| | Event type

200 metres, Women

Date	28 – 29 September 1988
Status	Olympic
Location	Ol-lim-pik Ju-gyeong-gi-jang, Seoul Sports Complex, Seoul
Participants	59 from 42 countries

East Germany had two of the favorites in Heike Drechsler-Daute, who had twice equaled the world record of 21.71, once in winning the European title; and Silke Gladisch, the 1987 World Champion. America’s top bet was Florence Griffith Joyner, second in this event 1984, but with the East Germans absent. She had been dominant at the US Olympic Trials, running 21.77 in the semi-finals for an American record, and shattering the 100 world record in 10.49. In Seoul Griffith Joyner had already won the 100 by over three metres. In the 200 she broke the US and Olympic record in the quarter-finals with 21.76, and then in the semi-finals, posted a world record 21.56. The final was highly anticipated but it was not much of a race as FloJo destroyed the field, winning by four metres from Jamaica’s Grace Jackson with Drechsler another two metres back in third. Her world record time of 21.34 was considered Beamonesque and still stood as the world record 20 years later.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	R1	QF	SF	Final
1	569	Florence Griffith Joyner	USA	22.51 (1 h5)	21.76 (1 h1)	21.56 (1 h1)	21.34 (1)	Gold	WR
2	365	Grace Jackson	JAM	22.66 (1 h6)	22.24 (1 h3)	22.13 (1 h2)	21.72 (2)	Silver
3	261	Heike Drechsler	GDR	22.93 (1 h1)	22.38 (3 h1)	22.27 (2 h2)	21.95 (3)	Bronze
4	367	Merlene Ottey	JAM	23.06 (1 h4)	22.30 (2 h2)	22.07 (2 h1)	21.99 (4)
5	277	Silke Möller	GDR	23.07 (2 h3)	22.86 (3 h3)	22.15 (3 h1)	22.09 (5)
6	600	Gwen Torrence	USA	22.87 (1 h7)	22.25 (1 h2)	22.53 (3 h2)	22.17 (6)
7	511	Maia Azarashvili	URS	22.98 (2 h6)	22.37 (2 h1)	22.33 (4 h1)	22.33 (7)
8	534	Galina Malchugina	URS	22.85 (1 h3)	22.77 (1 h4)	22.55 (4 h2)	22.42 (8)
5 h1 r3/4	428	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.82 (2 h2)	22.89 (2 h4)	22.43 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r3/4	47	Nadezhda Georgieva	BUL	22.80 (1 h2)	22.60 (3 h2)	22.67 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r3/4	274	Katrin Krabbe	GDR	23.14 (2 h5)	22.67 (4 h2)	22.59 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r3/4	216	Paula Dunn	GBR	23.32 (1 h8)	23.04 (4 h3)	23.14 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r3/4	23	Pauline Davis	BAH	23.08 (2 h7)	22.92 (3 h4)	22.67 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r3/4	454	Agnieszka Siwek	POL	23.10 (2 h1)	22.96 (4 h4)	23.20 (7 h2)	–
8 h1 r3/4	201	Andrea Thomas	FRG	22.92 (3 h2)	22.84 (2 h3)	22.91 (8 h1)	–
8 h2 r3/4	475	Regula Aebi	SUI	23.22 (4 h5)	22.88 (4 h1)	23.33 (8 h2)	–
5 h1 r2/4	15	Kerry Johnson	AUS	23.20 (3 h7)	23.01 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r2/4	427	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	23.12 (3 h1)	22.88 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r2/4	176	Muriel Leroy	FRA	23.19 (3 h5)	23.22 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r2/4	224	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.47 (4 h7)	23.38 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r2/4	188	Silke Knoll	FRG	23.51 (3 h4)	23.15 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r2/4	348	Rita Angotzi	ITA	23.59 (4 h2)	23.33 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r2/4	358	Marisa Masullo	ITA	23.58 (5 h3)	23.52 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r2/4	38	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	23.71 (2 h8)	23.67 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h1 r2/4	501	Angela Williams	TTO	23.76 (4 h1)	23.48 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r2/4	448	Jolanta Janota	POL	23.40 (3 h3)	23.34 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h3 r2/4	5	Jocelyn Joseph	ANT	23.57 (4 h3)	23.59 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r2/4	186	Karin Janke	FRG	23.83 (3 h8)	23.87 (7 h4)	–	–
8 h1 r2/4	163	Marie-Christine Cazier-Balo	FRA	23.50 (5 h7)	23.63 (8 h1)	–	–
8 h2 r2/4	249	Louise Stuart	GBR	23.61 (4 h4)	23.59 (8 h2)	–	–
8 h3 r2/4	121	Norfalia Carabalí	COL	23.78 (3 h6)	23.96 (8 h3)	–	–
8 h4 r2/4	177	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	23.49 (2 h4)	24.22 (8 h4)	–	–
4 h6 r1/4	26	Yolande Straughn	BAR	23.81 (4 h6)	–	–	–
4 h8 r1/4	105	Xie Zhiling	CHN	24.01 (4 h8)	–	–	–
5 h1 r1/4	124	Ximena Restrepo	COL	24.00 (5 h1)	–	–	–
5 h2 r1/4	301	Marina Skordi	GRE	24.06 (5 h2)	–	–	–
5 h4 r1/4	382	Joyce Odhiambo	KEN	24.26 (5 h4)	–	–	–
5 h5 r1/4	110	Zhang Xiaoqiong	CHN	24.08 (5 h5)	–	–	–
5 h6 r1/4	609	Gailey Dube	ZIM	24.42 (5 h6)	–	–	–
5 h8 r1/4	603	Olivette Daruhi	VAN	26.88 (5 h8)	–	–	–
6 h1 r1/4	34	Félicite Bada	BEN	25.42 (6 h1)	–	–	–
6 h2 r1/4	347	Ruth Morris	ISV	24.51 (6 h2)	–	–	–
6 h3 r1/4	402	U Yang-Ja	KOR	24.94 (6 h3)	–	–	–
6 h4 r1/4	503	Oliver Acii	UGA	24.39 (6 h4)	–	–	–
6 h5 r1/4	485	Yvette Bonapart	SUR	24.95 (6 h5)	–	–	–
6 h6 r1/4	409	Yvonne Hasler	LIE	24.91 (6 h6)	–	–	–
6 h7 r1/4	553	Claudia Acerenza	URU	24.46 (6 h7)	–	–	–
6 h8 r1/4	291	Rosa Mbuamangongo	GEQ	31.12 (6 h8)	–	–	–
7 h1 r1/4	55	Mariama Ouiminga	BUR	26.08 (7 h1)	–	–	–
7 h2 r1/4	306	Agnes Griffith	GRN	24.79 (7 h2)	–	–	–
7 h3 r1/4	616	Melvina Vulah	LBR	25.46 (7 h3)	–	–	–
7 h4 r1/4	614	Judith Diankoléla-Missengué	CGO	25.20 (7 h4)	–	–	–
7 h5 r1/4	3	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	25.62 (7 h5)	–	–	–
7 h6 r1/4	419	Aminata Diarra	MLI	25.81 (7 h6)	–	–	–
7 h7 r1/4	497	Chen Ya-Li	TPE	25.03 (7 h7)	–	–	–
8 h2 r1/4	315	Ng Ka Yee	HKG	25.35 (8 h2)	–	–	–
8 h3 r1/4	119	Erin Tierney	COK	26.16 (8 h3)	–	–	–
8 h4 r1/4	7	Evelyn Farrell	ARU	25.74 (8 h4)	–	–	–
AC h8 r1/4	584	Pam Marshall	USA	– (DNF h8)	–	–	–
DNS	14	Maree Holland	AUS	– (DNS h6)	–	–	–

