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| Track
& Field Athletics Australia by Graham Thomas |
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Chronology of World Records - 200 Metres
 Welcome to my chronology of World and Australian Record performances through the years.
Since it became part of the programme in 1948, the women's 200m event has been Australia's most successful track and field event in the Olympic Games.
Marjorie Jackson, Betty Cuthbert, Marlene Matthews, Marilyn Vassella, Raelene Boyle and Jenny Lamy have all won Olympic medals in this event.
In addition Decima Norman, Diane Burge, Denise Boyd, Cathy Freeman and Nova Peris have all become Commonwealth champions in the 'furlong'.
Five Australians - Norman, Jackson, Cuthbert, Matthews and Margaret Burvill - have been recognised as official world record holders for 200m or 220y over the years.
200 Metres (including 220 Yards)
World Record Progression
28.6 Marie Mejzlíková I TCH Paris 21 May 22
27.8/28.0y Alice Cast GBR Paris 20 Aug 22
27.0y Mary Lines GBR London 20 Sep 22
26.8y Mary Lines GBR Waddon 23 Sep 22
26.8y Gladys Elliott GBR Nottingham 24 May 24
26.2y Eileen Edwards GBR London 20 Aug 24
26.1y Rosa Grosse CAN Blandford 01 Aug 25
26.1 Eileen Edwards GBR Stockholm 31 Aug 26
26.0y Rosa Grosse CAN Toronto 14 Sep 26
25.8y Eileen Edwards GBR Romford 18 Sep 26
26.0 Eileen Edwards GBR Paris 03 Oct 26
25.4 Eileen Edwards GBR Berlin 12 Jun 27
25.8y Eileen Edwards GBR Reading 09 Jul 27
25.8y Edna Potter GBR London 23 Jun 28
25.8y Kinue Hitomi JPN London 14 Jul 28
25.8y Marion King GBR London 14 Jul 28
25.8y Agnes Morris CAN Hamilton 01 May 29
25.4y Ivy Walker GBR London 16 Jun 30
25.4y Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Dallas 04 Jul 30
25.2y Nellie Halstead GBR London 16 Aug 30
25.1y Betty Robinson USA Milwaukee 20 Jun 31
24.6 Tollien Schuurman NED Bruxelles 13 Aug 33
24.6 Käthe Krauss GER Berlin 01 Jul 34
24.6 Käthe Krauss GER Nürnberg 28 Jul 34
24.5 Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Warsaw 04 Aug 34
25.0y Eileen Hiscock GBR London 07 Aug 34
24.5 Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL (Posen) Poznan 19 Aug 34
24.8y Barbara Burke SAF Pretoria 22 Apr 35
24.4 Helen Stephens USA St. Louis 01 Jun 35
23.6 Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Warsaw 04 Aug 35
24.3y Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Cleveland 09 Jun 35
23.6 Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Warsaw 15 Aug 35
24.1 Helen Stephens USA Wuppertal 19 Aug 36
24.9y Decima Norman AUS Sydney 10 Feb 38
24.9y Aileen Meagher CAN Sydney 10 Feb 38
24.5y Decima Norman AUS Sydney 10 Feb 38
24.1y Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Cleveland 12 Jun 38
24.0y Stanisl. Walasiewicz* POL Cleveland 18 Jun 39
24.3y Marjorie Jackson AUS Auckland 09 Feb 50
24.2y Fanny Blankers-Koen NED Brescia 29 Jun 50
24.0 Fanny Blankers-Koen NED Brusells 27 Aug 50
23.6(23.74) Marjorie Jackson AUS Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.4(23.59) Marjorie Jackson AUS Helsinki 25 Jul 52
24.0y Marjorie Jackson AUS Vancouver 05 Aug 54
23.8y Christa Stubnick GDR Erfurt 29 May 55
23.6y Maria Itkina URS Kiev 22 Jul 56
23.2 Berry Cuthbert AUS Sydney 16 Sep 56
23.6y Berry Cuthbert AUS Perth 18 Jan 58
23.5y Berry Cuthbert AUS Sydney 08 Mar 58
23.4y Marlene Matthews AUS Sydney 22 Mar 58
23.2y Berry Cuthbert AUS Hobart 07 Mar 60
22.9 Wilma Rudolph USA Corpus Christi 09 Jul 60
23.2y Margaret Burvill AUS Perth 12 Jan 63
22.9y Margaret Burvill AUS Perth 22 Feb 64
22.7 Irena Szewinska POL Warszawa 08 Aug 65
