| 2021 | ||||
| (Tokyo, August 3; wind 0.8) | ||||
| 1. | Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) | 21.53 | ||
| 2. | Christine Mboma (Namibia) | 21.81 | WJR | |
| 3. | Gabby Thomas (USA) | 21.87 | ||
| 4. | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) | 21.94 | ||
| 5. | Marie Josée Ta Lou (Côte d’Ivoire) | 22.27 | ||
| 6. | Beatrice Masilingi (Namibia) | 22.28 | ||
| 7. | Mujinga Kambundji (Switzerland) | 22.30 | ||
| 8. | Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) | 24.00 | ||
| [Jenna Prandini (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Anavia Battle (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| 2016 | ||||
| (Rio de Janeiro, August 17; wind -0.1) | ||||
| 1 | Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) | 21.78 | ||
| 2 | Dafne Schippers (Netherlands) | 21.88 | ||
| 3 | Tori Bowie (USA) | 22.15 | ||
| 4 | Marie Josée Ta Lou (Côte d’Ivoire) | 22.21 | ||
| 5 | Dina Asher-Smith (Great Britain) | 22.31 | ||
| 6 | Michelle-Lee Ahye (Trinidad) | 22.34 | ||
| 7 | Deajah Stevens (USA) | 22.65 | ||
| 8 | Ivet Lalova-Collio (Bulgaria) | 22.69 | ||
| [Jenna Prandini (USA) 4th in semi (22.55)] | ||||
| 2012 | ||||
| (London, August 8; wind -0.2) | ||||
| 1 | Allyson Felix (USA) | 21.88 | ||
| 2 | Shelly-Ann Fraser (Jamaica) | 22.09 | ||
| 3 | Carmelita Jeter (USA) | 22.14 | ||
| 4 | Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) | 22.38 | ||
| 5 | Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) | 22.39 | ||
| 6 | Murielle Ahoure (Côte d’Ivoire) | 22.57 | ||
| 7 | Myriam Soumaré (France) | 22.63 | ||
| 8 | Semoy Hackett (Trinidad) | 22.87 | ||
| 2008 | ||||
| (Wind 0.6) | ||||
| 1 | Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) | 21.74 | ||
| 2 | Allyson Felix (USA) | 21.93 | ||
| 3 | Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) | 22.00 | ||
| 4 | Muna Lee (USA) | 22.01 | ||
| 5 | Marshevet Hooker (USA) | 22.34 | ||
| 6 | Sherone Simpson (Jamaica) | 22.36 | ||
| 7 | Debbie Ferguson McKenzie (Bahamas) | 22.61 | ||
| 8 | Cydonie Mothersill (Cayman Islands) | 22.68 | ||
| 2004 | ||||
| (Wind 0.8) | ||||
| 1 | Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) | 22.05 | ||
| 2 | Allyson Felix (USA) | 22.18 | ||
| 3 | Debbie Ferguson McKenzie (Bahamas) | 22.30 | ||
| 4 | Aleen Bailey (Jamaica) | 22.42 | ||
| 5 | Ivet Lalova (Bulgaria) | 22.57 | ||
| 6 | Kim Gaevert (Belgium) | 22.84 | ||
| =7 | Muna Lee (USA) | 22.87 | ||
| =7 | Abi Oyepitan (Great Britain) | 22.87 | ||
| [LaShaunte’a Moore (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| (Wind 0.7) | ||||
| 1 | Pauline Davis (Bahamas) | 22.27 | ||
| 2 | Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) | 22.28 | ||
| 3 | Beverly McDonald (Jamaica) | 22.35 | ||
| 4 | Debbie Ferguson McKenzie (Bahamas) | 22.37 | ||
| 5 | Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (Australia) | 22.42 | ||
| 6 | Cathy Freeman (Australia) | 22.53 | ||
| 7 | Zhanna Block (Ukraine) | 22.66 | ||
| doping dq—[1]Marion Jones (USA) [21.84] | ||||
| [Torri Edwards (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Nanceen Perry (USA) 8th in semi] | ||||
| 1996 | ||||
| (Wind 0.3) | ||||
| 1 | Marie-José Pérec (France) | 22.12 | ||
