Which athlete won the men's 200 metres gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics?

Shawn Crawford won the men’s 200 metres gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Crawford won the final in 19.79 seconds at Athens Olympic Stadium on 26 August 2004. His fellow Americans Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin finished second and third, producing an all-American sweep of the podium. Crawford’s winning margin over Williams was 0.22 seconds.

The race used the standard Olympic sprint format of heats, quarterfinals, semifinals and a final. Crawford was consistently among the fastest competitors throughout the rounds, then pulled clear during the final straight to secure the title. His victory gave the United States its 17th Olympic win in the men’s 200 metres.

Usain Bolt was not the winner: the future sprint legend was only 17 at the Athens Games and was hampered by injury. Michael Johnson, the 1996 and 2000 Olympic 200-metre champion, did not compete in Athens. Gatlin did win Olympic gold in the 100 metres four days later.