Round One (28 September 1988)

Top three in each heat and next eight fastest advanced to the quarter-finals.

Heat One (10:30)

Wind	-0.3 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	4	Heike Drechsler	GDR	22.93	Q
2	2	Agnieszka Siwek	POL	23.10	Q
3	6	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	23.12	Q
4	5	Angela Williams	TTO	23.76	q
5	3	Ximena Restrepo	COL	24.00
6	7	Félicite Bada	BEN	25.42
7	8	Mariama Ouiminga	BUR	26.08

Heat Two (10:35)

Wind	0.9 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	3	Nadezhda Georgieva	BUL	22.80	Q
2	6	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.82	Q
3	7	Andrea Thomas	FRG	22.92	Q
4	4	Rita Angotzi	ITA	23.59	q
5	5	Marina Skordi	GRE	24.06
6	8	Ruth Morris	ISV	24.51
7	2	Agnes Griffith	GRN	24.79
8	1	Ng Ka Yee	HKG	25.35

Heat Three (10:40)

Wind	1.2 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	1	Galina Malchugina	URS	22.85	Q
2	4	Silke Möller	GDR	23.07	Q
3	2	Jolanta Janota	POL	23.40	Q
4	8	Jocelyn Joseph	ANT	23.57	q
5	6	Marisa Masullo	ITA	23.58	q
6	5	U Yang-Ja	KOR	24.94
7	3	Melvina Vulah	LBR	25.46
8	7	Erin Tierney	COK	26.16

Heat Four (10:45)

Wind	0.7 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	7	Merlene Ottey	JAM	23.06	Q
2	6	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	23.49	Q
3	3	Silke Knoll	FRG	23.51	Q
4	2	Louise Stuart	GBR	23.61	q
5	4	Joyce Odhiambo	KEN	24.26
6	8	Oliver Acii	UGA	24.39
7	1	Judith Diankoléla-Missengué	CGO	25.20
8	5	Evelyn Farrell	ARU	25.74

Heat Five (10:50)

