Talk:Men's 200 metres world record progression

Missing records
This page is missing a lot of records previous to 1951... Canada Jack (talk) 15:54, 25 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I went back to find the records prior to 1951, and to try to add a section on the straight 200. It appears, from what I have found here and elsewhere, that IAAF did not ratify any new records between Willie Applegarth 21.2 in 1914 and Stanfield in 1951.  There are plenty of cases where the record was improved, listed on that site, but none were officially ratified for some reason.  Not even on THAT website is the 20.7 Jesse Owens ran in the 1936 Olympics.  It was declared a World Record at the time.  Or better yet, Owens' famous 5 World Records in 45 minutes, on May 25, 1935 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the most impressive sporting feat of the first half of the 20th Century.  There is a little press coverage of that feat.  Included in that performance was 20.3 for 220 yards (longer than 200 metres).  That really should have been the World Record until April 4, 1964.  Anybody who can explain these anomalies, it certainly would be a relevant addition to the article.  Why does the IAAF record-keeping disagree with the other accounts of what transpired during that time?  That same page does have the unofficial records back to 1866, plus other relevant unratified times (notably John Carlos' 19.92 in the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, California, which was not ratified because of the brush spike shoes he wore).  I also have yet to find the straightaway 200 record progression . . . in case anybody knows where it is. Trackinfo (talk) 18:23, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

I wrote that note three years ago and since realized there were two separate records kept by the IAAF until the 1970s, the "curve" record only held from 1951. Previously, the record would most often be set on a straight track, so I suppose the separate category was created to reflect the probable fact that straight 200s were no longer being run often. As for times being declared "World Record" at the time, that of course was rarely the IAAF itself declaring it. Would be interesting to incorporate these old marks in here, the category was there until the 1970s. Canada Jack (talk) 20:59, 23 August 2011 (UTC)


 * I can't speak for the many other races on the list, I would love to find out those details. I have, however, seen film of the 1936 Olympics, run on a curve.  So that one, 20.7, is well documented.  It should be the record until 1951.  Certainly not that 21.2 from 1914.  As I said, I would like to document the progression of the straightaway records if we can find sourcing.  We know about Tyson Gay recently, 1966 Tommie Smith 19.5, which was the last ratified mark, I believe.  I've even got 20.1 in 1961 by high schooler Forrest O. Beatty.  But what others were on specifically a straightaway?  By the way, with those long straightaways as part of a track, during the 50's, one turn 440's were common too.  That's another ball of wax. Trackinfo (talk) 21:31, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Peter Norman at Mexico City
Someone inserted the 20.17 Peter Norman ran in Mexico City before the final where Tommie Smith set a new world record. Unfortunately, that was never the world record, though it may have been, in retrospect, the fastest electronically timed 200 m run to that point. Of course, the ratified time in 1968 would have been to the tenth, not the 100th. Canada Jack (talk) 19:56, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

200m indoor
What about 200m indoor record progression? 213.149.61.229 (talk) 14:11, 30 April 2018 (UTC)

Heading of Table
The table is missing explanation for the headings and also explanation for the significance of some note [like Altitude] this is not informative for a reader that is not already knowledgeable on the argument.
 * Your point is well-taken. I've added an explanation. Canada Jack (talk) 18:28, 16 May 2019 (UTC)

Does the "A" Mean Altitude?
I'm pretty sure the time 19.83A (for example) means it was run at altitude. Should that be specified in the article? Like maybe below "(+) plus sign denotes en route time during longer race"
 * Done.Montell 74 (talk) 17:25, 13 July 2021 (UTC)