Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
| Men's 200 metres at the Games of the XXII Olympiad
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Pietro Mennea |
 Italy
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Allan Wells |
Great Britain
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Don Quarrie |
 Jamaica
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These are the official results of the Men's 200 metres event at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The competition was held on July 27, 1980, and on July 28, 1980.
The boycotting American team would have been no match for this field which included the world record holder, Pietro Mennea, the third fastest man in history, Don Quarrie, the fastest man in the world from 1977, Silvio Leonard and the newly crowned Olympic 100 metres champion, Allan Wells. Random lane draw put the two semi-final winners on the outside, Leonard having the misfortune to draw lane 1, Mennea in lane 8. Wells was just inside of Mennea in 7 while Quarrie drew lane 4. Wells just eked into the final with a fourth place in his semi-final. Had timed qualification been involved, he only had the tenth fastest time in the semis.
Wells, who disliked using starting blocks but used them, was out fast, making up the stagger on Mennea 40 metres into the race. Coming off the turn Mennea was two metres back, behind both Leonard and Quarrie. Mennea accelerated down the straight edging closer to Wells with every step. He caught Wells five metres before the finish and continued past him for the win, regarded as one of the great comebacks in Olympic sprinting. Quarrie was able to outlean Leonard for the bronze.
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1980 Summer Olympics.
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