The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the ancient Olympic Games. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes predominantly rely on anaerobic energy system during the 200 m sprint. Similarly to other sprint distances, the 200 m begins from the starting blocks. When the sprinters adopt the 'set' position in the blocks they are able to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles. This enables them to stride forwards more powerfully when the race begins and start faster.
Ivet Miroslavova Lalova-Collio is a Bulgarian athlete who specialises in the 100 metres and 200 metres sprint events. She is the 13th-fastest woman in the history of the 100 metres. She finished fourth in the 100 metres and fifth in the 200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Her career was interrupted for two years between June 2005 and May 2007 due to a leg injury sustained in a collision with another athlete. In June 2012 she won gold at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in the Women's 100 metres. In July 2016 she won two silver medals at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in both the Women's 100 and 200 metres. She has participated in five editions of the Olympic Games.
Churandy Thomas Martina is a Dutch sprinter. He originally placed second in the 200 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but was later disqualified due to a lane violation. Martina secured four and two individual top-five finishes at the Summer Olympics and World Athletics Championships respectively. He was the 100 metres 2007 Pan American Games champion representing the Netherlands Antilles and claimed three individual titles at the Central American and Caribbean Games. He won gold medals in the 200 m and 100 m at the 2012 and 2016 European Athletics Championships respectively.
Mujinga Kambundji is a Swiss sprinter. She won the bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2019 World Championships. Kambundji is the 60 metres 2022 World indoor champion, becoming the joint fourth-fastest woman of all time in the event, after earning a bronze in 2018. She is a three-time European Championships medallist, with gold for the 200 m and silver for the 100 m in 2022, and bronze for the 100 m in 2016. At the European Indoor Championships, she earned gold in the 60 m in 2023 and bronze in 2017.
Dafne Schippers is a Dutch retired track and field athlete who competed in sprinting and the combined events. She holds the European record in the 200 metres with a time of 21.63 seconds, making her the sixth-fastest woman of all time at this distance. She also holds the Dutch records in the 100 metres and long jump, and shares the Dutch records in the 60 metres indoor and 4 × 100 metres relay.
Álex Leonardo Quiñónez Martínez was an Ecuadorian sprinter who competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Shot to death in October 2021, he was the second runner to be murdered that month, alongside fellow bronze medalist Agnes Tirop.
Joan Uduak Ekah is a retired Nigerian athlete specializing in the sprinting events. She competed in the 100 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics reaching the second round.
Anna Ramona Papaioannou is a Cypriot sprinter. She competed in the 60 metres event at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Her father is the Greek-Brazilian football player Pavlos Papaioannou.
Elaine Sandra-Lee Thompson-Herah OD is a Jamaican sprinter who competes in the 60 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres. Regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, she is a five-time Olympic champion, the fastest woman alive in the 100 m, and the second fastest alive in the 200 m.
Vitória Cristina Silva Rosa is a Brazilian sprinter. South American record holder for the 200m (outdoor) and 60m (indoor).
Djénébou Danté is a Malian athlete specialising in the sprinting events. She represented her country in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Championships.
Regula Martha Zürcher is retired Swiss athlete who competed primarily in the 400 metres and 800 metres. She represented her country at the 1992 Summer Olympics, as well as three outdoor and two indoor World Championships.
Tynia Gaither is a Bahamian athlete competing in sprinting events. Gaither has represented the Bahamas at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.
Ágnes Kozáry is a retired Hungarian sprinter who competed primarily in the 200 metres. She represented her country at the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as one outdoor and one indoor World Championships.
Nikolay Razgonov is a retired Ukrainian sprinter who competed in the 200 metres for the Soviet Union. He is known for winning medals at the 1986 and 1988 European Indoor Championships. In addition, he took part in the 1987 World Indoor Championships.
Gusztáv Menczer is a Hungarian former sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres. He represented his country at the 1983 World Championships and 1989 World Indoor Championships.
Cornelia Halbheer is a Swiss sprinter who primarily competes in the 200 metres event. She has represented her country at the 2017 World Championships; however, she did not advance to the semifinals.
Estelle Raffai is a French sprinter competing primarily in the 200 metres. She represented her country at the 2017 World Championships reaching the semifinals. In addition, she won two medals at the 2016 World U20 Championships.
Natacha Ngoye Akamabi is a sprinter from the Republic of the Congo. She won two gold medals at the 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie. She also represented her country in the 400 metres at the 2012 World Indoor Championships without advancing from the first round.
Wendy Lee Brown is a former New Zealand sprinter. She represented her country at the 1974 and 1978 Commonwealth Games, Brown was selected for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, but withdrew from team due to injury. Brown was the New Zealand recordholder over 100 and 200 metres between 1974 and 1985. She won six New Zealand national sprinting titles between 1971 and 1981.
Switzerland 
