[2] Owens thus reached 3 gold medals in 1936 (along with the 100 metres and long jump), with the sprint relay still to come.

The Netherlands earned its first medal in the men's 200 metres with Tinus Osendarp's bronze.

The United States made its ninth appearance, the only nation to have competed at each edition of the 200 metres to date.

The competition used the four round format introduced in 1920: heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final.

[3][1] Jesse Owens set a new Olympic record in the third heat, running in 21.1 seconds.