ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 Metres

The women's 200 meters at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held from August 19 to 21, 2009, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. This event marked Allyson Felix of the United States as a pre-race favorite, having run under 22 seconds earlier in the season.

Felix's performance was impressive, crossing the line in 22.02 seconds to win her third World 200m title. Her victory came after Veronica Campbell-Brown faltered, securing another silver medal for herself and cementing her status as a two-time Olympic champion (2004/2008) and vice world champion of 2007.

Campbell-Brown's performance was notable, despite struggling with form in the final. Meanwhile, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie from the Bahamas won the bronze medal, further solidifying her reputation as a Bahamian sprinter with great success in international competitions. In addition to her individual achievements, Campbell-Brown had also been part of Jamaican sprint relay teams that were two-time vice world champions (2005/2007) and Olympic gold medalists.

The 2009 World Championships saw the setting of four national records: Monique Williams from New Zealand achieved a time of 22.96 seconds in the third heat on August 19, while Eleni Artymata from Cyprus set a record with a time of 22.83 seconds in her fourth-forward position on the same day.

Furthermore, existing world cup records were not reached at these championships. Notably, Bahraini Ruqaya Al Ghasra's results were stripped due to doping allegations after their rehearsal proved positive for banned substances.

The qualification standards for this event required athletes to meet specific times or achieve certain rankings in previous heats and semi-finals. The top three finishers from each heat (Q) and the next six fastest (q) advanced to the semifinals, where they competed to determine the final lineup.