What is the men's 200m world record? Who are the top contenders at Paris 2024 Olympics? Will Noah Lyles do the double?
Updated 08/08/2024 at 19:41 GMT+1
As the athletics enters another day at the Stade de France, the men's 200m is gearing up to be yet another exciting competition. After the dramatic photo finish in the 100m final that saw Noah Lyles named Olympic champion, the American will be aiming for the double, while others will be looking to write their names into the history books.
'I've very blessed' says Lyles after his 200m heat as he says he's 'favourite' again
Video credit: TNT Sports
The 200m will see some of the best sprinters on the planet go head-to-head once again at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
With the likes of 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles and Tokyo 2020 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek both through to the final, it is certain to be one of the highlights of the summer.
What is the 200m world record?
While many, including USA's Lyles, have made it to within touching distance of the world record, no one has beaten the astonishing time set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in the 2009 Athletics World Championships in Berlin.
His time of 19.19s blew the opposition away, with second place Alonso Edward finishing over 0.62s behind.
Bolt's compatriot Yohan Blake recorded the second-fastest time of 19.26s at the 2011 Diamond League in Brussels to overtake Michael Johnson's 19.32s.
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Usain Bolt
Image credit: Getty Images
What about the Olympic record?
Bolt broke the Olympic record in Beijing in 2008, making history as he bettered Johnson's previously held record.
Bolt's time of 19.30s has not been bettered since on the Olympic stage, though he won his eighth gold medal in Rio 2016 with a still impressive time of 19.78s.
Canada's Andre De Grasse beat USA's Bednarek and Lyles in Tokyo 2020 with a time of 19.62s to set a new national record.
Who is in the final?
Lyles has the current fastest time of this year, recording an impressive 19.53s in Eugene, United States in June.
The American will be looking to better his bronze in Tokyo and complete the double, having won gold in the 100m in Paris after a dramatic photo finish saw him finish marginally ahead of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson and USA's Fred Kerley.
In his post-race interview, he told Eurosport he was "100%" ready for the 200m: "That's my better event. I'm ready to take it to the 200m."
Tokyo 2020's gold medallist De Grasse will not replicate his success from three years ago after failing to make it out of the heats.
Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Bednarek will be in the final, and with a personal best of 19.59s, he will also have ambitions of victory.
Other notable mentions include Africa's fastest man Letsile Tebogo, whose time of 19.50s put him in the record books, and Team USA's Erriyon Knighton, who could make it an American 1-2-3.
They are joined by the Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando, the Zimbabwean pair of Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba and Joseph Fahnbulleh of Liberia.
When is the men's 200m final?
The men's 200m final is scheduled for 19:30 UK time on August 8.
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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