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FastestThings

Men's 200 Meters

Michael Johnson

American athlete. men's 200 m mark of 19.32 seconds at Atlanta on August 1, 1996, the personal best on the World Athletics all-time list.

Michael Johnson's race time is 19.32 s, an official figure.

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Race time

19.32s

men's 200 m, Atlanta, wind +0.895 mph (+0.4 m/s). One personal best per athlete.

OfficialWorld Athletics (opens source in a new tab)

Quick answers

People also ask

What is Michael Johnson's race time?

Michael Johnson's race time is 19.32 s, an official figure.

Is that figure claimed or verified?

Michael Johnson is labeled Official. Ratified by a governing body such as the FIA, World Athletics or Guinness World Records.

What is the source?

The figure cites World Athletics, “200 metres men, senior, outdoor all-time list.”

Where does Michael Johnson rank?

Michael Johnson is 4th of 9 on Fastest Men's 200 m.

Mechanism

Why it's so fast

Michael Johnson's mark is a men's 200 meters of 19.32 seconds at Atlanta on August 1, 1996. The race is a bend and then a straight. Dividing 200 meters by that time is about 23.2 mph for the whole race, bend included.

Time
19.32 s
Average
about 23.2 mph
Place
Atlanta
Date
August 1, 1996

  1. The bend is part of the clock

    A 200 meters leaves the blocks on a curve. Michael Johnson cannot run the bend the way a straight 100 is run, and the 19.32 includes that curve plus the straight. What counts is the full race at Atlanta on August 1, 1996. A speed on the straight alone is not a separate figure.

  2. 23.2 mph is the full race

    200 meters in 19.32 seconds is about 23.2 mph from start to finish. That average is slower than a peak on the straight because the bend is in the denominator. Michael Johnson's mark is the personal best on the all-time list. This does not add a wind reading the entry does not keep.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 19.32sRanked figure

    men's 200 m, Atlanta, wind +0.895 mph (+0.4 m/s). One personal best per athlete.

    Official
    World Athletics (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Country
United States
Event
men's 200 m
Mark
19.32 s
Venue
Atlanta

Context

Background

Michael Johnson's ranked men's 200 m time is 19.32 seconds at Atlanta on August 1, 1996, wind +0.895 mph (+0.4 m/s). World Athletics, Athletic Stats (refreshed October 5, 2026) and Track & Field News say that time and date.

The list is one event. A mark from another distance is a different page, with its own slug. Wind above +4.5 mph (+2.0 m/s) is not legal. Lower is faster.

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