| | Event type

200 metres, Women

Date	31 July – 1 August 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	47 from 34 countries

Merlene Ottey (JAM) was back and was favored again in the 200 metres, by this time having won the World Championships in both 1993 and 1995. In the latter edition, she had defeated Irina Privalova (RUS), who had won the 1994 European Championships. However, Privalova withdrew in Atlanta after the quarter-finals. America’s best hope seemed to be defending champion Gwen Torrence but she did not make the US team at the Olympic Trials.

This seemed to leave it open for Ottey to finally win her gold medal but it was not to be. She led off the curve, but then was outrun by France’s Marie-José Pérec, who was considered stronger in the 400, and had already won that event a few days earlier. Ottey held on for the silver medal, her fourth in this event at the Olympics, with Nigeria’s Mary Onyali getting a surprising bronze.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	R1	QF	SF	Final
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.62 (1 h6)	22.24 (1 h3)	22.07 (1 h1)	22.12 (1)	Gold
2	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.92 (1 h4)	22.61 (1 h2)	22.08 (1 h2)	22.24 (2)	Silver
3	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.42 (2 h1)	22.37 (2 h3)	22.16 (2 h1)	22.38 (3)	Bronze
4	Inger Miller	USA	22.74 (2 h6)	22.57 (3 h3)	22.33 (4 h1)	22.41 (4)
5	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.63 (1 h5)	22.69 (2 h2)	22.35 (2 h2)	22.45 (5)
6	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.63 (2 h5)	22.81 (2 h1)	22.54 (3 h2)	22.54 (6)
7	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	23.03 (1 h3)	22.62 (2 h4)	22.24 (3 h1)	22.60 (7)
8	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.37 (1 h1)	22.51 (1 h1)	22.56 (4 h2)	22.61 (8)
5 h1 r3/4	Dannette Young	USA	22.65 (1 h2)	22.53 (1 h4)	22.49 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r3/4	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.70 (2 h2)	22.91 (3 h1)	22.76 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r3/4	Cathy Freeman	AUS	23.25 (3 h3)	22.74 (4 h3)	22.78 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r3/4	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.93 (3 h1)	22.84 (3 h2)	22.81 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r3/4	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	23.14 (5 h6)	23.15 (4 h1)	22.98 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r3/4	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.88 (3 h6)	22.89 (4 h4)	22.82 (7 h2)	–
8 h2 r3/4	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.09 (4 h6)	23.04 (4 h2)	23.20 (8 h2)	–
3 h4 r2/4	Irina Privalova	RUS	23.16 (2 h3)	22.82 (3 h4)	– (DNS h1)	–
5 h1 r2/4	Sanna Hernesniemi	FIN	23.35 (4 h3)	23.38 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r2/4	Katharine Merry	GBR	23.14 (2 h4)	23.17 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r2/4	Lucrécia Jardim	POR	22.95 (3 h2)	22.88 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r2/4	Myra Mayberry-Wilkinson	PUR	23.23 (6 h1)	23.48 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r2/4	Monika Gachevska	BUL	23.30 (3 h4)	23.44 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r2/4	Savatheda Fynes	BAH	23.39 (6 h6)	23.26 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r2/4	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.36 (5 h5)	22.96 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r2/4	Patricia Rodríguez	COL	23.13 (4 h1)	23.50 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h1 r2/4	Ameerah Bello	ISV	23.45 (5 h4)	23.66 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r2/4	Yan Jiankui	CHN	23.21 (5 h1)	23.30 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h3 r2/4	Sandy Myers	ESP	23.18 (5 h2)	23.20 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r2/4	Calister Ubah	NGR	23.34 (6 h2)	23.62 (7 h4)	–	–
8 h2 r2/4	Viktoriya Fomenko	UKR	23.18 (4 h2)	23.44 (8 h2)	–	–
8 h3 r2/4	Heather Samuel	ANT	23.34 (4 h4)	23.54 (8 h3)	–	–
8 h4 r2/4	Zhanna Pintusevych	UKR	23.15 (4 h5)	23.68 (8 h4)	–	–
3 h5 r1/4	Beverly McDonald	JAM	23.04 (3 h5)	– (DNS h1)	–	–
5 h3 r1/4	Mireille Donders	SUI	23.52 (5 h3)	–	–	–
6 h3 r1/4	Maia Azarashvili	GEO	23.63 (6 h3)	–	–	–
6 h4 r1/4	Du Xiujie	CHN	23.69 (6 h4)	–	–	–
6 h5 r1/4	Tara Perry	CAN	23.46 (6 h5)	–	–	–
7 h1 r1/4	Zlatka Georgieva	BUL	24.05 (7 h1)	–	–	–
7 h2 r1/4	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	23.85 (7 h2)	–	–	–
7 h3 r1/4	Felipa Palacios	COL	24.12 (7 h3)	–	–	–
7 h4 r1/4	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	24.92 (7 h4)	–	–	–
7 h5 r1/4	Marina Živković	SCG	23.51 (7 h5)	–	–	–
7 h6 r1/4	Georgette N'Koma	CMR	23.68 (7 h6)	–	–	–
8 h1 r1/4	Laure Kuetey	BEN	25.57 (8 h1)	–	–	–
8 h2 r1/4	Sylla M'Mah Touré	GUI	26.64 (8 h2)	–	–	–
8 h3 r1/4	Lineo Shoai	LES	26.25 (8 h3)	–	–	–
8 h5 r1/4	Kaltouma Nadjina	CHA	24.47 (8 h5)	–	–	–
8 h6 r1/4	Lyudmila Dmitriady	UZB	24.88 (8 h6)	–	–	–
DNS	Marina Trandenkova	RUS	– (DNS h4)	–	–	–