| 2 | Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) | 22.24 | ||
| 3 | Mary Onyali (Nigeria) | 22.38 | ||
| 4 | Inger Miller (USA) | 22.41 | ||
| 5 | Galina Malchugina (Russia) | 22.45 | ||
| 6 | Chandra Sturrup (Bahamas) | 22.54 | ||
| 7 | Juliet Cuthbert (Jamaica) | 22.60 | ||
| 8 | Carlette Guidry (USA) | 22.61 | ||
| [Dannette Young (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| (Wind –0.6) | ||||
| 1 | Gwen Torrence (USA) | 21.81 | ||
| 2 | Juliet Cuthbert (Jamaica) | 22.02 | ||
| 3 | Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) | 22.09 | ||
| 4 | Irina Privalova (Russia) | 22.19 | ||
| 5 | Carlette Guidry (USA) | 22.30 | ||
| 6 | Grace Jackson (Jamaica) | 22.58 | ||
| 7 | Michelle Finn (USA) | 22.61 | ||
| 8 | Galina Malchugina (Russia) | 22.63 | ||
| 1988 | ||||
| (Wind 1.3) | ||||
| 1 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | 21.34 | ||
| 2 | Grace Jackson (Jamaica) | 21.72 | ||
| 3 | Heike Drechsler (East Germany) | 21.95 | ||
| 4 | Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) | 21.99 | ||
| 5 | Silke Möller (East Germany) | 22.09 | ||
| 6 | Gwen Torrence (USA) | 22.17 | ||
| 7 | Maya Azarashvili (Soviet Union) | 22.33 | ||
| 8 | Galina Malchugina (Soviet Union) | 22.42 | ||
| [Pam Marshall (USA) DNF heat] | ||||
| [Griffith-Joyner 21.76 WR, OR {quarter}, 21.56 WR, OR {semi} | ||||
| 21.34 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1984 | ||||
| (Wind 1.1) | ||||
| 1 | Valerie Brisco (USA) | 21.81 | ||
| 2 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | 22.04 | ||
| 3 | Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) | 22.09 | ||
| 4 | Kathy Cook (Great Britain) | 22.10 | ||
| 5 | Grace Jackson (Jamaica) | 22.20 | ||
| 6 | Randy Givens (USA) | 22.36 | ||
| 7 | Rose-Aimée Bacoul (France) | 22.78 | ||
| 8 | Liliane Gaschet (France) | 22.86 | ||
| [Brisco 21.18 OR] | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| (Wind 1.5) | ||||
| 1 | Bärbel Wöckel (East Germany) | 22.03 | ||
| 2 | Natalya Bochina (Soviet Union) | 22.19 | ||
| 3 | Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) | 22.20 | ||
| 4 | Romy Müller (East Germany) | 22.47 | ||
| 5 | Kathy Cook (Great Britain) | 22.61 | ||
| 6 | Bev Callender (Great Britain) | 22.72 | ||
| 7 | Denise Boyd (Australia) | 22.76 | ||
| 8 | Sonia Lannaman (Great Britain) | 22.80 | ||
| [Bochina 22.26 OR {quarter}; Wöckel 22.03 OR] | ||||
| 1976 | ||||
| (Wind 0.0) | ||||
| 1 | Bärbel Wöckel (East Germany) | 22.37 | ||
| 2 | Annegret Richter (West Germany) | 22.39 | ||
| 3 | Renate Stecher (East Germany) | 22.47 | ||
| 4 | Carla Bodendorf (East Germany) | 22.64 | ||
| 5 | Inge Helten (West Germany) | 22.68 | ||
| 6 | Tatyana Prorochenko (Soviet Union) | 23.03 | ||
| 7 | Denise Boyd (Australia) | 23.05 | ||
| 8 | Chantal Réga (France) | 23.09 | ||
| [Debra Armstrong (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Chandra Cheeseborough (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Brenda Morehead (USA) injured in 100] | ||||
| [Wöckel 22.37 OR] | ||||
| 1972 | ||||
| (Wind 1.1) | ||||
| 1 | Renate Stecher (East Germany) | 22.40 | ||
| 2 | Raelene Boyle (Australia) | 22.45 | ||
| 3 | Irena Szewińska (Poland) | 22.74 | ||
