Paris Olympics 2024: What is the women's 200m record, who are the top contenders? Who are the Brits in action?

The 100m race tends to get the most attention, but its sister the 200m is another thrilling race and one packed with superstars bidding for Olympic glory at the Stade de France this summer. Several Team GB athletes are through to the semi-finals, including former world champion Dina Asher-Smith. But who holds the world record, and who are the favourites to take home the 200m crown?

Asher-Smith 'disappointed with 100m' but 'happy' with 200m heat performance

Video credit: TNT Sports

The athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are in full swing, with the showpiece events on the track well underway.

There are 48 gold medals up for grabs in track and field this summer, and a stacked field is competing on the already-iconic purple track at the Stade de France.

Julien Alfred brought home Saint Lucia's first-ever medal in the women's 100m final, powering away from the rest of the field to take a dominant gold.

Commonwealth Games Athletics

'Gutted' Johnson-Thompson and Asher-Smith lead host of big-name withdrawals for England

23/07/2026 at 18:15

She's also in action in the women's 200m, looking to do the double and cement her superiority.

But it's by no means a done deal, with several women running sub-11 seconds over 100m and some real competition for those top spots.

With some of the favourites missing from the action the field is wide open, and there's always the potential for the Olympic and world record to fall too.

Athletics - Paris 2024 - 200m Women Heat 3 - Interview - Neita

Video credit: TNT Sports

What is the women’s 200m world record?

Florence Griffith-Joyner of the USA reigns supreme over both the women's 100m and 200m records.

She has held the women’s 100m world record of 10.49s since 1988, which she ran at the US Olympic Trials.

1988 was a bumper year for Griffith-Joyner as she backed up her performance at the Olympic Trials with a blistering 21.34s in the 200m at the Seoul Olympics, setting a new world record.

Who has THE most Olympic gold medals?

The American Allyson Felix holds the most gold medals in women's athletics, with seven, just one shy of Usain Bolt's total haul. She won her first gold in the 4x400m relay at Beijing 2008 and bookended her Olympic career with a final gold in the same relay at Tokyo 2020.

With Felix now retired, the active athlete with the most Olympic golds in women's athletics is Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, who has five. Her first came in the 100m at Rio 2016, which she backed up with the double in the 200m. She retained both her titles in Tokyo and also took gold in the 4x200m relay.

Watch women's 100m final as Alfred storms to glorious gold medal

Video credit: TNT Sports

WHO ARE THE favourites for THE 200M?

Thompson-Herah was one of the favourites for the 200m and could have won back-to-back titles at the Olympics, but an Achilles injury she suffered in June ruled her out of Paris 2024 entirely.

Her compatriot and reigning 200m world champion Shericka Jackson then assumed the mantle of favourite, and she pulled out of the 100m to focus on the 200m, but she withdrew just before her heat on Sunday morning.

Her withdrawal was another disaster for Jamaica, who had already lost Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to a reported injury.

That means that there will be a first-time 200m Olympic champion in Paris, and despite a couple of notable absences, a stacked field will still take to the start line.

Gabrielle Thomas of the USA is the fastest woman in the 200m this year and she set the fastest time of the heats, 22.20, to make her the one to beat.

Nigeria's Favour Ofili ran a season's best 22.24 to qualify second-fastest, just besting Team GB's Dina Asher-Smith to win her heat.

St Lucia's Alfred won her heat with a time of 22.41, but Marie-Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast was another non-starter.

WHICH BRITISH ATHLETES ARE COMPETING IN THE WOMEN'S 200M?

Asher-Smith, a former 200m world champion, is another favourite for a medal and is fuelled by the disappointment of failing to make the final in the 100m.

She qualified third overall in a time of 22.28.

Team GB will be strongly represented in the semi-finals with Daryll Neita - who was fourth in the 100m final - topping her heat.

The 27-year-old was just four-hundredths of a second outside the medals in the 100m but looked strong in the 200m heat, posting a time of 22.39.

Britain's Bianca Williams also made the cut, in 22.77.

WHEN IS THE WOMEN'S 200M?

The heats took place on the morning of 4 August, with the British trio of Neita, Asher-Smith and Williams all progressing.

Those that missed out on automatic qualification have a second chance in the repechages on Monday 5 August, with the semi-finals taking place that evening at 19:45 BST.

The final will be at 20:40 BST on Tuesday 6 August, when the women's 200m Olympic champion will be crowned.

All the 200m races - and all the action across the Paris Olympics - can be watched live on Eurosport and discovery+.

discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.

Athletics

Asher-Smith and Alfred confirmed for 2026 Commonwealth Games

20/07/2026 at 11:20

Athletics

'My record to break' - Hodgkinson eyes new world indoor benchmark

15/02/2026 at 08:32