22.7 Irena Szewinska POL Chorzów 01 Jul 67
22.5a(22.58) Irena Szewinska POL México City 18 Oct 68
22.7y Chi Cheng TPE Portland 13 Jun 70
22.6y Chi Cheng TPE Los Angeles 03 Jul 70
22.4(22.62) Chi Cheng TPE München 12 Jul 70
22.4a(22.40) Renate Stecher GDR München 07 Sep 72
22.4 Renate Stecher GDR Leipzig 01 Jul 73
22.1(22.38) Renate Stecher GDR Dresden 21 Jul 73
* Questionable gender status
Electric timing (Official from 1 Jan 1975):
25.03 Sylvia Cheeseman GBR Helsinki 25 Jul 52
24.48 Nadezhda Khnykina URS Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.74 Marjorie Jackson AUS Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.59 Marjorie Jackson AUS Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.55 Berry Cuthbert AUS Melbourne 30 Nov 56
23.30 Wilma Rudolph USA Roma 03 Sep 60
23.05 Edith McGuire USA Tokyo 19 Oct 64
22.94 Barbara Ferrell USA Ciudad de México 17 Oct 68
22.86 Barbara Ferrell USA Ciudad de México 17 Oct 68
22.58 Irena Szewinska POL Ciudad de México 18 Oct 68
22.40 Renate Stecher GDR München 07 Sep 72
22.38 Renate Stecher GDR Dresden 21 Jul 73
22.21 Irena Szewinska POL Potsdam 13 Jun 74
22.06 Marita Koch GDR Erfurt 28 May 78
22.02 Marita Koch GDR Leipzig 03 Jun 79
21.71 Marita Koch GDR Karl-Marx-Stadt 10 Jun 79
21.71 Marita Koch GDR Potsdam 21 Jul 84
21.71 Heike Drechsler GDR Jena 29 Jun 86
21.71 Heike Drechsler GDR Stuttgart 29 Aug 86
21.56 Flo. Griffith-Joyner USA Seoul 29 Sep 88
21.34 Flo. Griffith-Joyner USA Seoul 29 Sep 88
World Junior Record Progression
25.2y 'Babe' Didrikson USA 14 Dallas 20 Jun 31
25.2y Barbara Burke RSA 17 Johannesburg 17 Mar 34
24.8y Barbara Burke RSA 17 Pretoria 22 Apr 35
24.4 Helen Stephens USA 18 Saint Louis 01 Jun 35
24.1 Helen Stephens USA 18 Wuppertal 19 Aug 36
24.1 Vera Nesmelyi HUN 39 London 13 Aug 55
23.2 Betty Cuthbert AUS 38 Sydney 16 Sep 56
23.1 Irena Kirsenstein POL 46 Tokyo 19 Oct 64
23.1 Jenny Lamy AUS 49 Melbourne 08 Mar 67
23.62 Irena Kirsenstein POL 46 Tokyo 18 Oct 64
23.13 Irena Kirszenstein POL 46 Tokyo 19 Oct 64
22.74 Raelene Boyle AUS 51 Mexico City 18 Oct 68
22.70 Marita Koch GDR 57 Halle 16 May 76
22.70 Kathy Smallwood (Cook) GBR 60 Mexico City 12 Sep 79
22.57 Natalya Bochina RUS 62 Moscow 12 Jun 80
22.45 Natalya Bochina RUS 62 Moscow 05 Jul 80
22.26 Natalya Bochina RUS 62 Moscow 28 Jul 80
22.19 Natalya Bochina RUS 62 Moscow 30 Jul 80
National Record Progression
35.2y Miss O'Brien NSW Sydney 20 Sep 13
32.2y Muriel Eacott NSW 97 Sydney 11 Apr 14
30.3e Muriel Eacott NSW 97 Sydney 11 Apr 14
29.8y x pro Bessie Grandemange NSW 99 Sydney Hornsby 31 Mar 17
29.8y pro Bessie Grandemange NSW 99 Sydney 03 Dec 17
30.4y M. McDonald NSW Sydney 11/15 Sep 18
30.4y Betty Schwabe QLD Craigard 14 Sep 21
29.0y Mollie Pratten QLD 06 Brisbane 02 Sep 22
28.2y Clarice Thompson QLD 08 Warwick 20 Sep 23
27.0y Mollie Pratten QLD 06 Brisbane 01 Sep 23
26.8y Clarice Thompson QLD 08 Warwick 19 Sep 24
26.8ye Bessie Grandemange NSW 99 London 03 Aug 25
26.6y Dorothy Holmes NSW Sydney 08 Aug 29
26.2y short Edith Robinson NSW 06 Sydney 26 Oct 29
26.0y Edie Robinson NSW 06 Sydney 21 Dec 29
26.0y Edie Robinson NSW 06 Goulburn 12 Apr 30
26.0y Edie Robinson NSW 06 Sydney 21 Dec 30
26.0y Rita Dean QLD 10 Brisbane 06 Jun 31
25.9y Eileen Wearne NSW 12 Sydney 18 Jan 32
25.8y Emily Brookes VIC Melbourne 09 Jan 32
25.6y Edie Robinson NSW 06 Sydney 05 Mar 32
25.2y Emily Brookes VIC Melbourne 12 Mar 32
25.1y w Amy Bremer VIC Melbourne 15 Feb 36
24.9y Decima Norman WA 09 Sydney 10 Feb 38
24.5y Decima Norman WA 09 Sydney 10 Feb 38
24.5y Decima Norman WA 09 Sydney 10 Dec 39?
