Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres sprint event at the 1948 Olympic Games took place between 2 August and 3 August. The final was won by American Mel Patton.Records
Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.
Schedule
All times are British Summer Time
| Date | Time | Round |
| Monday, 2 August 1948 | 14:30
16:15 | Round 1
Round 2 |
| Tuesday, 3 August 1948 | 15:30
17:15 | Semifinals
Finals |
Results
Round 1
The fastest two runners in each of the twelve heats advanced to Round 2.
Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Herb McKenley | | 21.3 | |
| 2 | Ted Haggis | | 22.2 | |
| 3 | Haukur Clausen | | 22.2 | |
| 4 | Stanley Lines | | | |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Paul Vallé | | 22.3 | |
| 2 | John De Saram | | 23.1 | |
| 3 | Bernabe Lovina | | 23.2 | |
| 4 | Stefanos Petrakis | | | |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Rafael Fortún | | 21.9 | |
| 2 | Dennis Shore | | 22.1 | |
| 3 | António Morais | | 22.6 | |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Barney Ewell | | 21.6 | |
| 2 | Abram van Heerden | | 21.8 | |
| 3 | Angel García | | 22.2 | |
| 4 | Fernand Linssen | | | |
| 5 | Hazzard Dill | | | |
| 6 | Ali Salman | | | |
Heat 5
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Julien Lebas | | 22.0 | |
| 2 | Rosalvo Ramos | | 22.2 | |
| 3 | Basil McKenzie | | 22.4 | |
Heat 6
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mel Patton | | 21.6 | |
| 2 | Leslie Laing | | 21.8 | |
| 3 | Guillermo Geary | | 23.0 | |
| 4 | Duncan White | | | |
Heat 7
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Gerardo Bönnhoff | | 22.2 | |
| 2 | John Fairgrieve | | 22.2 | |
| 3 | Raúl Mazorra | | 23.0 | |
| 4 | Kemal Aksur | | | |
| 5 | Guillermo Rodríguez | | | |
Heat 8
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Cliff Bourland | | 21.3 | |
| 2 | Aroldo da Silva | | 21.9 | |
| 3 | Georgie Lewis | | 22.4 | |
| 4 | Walter Pérez | | | |
| 5 | Peter Bloch | | | |
Heat 9
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Treloar | | 21.7 | |
| 2 | Muhammad Sharif Butt | | 22.8 | |
| 3 | Raşit Öztaş | | 23.0 | |
| 4 | Perry Johnson | | | |
Heat 10
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Alastair McCorquodale | | 22.3 | |
| 2 | Santiago Ferrando | | 22.5 | |
| 3 | Fernand Bourgaux | | 22.9 | |
| 4 | Étienne Bally | | | |
Heat 11
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Juan López | | 22.1 | |
| 2 | Ivan Hausen | | 22.2 | |
| 3 | Gabe Scholten | | 22.2 | |
| 4 | Maung Sein Pe | | | |
Heat 12
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lloyd La Beach | | 21.4 | |
| 2 | Jan Lammers | | 22.0 | |
| 3 | Don Pettie | | 22.0 | |
| 4 | Mario Fayos | | | |
| 5 | Joseph Stéphan | | | |
Round 2
The fastest three runners in each of the four heats advanced to the semifinal round.
Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Herb McKenley | | 21.3 | |
| 2 | Barney Ewell | | 21.8 | |
| 3 | Paul Vallé | | 22.1 | |
| 4 | Jan Lammers | | | |
| 5 | Julien Lebas | | | |
| 6 | Rosalvo Ramos | | | |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Cliff Bourland | | 21.3 | |
| 2 | John Treloar | | 21.5 | |
| 3 | Aroldo da Silva | | 22.0 | |
| 4 | Gerardo Bönnhoff | | | |
| 5 | Dennis Shore | | | |
| 6 | John De Saram | | | |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lloyd La Beach | | 21.7 | |
| 2 | Leslie Laing | | 21.8 | |
| 3 | Abram van Heerden | | 22.9 | |
| 4 | John Fairgrieve | | | |
| 5 | Santiago Ferrando | | | |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mel Patton | | 21.4 | |
| 2 | Alastair McCorquodale | | 21.8 | |
| 3 | Rafael Fortún | | 22.0 | |
| 4 | Ivan Hausen | | 22.3 | |
| 5 | Ted Haggis | | | |
| 6 | Muhammad Sharif Butt | | | |
Semifinals
The fastest three runners in each of the two heats advanced to the final round.
Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Herb McKenley | | 21.4 | |
| 2 | Mel Patton | | 21.6 | |
| 3 | Barney Ewell | | 21.8 | |
| 4 | Aroldo da Silva | | | |
| 5 | Abram van Heerden | | | |
| 6 | Paul Vallé | | | |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Cliff Bourland | | 21.5 | |
| 2 | Lloyd La Beach | | 21.6 | |
| 3 | Leslie Laing | | 21.6 | |
| 4 | John Treloar | | | |
| 5 | Alastair McCorquodale | | | |
| 6 | Rafael Fortún | | | |
Final
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| Mel Patton | | 21.1 | |
| Barney Ewell | | 21.1 | |
| Lloyd La Beach | | 21.2 | |
| 4 | Herb McKenley | | 21.3 | * |
| 5 | Cliff Bourland | | 21.3 | * |
| 6 | Leslie Laing | | 21.8 | * |
Key: * = Time is an estimate