Round One

Date	31 July 1996
Format	Top 4 in each heat and next eight fastest advanced to the quarter-finals.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.37	0.203	Q
2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.42	0.276	Q
3	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.62	0.232	Q
4	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.63	0.200	Q
5	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.63	0.185	Q
6	Dannette Young	USA	22.65	0.164	Q
7	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.70	0.165	Q
8	Inger Miller	USA	22.74	0.197	Q
9	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.88	0.220	Q
10	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.92	0.225	Q
11	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.93	0.194	Q
12	Lucrécia Jardim	POR	22.95	0.204	Q
13	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	23.03	0.196	Q
14	Beverly McDonald	JAM	23.04	0.261	Q
15	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.09	0.223	Q
16	Patricia Rodríguez	COL	23.13	0.233	Q
=17	Katharine Merry	GBR	23.14	0.216	Q
=17	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	23.14	0.214	q
19	Zhanna Pintusevych	UKR	23.15	0.213	Q
20	Irina Privalova	RUS	23.16	0.181	Q
21	Viktoriya Fomenko	UKR	23.18	0.176	Q
22	Sandy Myers	ESP	23.18	0.200	q
23	Yan Jiankui	CHN	23.21	0.168	q
24	Myra Mayberry-Wilkinson	PUR	23.23	0.209	q
25	Cathy Freeman	AUS	23.25	0.241	Q
26	Monika Gachevska	BUL	23.30	0.326	Q
=27	Calister Ubah	NGR	23.34	0.193	q
=27	Heather Samuel	ANT	23.34	0.197	Q
29	Sanna Hernesniemi	FIN	23.35	0.181	Q
30	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.36	0.214	q
31	Savatheda Fynes	BAH	23.39	0.216	q
32	Ameerah Bello	ISV	23.45	0.227	q
33	Tara Perry	CAN	23.46	0.189
34	Marina Živković	SCG	23.51	0.238
35	Mireille Donders	SUI	23.52	0.160
36	Maia Azarashvili	GEO	23.63	0.243
37	Georgette N'Koma	CMR	23.68	0.186
38	Du Xiujie	CHN	23.69	0.183
39	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	23.85	0.211
40	Zlatka Georgieva	BUL	24.05	0.171
41	Felipa Palacios	COL	24.12	0.261
42	Kaltouma Nadjina	CHA	24.47	0.219
43	Lyudmila Dmitriady	UZB	24.88	0.322
44	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	24.92	0.298
45	Laure Kuetey	BEN	25.57	0.254
46	Lineo Shoai	LES	26.25	–
47	Sylla M'Mah Touré	GUI	26.64	0.290		1
DNS	Marina Trandenkova	RUS	–	–