Wind	0.7 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	3	Florence Griffith Joyner	USA	22.51	Q
2	7	Katrin Krabbe	GDR	23.14	Q
3	4	Muriel Leroy	FRA	23.19	Q
4	8	Regula Aebi	SUI	23.22	q
5	6	Zhang Xiaoqiong	CHN	24.08
6	5	Yvette Bonapart	SUR	24.95
7	2	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	25.62

Heat Six (10:55)

Wind	0.0 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	5	Grace Jackson	JAM	22.66	Q
2	3	Maia Azarashvili	URS	22.98	Q
3	1	Norfalia Carabalí	COL	23.78	Q
4	6	Yolande Straughn	BAR	23.81
5	4	Gailey Dube	ZIM	24.42
6	8	Yvonne Hasler	LIE	24.91
7	7	Aminata Diarra	MLI	25.81
DNS	2	Maree Holland	AUS	–

Heat Seven (11:00)

Wind	0.6 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	7	Gwen Torrence	USA	22.87	Q
2	8	Pauline Davis	BAH	23.08	Q
3	3	Kerry Johnson	AUS	23.20	Q
4	4	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.47	q
5	2	Marie-Christine Cazier-Balo	FRA	23.50	q
6	5	Claudia Acerenza	URU	24.46
7	6	Chen Ya-Li	TPE	25.03

Heat Eight (11:05)

Wind	0.6 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	5	Paula Dunn	GBR	23.32	Q
2	6	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	23.71	Q
3	8	Karin Janke	FRG	23.83	Q
4	7	Xie Zhiling	CHN	24.01
5	4	Olivette Daruhi	VAN	26.88
6	2	Rosa Mbuamangongo	GEQ	31.12
DNF	3	Pam Marshall	USA	–

Quarter-Finals (28 September 1988)

Top four in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One (13:15)

Wind	0.7 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	3	Florence Griffith Joyner	USA	21.76	QOR
2	6	Maia Azarashvili	URS	22.37	Q
3	5	Heike Drechsler	GDR	22.38	Q
4	1	Regula Aebi	SUI	22.88	Q
5	4	Kerry Johnson	AUS	23.01
6	8	Silke Knoll	FRG	23.15
7	7	Angela Williams	TTO	23.48
8	2	Marie-Christine Cazier-Balo	FRA	23.63

Heat Two (13:20)

Wind	0.7 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	6	Gwen Torrence	USA	22.25	Q
2	4	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.30	Q
3	5	Nadezhda Georgieva	BUL	22.60	Q
4	8	Katrin Krabbe	GDR	22.67	Q
5	3	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	22.88
6	2	Rita Angotzi	ITA	23.33
7	1	Jolanta Janota	POL	23.34
8	7	Louise Stuart	GBR	23.59

Heat Three (13:25)

Wind	0.3 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	4	Grace Jackson	JAM	22.24	Q
2	3	Andrea Thomas	FRG	22.84	Q
3	6	Silke Möller	GDR	22.86	Q
4	8	Paula Dunn	GBR	23.04	Q
5	5	Muriel Leroy	FRA	23.22
6	2	Marisa Masullo	ITA	23.52
7	1	Jocelyn Joseph	ANT	23.59
8	7	Norfalia Carabalí	COL	23.96

Heat Four (13:30)

Wind	-0.5 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	6	Galina Malchugina	URS	22.77	Q
2	3	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.89	Q
3	4	Pauline Davis	BAH	22.92	Q
4	5	Agnieszka Siwek	POL	22.96	Q
5	2	Simmone Jacobs	GBR	23.38
6	1	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	23.67
7	7	Karin Janke	FRG	23.87
8	8	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	24.22

Semi-Finals (29 September 1988)

Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One (15:00)

Wind	1.7 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	5	Florence Griffith Joyner	USA	21.56	QWR
2	3	Merlene Ottey	JAM	22.07	Q
3	7	Silke Möller	GDR	22.15	Q
4	6	Maia Azarashvili	URS	22.33	Q
5	2	Mary Onyali	NGR	22.43
6	4	Katrin Krabbe	GDR	22.59
7	8	Pauline Davis	BAH	22.67
8	1	Andrea Thomas	FRG	22.91

Heat Two (15:05)

Wind	1.8 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	4	Grace Jackson	JAM	22.13	Q
2	5	Heike Drechsler	GDR	22.27	Q
3	6	Gwen Torrence	USA	22.53	Q
4	7	Galina Malchugina	URS	22.55	Q
5	3	Nadezhda Georgieva	BUL	22.67
6	1	Paula Dunn	GBR	23.14
7	8	Agnieszka Siwek	POL	23.20
8	2	Regula Aebi	SUI	23.33

Final (29 September 1988 — 16:40)

Wind	1.3 m/s

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)
1	5	Florence Griffith Joyner	USA	21.34	WR
2	6	Grace Jackson	JAM	21.72
3	1	Heike Drechsler	GDR	21.95
4	3	Merlene Ottey	JAM	21.99
5	4	Silke Möller	GDR	22.09
6	8	Gwen Torrence	USA	22.17
7	2	Maia Azarashvili	URS	22.33
8	7	Galina Malchugina	URS	22.42