Claim: Usain Bolt is an athlete.

The 200 metres -LRB- also spelled 200 meters -RRB- is a sprint running event . On an outdoor 400 m track , the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight , so a combination of techniques are 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 rely on different energy systems during the longer sprint .   In the United States and elsewhere , athletes previously ran the 220-yard dash -LRB- 201.168 m -RRB- instead of the 200 m -LRB- 218.723 yards -RRB- , though the distance is now obsolete . The standard adjustment used for the conversion from times recorded over 220 yards to 200 m times is to subtract 0.1 seconds , but other conversion methods exist . Another obsolete version of this race is the 200 metres straight , which was run on tracks that contained such a straight . Initially , when the International Amateur Athletic Association -LRB- now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations -RRB- started to ratify world records in 1912 , only records set on a straight track were eligible for consideration . In 1951 , the IAAF started to recognise records set on a curved track . In 1976 , the straight record was discarded .   The race attracts runners from other events , primarily the 100 metres , wishing to double up and claim both titles . This feat has been achieved by men eleven times at the Olympic Games : by Archie Hahn in 1904 , Ralph Craig in 1912 , Percy Williams in 1928 , Eddie Tolan in 1932 , Jesse Owens in 1936 , Bobby Morrow in 1956 , Valeriy Borzov in 1972 , Carl Lewis in 1984 , and most recently by Jamaica 's Usain Bolt in 2008 , 2012 , and 2016 . The double has been accomplished by women seven times : by Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948 , Marjorie Jackson in 1952 , Betty Cuthbert in 1956 , Wilma Rudolph in 1960 , Renate Stecher in 1972 and Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 . Marion Jones finished first in both races in 2000 but was later disqualified and stripped of her medals after admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs . An Olympic double of 200 m and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984 , and later by Michael Johnson from the United States and Marie-José Pérec of France both in 1996 . Usain Bolt is the only man to repeat as Olympic champion , Bärbel Wöckel -LRB- née Eckert -RRB- and Veronica Campbell-Brown are the two women who have repeated as Olympic champion .   The men 's world record holder is Usain Bolt of Jamaica , who ran 19.19 s at the 2009 World Championships . The women 's world record holder is Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States , who ran 21.34 s at the 1988 Summer Olympics . The reigning Olympic champions are Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson -LRB- Jamaica -RRB- . The reigning World Champions are Bolt and Dafne Schippers -LRB- the Netherlands -RRB- .   Races run with an aiding wind measured over 2.0 metres per second are not acceptable for record purposes .