Heat #1

Time	12:00
Wind	0.1 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.37	0.203	Q
2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.42	0.276	Q
3	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.93	0.194	Q
4	Patricia Rodríguez	COL	23.13	0.233	Q
5	Yan Jiankui	CHN	23.21	0.168	q
6	Myra Mayberry-Wilkinson	PUR	23.23	0.209	q
7	Zlatka Georgieva	BUL	24.05	0.171
8	Laure Kuetey	BEN	25.57	0.254

Heat #2

Time	12:05
Wind	0.7 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Dannette Young	USA	22.65	0.164	Q
2	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.70	0.165	Q
3	Lucrécia Jardim	POR	22.95	0.204	Q
4	Viktoriya Fomenko	UKR	23.18	0.176	Q
5	Sandy Myers	ESP	23.18	0.200	q
6	Calister Ubah	NGR	23.34	0.193	q
7	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	23.85	0.211
8	Sylla M'Mah Touré	GUI	26.64	0.290		2

Heat #3

Time	12:10
Wind	-0.2 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	23.03	0.196	Q
2	Irina Privalova	RUS	23.16	0.181	Q
3	Cathy Freeman	AUS	23.25	0.241	Q
4	Sanna Hernesniemi	FIN	23.35	0.181	Q
5	Mireille Donders	SUI	23.52	0.160
6	Maia Azarashvili	GEO	23.63	0.243
7	Felipa Palacios	COL	24.12	0.261
8	Lineo Shoai	LES	26.25	–

Heat #4

Time	12:15
Wind	1.0 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.92	0.225	Q
2	Katharine Merry	GBR	23.14	0.216	Q
3	Monika Gachevska	BUL	23.30	0.326	Q
4	Heather Samuel	ANT	23.34	0.197	Q
5	Ameerah Bello	ISV	23.45	0.227	q
6	Du Xiujie	CHN	23.69	0.183
7	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	24.92	0.298
DNS	Marina Trandenkova	RUS	–	–

Heat #5

Time	12:20
Wind	0.1 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.63	0.200	Q
2	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.63	0.185	Q
3	Beverly McDonald	JAM	23.04	0.261	Q
4	Zhanna Pintusevych	UKR	23.15	0.213	Q
5	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.36	0.214	q
6	Tara Perry	CAN	23.46	0.189
7	Marina Živković	SCG	23.51	0.238
8	Kaltouma Nadjina	CHA	24.47	0.219

Heat #6

Time	12:25
Wind	-0.6 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.62	0.232	Q
2	Inger Miller	USA	22.74	0.197	Q
3	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.88	0.220	Q
4	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.09	0.223	Q
5	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	23.14	0.214	q
6	Savatheda Fynes	BAH	23.39	0.216	q
7	Georgette N'Koma	CMR	23.68	0.186
8	Lyudmila Dmitriady	UZB	24.88	0.322

Quarter-Finals

Date	31 July 1996
Format	Top 4 in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.24	0.205	Q
2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.37	0.240	Q
3	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.51	0.203	Q
4	Dannette Young	USA	22.53	0.166	Q
5	Inger Miller	USA	22.57	0.191	Q
6	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.61	0.209	Q
7	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	22.62	0.186	Q
8	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.69	0.201	Q
9	Cathy Freeman	AUS	22.74	0.247	Q
10	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.81	0.232	Q
11	Irina Privalova	RUS	22.82	0.166	Q
12	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.84	0.186	Q
13	Lucrécia Jardim	POR	22.88	0.228
14	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.89	0.176	Q
15	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.91	0.176	Q
16	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	22.96	0.204
17	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.04	0.240	Q
18	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	23.15	0.188	Q
19	Katharine Merry	GBR	23.17	0.252
20	Sandy Myers	ESP	23.20	0.197
21	Savatheda Fynes	BAH	23.26	0.242
22	Yan Jiankui	CHN	23.30	0.156
23	Sanna Hernesniemi	FIN	23.38	0.152
=24	Monika Gachevska	BUL	23.44	0.213
=24	Viktoriya Fomenko	UKR	23.44	0.186
26	Myra Mayberry-Wilkinson	PUR	23.48	0.179
27	Patricia Rodríguez	COL	23.50	0.220
28	Heather Samuel	ANT	23.54	0.228
29	Calister Ubah	NGR	23.62	0.269
30	Ameerah Bello	ISV	23.66	0.293
31	Zhanna Pintusevych	UKR	23.68	0.198
DNS	Beverly McDonald	JAM	–	–

