Alonso Edward represented Panama when he won silver behind Usain Bolt in the 2009 World Championships men’s 200 metres. The final took place in Berlin on 20 August 2009, with Edward finishing in 19.81 seconds.
Bolt won in a stunning world-record time of 19.19 seconds, lowering the 19.30 mark he had set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Edward was second, and American Wallace Spearmon took bronze in 19.85 seconds.
Edward’s medal was a landmark achievement for Panama. He was only 19 at the time and became one of the country’s leading track-and-field athletes on the strength of his breakthrough championship performance.
The race is sometimes mixed up with Bolt’s 2007 World Championships 200 metres, where Bolt won silver behind Tyson Gay. In 2009, Bolt reversed that outcome by taking gold, while Edward emerged as the surprise silver medallist.