Women · Sprints · All-Time
200 Metres
World record
21.34+1.3
Florence Griffith JoynerUSASeoul · 29 Sep 1988
37 years standingRecord progression →
21.34
Best mark
World record
22.01
Top 50 cutoff
50 rows
21.80
Median
Of the 50 best-by-athlete marks
17
Countries
USA 22 · JAM 9 · 15 others
Performance distribution
50 athletes from 21.34 to 22.01 · median 21.80
Top 50 cutoff
The mark an athlete needed to make the list
World all-time top 50
Best by athlete · data refreshed 17 Sep 2026 · methodology
50 rows
| # | Athlete | Country | Mark | Wind | Date | Venue | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florence Griffith Joyner WR | USA | 21.34 | +1.3 | 29 Sep 1988 | Seoul | 28 |
| 2 | Shericka Jackson | JAM | 21.41 | +0.1 | 25 Aug 2023 | Budapest | 29 |
| 3 | Melissa Jefferson-Wooden | USA | 21.47 | -0.6 | 13 Sep 2026 | Budapest | 25 |
| 4 | Julien Alfred | LCA | 21.51 | +0.9 | 10 Jul 2026 | Monaco | 25 |
| 5 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | JAM | 21.53 | +0.8 | 3 Aug 2021 | Tokyo | 29 |
| 6 | Gabby Thomas | USA | 21.60 | -0.4 | 9 Jul 2023 | Eugene | 26 |
| 7 | Marion Jones | USA | 21.62 | -0.6 | 11 Sep 1998 | Johannesburg | 22 |
| 8 | Dafne Schippers | NED | 21.63 | +0.2 | 28 Aug 2015 | Beijing | 23 |
| 9 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 21.64 | +0.8 | 13 Sep 1991 | Bruxelles | 31 |
| 10 | Adaejah Hodge | IVB | 21.68 | -0.4 | 13 Jun 2026 | Eugene | 20 |
| 11 | Allyson Felix | USA | 21.69 | +1.0 | 30 Jun 2012 | Eugene | 26 |
| 12 | Marita Koch | GDR | 21.71 | +0.7 | 10 Jun 1979 | Karl-Marx-Stadt | 22 |
| 13 | Heike Drechsler | GER | 21.71 | +1.2 | 29 Jun 1986 | Jena | 21 |
| 14 | Grace Jackson | JAM | 21.72 | +1.3 | 29 Sep 1988 | Seoul | 27 |
| 15 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 21.72 | -0.1 | 5 Aug 1992 | Barcelona | 27 |
| 16 | Marlies Göhr | GDR | 21.74 | +0.4 | 3 Jun 1984 | Erfurt | 26 |
| 17 | Silke Gladisch | GER | 21.74 | +1.2 | 3 Sep 1987 | Roma | 23 |
| 18 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | JAM | 21.74 | +0.6 | 21 Aug 2008 | Beijing | 26 |
| 19 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | BAH | 21.74 | -0.4 | 29 Aug 2019 | Zürich | 25 |
| 20 | Juliet Cuthbert | JAM | 21.75 | -0.1 | 5 Aug 1992 | Barcelona | 28 |
| 21 | Inger Miller | USA | 21.77 | +0.6 | 27 Aug 1999 | Sevilla | 27 |
| 22 | Tori Bowie | USA | 21.77 | +1.5 | 27 May 2017 | Eugene | 26 |
| 23 | Abby Steiner | USA | 21.77 | -0.3 | 26 Jun 2022 | Eugene | 22 |
| 24 | Christine Mboma | NAM | 21.78 | +0.6 | 9 Sep 2021 | Zürich | 18 |
| 25 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | JAM | 21.79 | +0.8 | 27 Jun 2021 | Kingston | 34 |
| 26 | Valerie Brisco | USA | 21.81 | -0.1 | 9 Aug 1984 | Los Angeles | |
| 27 | Evelyn Ashford | USA | 21.83 | -0.2 | 24 Aug 1979 | Montréal | 22 |
| 28 | McKenzie Long | USA | 21.83 | +1.0 | 8 Jun 2024 | Eugene | |
| 29 | Bärbel Wöckel | GDR | 21.85 | +0.3 | 21 Jul 1984 | Potsdam | |
| 30 | Irina Privalova | RUS | 21.87 | 0.0 | 25 Jul 1995 | Monaco | 26 |
| 31 | Dina Asher-Smith | GBR | 21.88 | +0.9 | 2 Oct 2019 | Ad-Dawhah | |
| 32 | Jenna Prandini | USA | 21.89 | +1.3 | 26 Jun 2021 | Eugene | |
| 33 | Brittany Brown | USA | 21.89 | +1.9 | 10 Oct 2025 | New York City | |
| 34 | Tamara Clark | USA | 21.92 | -0.3 | 26 Jun 2022 | Eugene | |
| 35 | Sha'Carri Richardson | USA | 21.92 | +0.1 | 25 Aug 2023 | Budapest | 23 |
| 36 | Kayla White | USA | 21.92 | 0.0 | 14 Jul 2026 | Budapest | |
| 37 | Pam Marshall | USA | 21.93 | +1.3 | 23 Jul 1988 | Indianapolis | |
| 38 | Cambrea Sturgis | USA | 21.93 | 24 Apr 2026 | Nairobi | ||
| 39 | Katrin Krabbe | GER | 21.95 | +0.3 | 30 Aug 1990 | Split | |
| 40 | Anavia Battle | USA | 21.95 | +1.3 | 26 Jun 2021 | Eugene | |
| 41 | Favour Ofili | NGR | 21.96 | +1.3 | 15 Apr 2022 | Gainesville | |
| 42 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | CZE | 21.97 | +1.9 | 6 Jun 1981 | Bratislava | 30 |
| 43 | Aminatou Seyni | NIG | 21.98 | +1.1 | 18 Jul 2022 | Eugene | |
| 44 | JaMeesia Ford | USA | 21.98 | +0.9 | 12 Jun 2025 | Eugene | |
| 45 | Chandra Cheeseborough | USA | 21.99 | +0.9 | 19 Jun 1983 | Indianapolis | 24 |
| 46 | Marie-José Pérec | FRA | 21.99 | +1.1 | 2 Jul 1993 | Villeneuve d'Ascq | 25 |
| 47 | Kerron Stewart | JAM | 21.99 | +1.1 | 29 Jun 2008 | Kingston | 24 |
| 48 | Sherone Simpson | JAM | 22.00 | +1.3 | 25 Jun 2006 | Kingston | |
| 49 | Anelia Nuneva | BUL | 22.01 | -0.5 | 16 Aug 1987 | Sofia | |
| 50 | Li Xuemei | CHN | 22.01 | 0.0 | 22 Oct 1997 | Shanghai |