24.1y dt Joyce Walker NSW Swan Hill 12 May 41
24.3y Marjorie Jackson NSW 31 Auckland 09 Feb 50
24.3y Shirley Strickland WA 25 Launceston 22 Mar 52
23.6 Marjorie Jackson NSW 31 Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.4 Marjorie Jackson NSW 31 Helsinki 25 Jul 52
24.0y (+7.0)# Marjorie Jackson-Nelson NSW 31 Sydney 19/20 Feb 54
24.2y Marjorie Jackson-Nelson NSW 31 Perth 28 Feb 54
24.0y Marjorie Jackson-Nelson NSW 31 Vancouver 05 Aug 54
24.0y Marlene Mathews NSW 34 Sydney 55
24.0y Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Sydney 55
24.0y Marlene Mathews NSW 34 Sydney Ch 56
23.2 Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Sydney 16 Sep 56
23.6y Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Sydney 18 Jan 58
23.5y Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Sydney 08 Mar 58
23.4y Marlene Mathews NSW 34 Sydney 22 Mar 58
23.65y Marlene Mathews-Willard NSW 34 Cardiff Jul 58
23.2y Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Hobart 07 Mar 60
23.2y Margaret Burvill WA 41 Perth 23 Jan 63
22.9y Margaret Burvill WA 41 Perth 22 Feb 64
22.9A Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Mexico City 17 Oct 68
22.8A Jenny Lamy NSW 49 Mexico City 17 Oct 68
22.7A Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Mexico City 18 Oct 68
22.5 Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Munich 07 Sep 72
22.5 Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Christchurch 29 Jan 74
22.5 Denise Robertson QLD 52 Brisbane 07 Mar 76
22.3 Denise Robertson-Boyd QLD 52 Sydney? 30 Dec 79
# ratified as Australian and World Record
200 METRES (automatic)
23.74 Marjorie Jackson NSW 31 Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.59 Marjorie Jackson NSW 31 Helsinki 25 Jul 52
23.55 Betty Cuthbert NSW 38 Melbourne 30 Nov 56
23.42 Marilyn Black NSW 44 Tokyo 18 Oct 64
23.18 Marilyn Black NSW 44 Tokyo 19 Oct 64
23.09A Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Mexico City 17 Oct 68
22.95A Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Mexico City 17 Oct 68
22.89A Jenny Lamy NSW 49 Mexico City 17 Oct 68
22.74A Raelene Boyle VIC 51 Mexico City 18 Oct 68
22.45 Raelene Boyle VIC 51 München 07 Sep 72
22.35 Denise Robertson-Boyd QLD 52 Sydney 23 Mar 80
22.32 Melinda Gainsford NSW 71 Hobart 26 Feb 94
22.32 Catherine Freeman QLD 73 Oslo 22 Jul 94
22.25 Catherine Freeman QLD 73 Victoria 26 Aug 94
22.23 Melinda Gainsford NSW 71 Stuttgart 13 Jul 97
NOTE: y denotes 220 yards (= 201.17 m)
An unofficial,
non-profit, just For Fun, page but © 1995-2001 by Graham Thomas |
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Welcome to my chronology of World and Australian Record performances through the years.