Heat #1

Time	18:45
Wind	0.5 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.51	0.203	Q
2	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.81	0.232	Q
3	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.91	0.176	Q
4	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	23.15	0.188	Q
5	Sanna Hernesniemi	FIN	23.38	0.152
6	Monika Gachevska	BUL	23.44	0.213
7	Ameerah Bello	ISV	23.66	0.293
DNS	Beverly McDonald	JAM	–	–

Heat #2

Time	18:50
Wind	0.3 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.61	0.209	Q
2	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.69	0.201	Q
3	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.84	0.186	Q
4	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.04	0.240	Q
5	Katharine Merry	GBR	23.17	0.252
6	Savatheda Fynes	BAH	23.26	0.242
7	Yan Jiankui	CHN	23.30	0.156
8	Viktoriya Fomenko	UKR	23.44	0.186

Heat #3

Time	18:55
Wind	-0.4 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.24	0.205	Q
2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.37	0.240	Q
3	Inger Miller	USA	22.57	0.191	Q
4	Cathy Freeman	AUS	22.74	0.247	Q
5	Lucrécia Jardim	POR	22.88	0.228
6	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	22.96	0.204
7	Sandy Myers	ESP	23.20	0.197
8	Heather Samuel	ANT	23.54	0.228

Heat #4

Time	19:00
Wind	-0.2 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Dannette Young	USA	22.53	0.166	Q
2	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	22.62	0.186	Q
3	Irina Privalova	RUS	22.82	0.166	Q
4	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.89	0.176	Q
5	Myra Mayberry-Wilkinson	PUR	23.48	0.179
6	Patricia Rodríguez	COL	23.50	0.220
7	Calister Ubah	NGR	23.62	0.269
8	Zhanna Pintusevych	UKR	23.68	0.198

Semi-Finals

Date	1 August 1996
Format	Top 4 in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.07	0.185	Q
2	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.08	0.199	Q
3	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.16	0.247	Q
4	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	22.24	0.180	Q
5	Inger Miller	USA	22.33	0.191	Q
6	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.35	0.213	Q
7	Dannette Young	USA	22.49	0.189		3
8	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.54	0.186	Q
9	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.56	0.231	Q
10	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.76	0.156
11	Cathy Freeman	AUS	22.78	0.234
12	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.81	0.194
13	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.82	0.207
14	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	22.98	0.182
15	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.20	0.175
DNS	Irina Privalova	RUS	–	–

Heat #1

Time	18:42
Wind	0.4 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.07	0.185	Q
2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.16	0.247	Q
3	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	22.24	0.180	Q
4	Inger Miller	USA	22.33	0.191	Q
5	Dannette Young	USA	22.49	0.189		4
6	Cathy Freeman	AUS	22.78	0.234
7	Natallia Safronnikava	BLR	22.98	0.182
DNS	Irina Privalova	RUS	–	–

Heat #2

Time	18:53
Wind	0.1 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.08	0.199	Q
2	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.35	0.213	Q
3	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.54	0.186	Q
4	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.56	0.231	Q
5	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	AUS	22.76	0.156
6	Melanie Paschke	GER	22.81	0.194
7	Alenka Bikar	SLO	22.82	0.207
8	Katerina Koffa	GRE	23.20	0.175

Final Round

Date	1 August 1996 — 20:45
Wind	0.3 m/s

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	22.12	0.174
2	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.24	0.194
3	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.38	0.231
4	Inger Miller	USA	22.41	0.172
5	Galina Malchugina	RUS	22.45	0.198
6	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	22.54	0.165
7	Juliet Cuthbert	JAM	22.60	0.175
8	Carlette Guidry-White	USA	22.61	0.207