| 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships | |
|---|---|
 Veronica Campbell-Brown and Carmelita Jeter in the 2011 final | |
| Overview | |
| Gender | Men and women |
| Years held | Men: 1983 – 2022 Women: 1983 – 2022 |
| Championship record | |
| Men | 19.19 Usain Bolt (2009) |
| Women | 21.41 Shericka Jackson (2023) |
| Reigning champion | |
| Men |  Noah Lyles (USA) |
| Women |  Shericka Jackson (JAM) |
The 200 metres at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. It is the second most prestigious title in the discipline after the 200 metres at the Olympics. The competition format typically has two or three qualifying rounds leading to a final between eight athletes.
The championship records for the event are 19.19 seconds for men, set by Usain Bolt in 2009, and 21.41 seconds for women, set by Shericka Jackson in 2023. The men's world record has been broken at the competition on one occasion, and Bolt's championship record set in 2009 remains the world record as of 2015.[1] The women's world record has never been broken at the competition.
Usain Bolt is the most successful athlete of the event, having won four successive titles from 2009 to 2015, and also a silver in 2007. Allyson Felix is the most successful woman, having won three straight titles (2005 to 2009). Two-time champion Merlene Ottey has won more medals in the 200 m than any other athlete, reaching the podium six times in a period stretching from 1983 to 1997. Calvin Smith and Michael Johnson are the only others to have won two world titles over the distance.
The United States is the most successful nation in the discipline, with twelve gold medals among a total of 31. Jamaica is the next most successful with seventeen medals and seven titles. East Germany, with two golds, is the only other nation to have provided multiple gold medallists.
