Low altitude 200 meters record progression

[johnclark]

I think this is the progression, but happy to take any corrections:

I'll just do the FAT times for a start:

20.75 +0.5 Morrow 1956
20.75 +0.0 Johnson 1956
20.65 n/a Berruti 1960
20.62 n/a Berruti 1960
20.36 -0.8 Carr 1964
20.30 +0.0 Borzov 1971
20.00 +0.0 Borzov 1972
19.96 +0.0 Mennea 1980
19.75 +1.5 Lewis 1983
19.75 +1.7 DeLoach 1988
19.73 -0.2 Marsh 1992
19.66 +1.7 Johnson 1996
19.32 +0.4 Johnson 1996
19.30 -0.9 Bolt 2008
19.19 -0.3 Bolt 2009

FAT times pre-1970 are rare, and I think some of those zero wind readings are suspect. There are no FAT times for Tommie Smith's 19.9y and 20.0y in Sacramento in 1966 and 1967.

I find it hard to believe that there are no FAT times to fill in the gap between Berruti 1960 and Carr 1964, but perhaps FAT was not used much outside the Olympics. Jim Hines won the US Nationals in 1966 in FAT 20.58y, so is was used a bit.

Outside of Johnson's 19.32, Borzov's 20.00 in Munich 1972 is perhaps most impressive - he beat the previous record by 0.30 seconds and his record stood for 8 years. It is, however, another case of an exactly zero wind reading, which I have doubts about - the wind readings in Munich (and Mexico and Montreal and Moscow) often look odd.

[gh]

Re: Low altitude 200 meters record progression

the IAAF's World Progressions Book, by Richard Hymans has a well documented list of how it all played out, starting with Ralph Metcalfe's 21.59 in a quarter final at the LA Olympics in '32.

[user4]

Re: Low altitude 200 meters record progression

20.62 n/a Berruti 1960
20.36 -0.8 Carr 1964
20.30 +0.0 Borzov 1971
20.00 +0.0 Borzov 1972
Outside of Johnson's 19.32, Borzov's 20.00 in Munich 1972 is perhaps most impressive - he beat the previous record by 0.30 seconds and his record stood for 8 years. It is, however, another case of an exactly zero wind reading, which I have doubts about - the wind readings in Munich (and Mexico and Montreal and Moscow) often look odd.

I would rate Carr's 20.36 as superior to Borzov's 20.00 and probably superior to much of what followed.

the IAAF's World Progressions Book, by Richard Hymans has a well documented list of how it all played out, starting with Ralph Metcalfe's 21.59 in a quarter final at the LA Olympics in '32.

yes, Metcalfe, the rightful owner of a 1932 OG gold at 200m. Lastly, Im amazed at how young the guys were before Mike Marsh. With the exception of Mennea and Lewis, all under 22 . Mennea '80 is a real anomaly at 28 years. Post Marsh, only MJ is more anomalous with is '96 performances coming at the age of 29 years.