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FastestThings

Women's 200 Meters

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Jamaican athlete. women's 200 m mark of 21.53 seconds at Tokyo on August 3, 2021, the personal best on the World Athletics all-time list.

Elaine Thompson-Herah's race time is 21.53 s, an official figure.

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Race time

21.53s

women's 200 m, Tokyo, wind +1.8 mph (+0.8 m/s). One personal best per athlete.

OfficialWorld Athletics (opens source in a new tab)

Quick answers

People also ask

What is Elaine Thompson-Herah's race time?

Elaine Thompson-Herah's race time is 21.53 s, an official figure.

Is that figure claimed or verified?

Elaine Thompson-Herah 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 women, senior, outdoor all-time list.”

Where does Elaine Thompson-Herah rank?

Elaine Thompson-Herah is 4th of 9 on Fastest Women's 200 m.

Mechanism

Why it's so fast

Elaine Thompson-Herah's mark is a women's 200 meters of 21.53 seconds at Tokyo on August 3, 2021. The race is a bend and then a straight. Dividing 200 meters by that time is about 20.8 mph for the whole race, bend included.

Time
21.53 s
Average
about 20.8 mph
Place
Tokyo
Date
August 3, 2021

  1. The bend is part of the clock

    A 200 meters leaves the blocks on a curve. Elaine Thompson-Herah cannot run the bend the way a straight 100 is run, and the 21.53 includes that curve plus the straight. What counts is the full race at Tokyo on August 3, 2021. A speed on the straight alone is not a separate figure.

  2. 20.8 mph is the full race

    200 meters in 21.53 seconds is about 20.8 mph from start to finish. That average is slower than a peak on the straight because the bend is in the denominator. Elaine Thompson-Herah'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. 21.53sRanked figure

    women's 200 m, Tokyo, wind +1.8 mph (+0.8 m/s). One personal best per athlete.

    Official
    World Athletics (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Country
Jamaica
Event
women's 200 m
Mark
21.53 s
Venue
Tokyo

Context

Background

Elaine Thompson-Herah's ranked women's 200 m time is 21.53 seconds at Tokyo on August 3, 2021, wind +1.8 mph (+0.8 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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