
5 1 Johan Wissman  Sweden 0.186 20.74
6 7 Géza Pauer  Hungary 0.241 20.90
7 2 David Canal  Spain 0.179 21.18
8 Joseph Batangdon  Cameroon DNS
Wind: +1.1 m/s

Quarterfinal 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Bernard Williams  United States 0.217 20.40 Q
2 3 Anastasios Gousis  Greece 0.195 20.46 Q
3 6 Marcin Jędrusiński  Poland 0.194 20.55 Q, SB
4 7 Till Helmke  Germany 0.144 20.76
5 8 Brian Dzingai  Zimbabwe 0.206 20.87
6 2 Marco Torrieri  Italy 0.177 20.89
7 5 Malik Louahla  Algeria 0.175 20.93
8 1 Yang Yaozu  China 0.162 21.03
Wind: +0.2 m/s

Quarterfinal 3

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Justin Gatlin  United States 0.220 20.03 Q
2 8 Asafa Powell  Jamaica 0.206 20.23 Q
3 5 Sebastian Ernst  Germany 0.244 20.36 Q, PB
4 7 Matic Osovnikar  Slovenia 0.235 20.47 q, NR
5 6 Christian Malcolm  Great Britain 0.259 20.56 q
6 3 Dominic Demeritte  Bahamas 0.141 20.61
7 2 Brendan Christian  Antigua and Barbuda 0.182 20.63
1 Marcin Urbaś  Poland 0.162 DNF
Wind: +0.5 m/s

Quarterfinal 4

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 3 Francis Obikwelu  Portugal 0.191 20.33 Q
2 5 Stéphane Buckland  Mauritius 0.239 20.36 Q
3 6 Juan Pedro Toledo  Mexico 0.276 20.43 Q
4 2 Darren Campbell  Great Britain 0.179 20.59 q, =SB
5 8 Cláudio Roberto Souza  Brazil 0.159 20.64 SB
6 7 Jaysuma Saidy Ndure  The Gambia 0.248 20.73
7 1 Panagiotis Sarris  Greece 0.184 20.92
8 4 Andrew Howe  Italy 0.211 21.17
Wind: +0.1 m/s

Semifinals

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Qualification rule: The first four runners in each semifinal heat (Q) moves on to the final.[7]

Semifinal 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 6 Shawn Crawford  United States 0.231 20.05 Q
2 4 Bernard Williams  United States 0.200 20.18 Q
3 3 Frankie Fredericks  Namibia 0.152 20.43 Q
4 2 Tobias Unger  Germany 0.173 20.54 Q
5 5 Anastasios Gousis  Greece 0.205 20.68
6 7 Christopher Williams  Jamaica 0.164 20.80
7 8 Marcin Jędrusiński  Poland 0.245 20.81
8 1 Darren Campbell  Great Britain 0.150 20.89
Wind: −0.1 m/s

Semifinal 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1 4 Justin Gatlin  United States 0.195 20.35 Q
2 6 Francis Obikwelu  Portugal 0.244 20.36 Q
3 3 Stéphane Buckland  Mauritius 0.183 20.37 Q
4 5 Asafa Powell  Jamaica 0.236 20.56 Q
5 8 Sebastian Ernst  Germany 0.299 20.63
6 2 Juan Pedro Toledo  Mexico 0.215 20.64
7 7 Christian Malcolm  Great Britain 0.239 20.77
8 1 Matic Osovnikar  Slovenia 0.197 20.89
Wind: +0.2 m/s

Final

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Reaction Time Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 Shawn Crawford  United States 0.226 19.79 PB
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3 Bernard Williams  United States 0.173 20.01 PB
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 Justin Gatlin  United States 0.195 20.03
4 8 Frankie Fredericks  Namibia 0.248 20.14 SB
5 6 Francis Obikwelu  Portugal 0.183 20.14
6 7 Stéphane Buckland  Mauritius 0.294 20.24
7 1 Tobias Unger  Germany 0.153 20.64
2 Asafa Powell  Jamaica DNS
Wind: +1.2 m/s[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics at the 2004 Athens Games: Men's 200 metres". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "200 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Crawford sprints to gold". BBC Sport. 26 August 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Crawford wins 200m as crowd jeer". ABC News Australia. 27 August 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  5. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Men's 200m Heats". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  6. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Men's 200m Heats". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  7. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Men's 100m Semifinals". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  8. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Men's 200m Final". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
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