| 4 | Ellen Streidt (East Germany) | 22.75 | ||
| =5 | Annegret Kroniger (West Germany) | 22.89 | ||
| =5 | Christina Heinich (East Germany) | 22.89 | ||
| 7 | Alice Annum (Ghana) | 22.99 | ||
| 8 | Rose Allwood (Jamaica) | 23.11 | ||
| [Jackie Thompson (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Barbara Ferrell (USA) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Pam Greene (USA) 5th in quarter] | ||||
| [Stecher 22.40 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1968 | ||||
| (Wind 2.0; altitude-aided) | ||||
| 1 | Irena Szewińska (Poland) | 22.5 | (22.58) | |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle (Australia) | 22.7 | (22.73) | |
| 3 | Jennifer Lamy (Australia) | 23.1 | (22.88) | |
| 4 | Barbara Ferrell (USA) | 22.9 | (22.92) | |
| 5 | Nicole Montandon (France) | 23.0 | (23.08) | |
| 6 | Wyomia Tyus (USA) | 23.0 | (23.08) | |
| 7 | Margaret Bailes (USA) | 23.1 | (23.18) | |
| 8 | Jutta Stöck (West Germany) | 23.2 | (23.25) | |
| [Boyle 23.0 (23.09) =OR {heat}; Ferrell 22.9 (22.94) OR {heat}; | ||||
| Boyle 22.9 (22.95) =OR {semi}; Ferrell 22.8 (22.87) OR {semi}; | ||||
| Szewinska 22.5 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1964 | ||||
| (Wind 0.8) | ||||
| 1 | Edith McGuire (USA) | 23.0 | (23.05) | |
| 2 | Irena Szewińska (Poland) | 23.1 | (23.13) | |
| 3 | Marilyn Black (Australia) | 23.1 | (23.18) | |
| 4 | Una Morris (Jamaica) | 23.5 | (23.58) | |
| 5 | Lyudmila Samotyosova (Soviet Union) | 23.5 | (23.59) | |
| 6 | Barbara Sobotta (Poland) | 23.9 | (23.97) | |
| 7 | Janet Simpson (Great Britain) | 23.9 | (23.98) | |
| 8 | Daphne Arden (Great Britain) | 24.0 | (24.01) | |
| [Vivian Brown (USA) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Debbie Thompson (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [McGuire 23.0 OR] | ||||
| 1960 | ||||
| (Headwind) | ||||
| 1 | Wilma Rudolph (USA) | 24.0 | (24.13) | |
| 2 | Jutta Heine (West Germany) | 24.4 | (24.58) | |
| 3 | Dorothy Hyman (Great Britain) | 24.7 | (24.82) | |
| 4 | Mariya Itkina (Soviet Union) | 24.7 | (24.85) | |
| 5 | Barbara Sobotta (Poland) | 24.8 | (24.96) | |
| 6 | Giuseppina Leone (Italy) | 24.9 | (25.00) | |
| [Lucinda Williams (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Ernestine Pollards (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Rudolph 23.2 (23.30) OR {heat}] | ||||
| 1956 | ||||
| (Wind legal) | ||||
| 1 | Betty Cuthbert (Australia) | 23.4 | (23.55) | |
| 2 | Christa Stubnick (East Germany) | 23.7 | (23.89) | |
| 3 | Marlene Matthews (Australia) | 23.8 | (24.10) | |
| 4 | Norma Croker (Australia) | 24.0 | (24.22) | |
| 5 | June Paul (Great Britain) | 24.3 | (24.30) | |
| 6 | Gisela Köhler (East Germany) | 24.3 | (24.68) | |
| [Mae Faggs (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Wilma Rudolph (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Meredith Ellis (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Cuthbert 23.4 =OR] | ||||
| 1952 | ||||
| (Wind legal) | ||||
| 1 | Marjorie Jackson (Australia) | 23.7 | (23.89) | |
| 2 | Bertha Brouwer (Holland) | 24.2 | (24.25) | |
| 3 | Nadyezhda Khnykina (Soviet Union) | 24.2 | (24.37) | |
| 4 | Winsome Cripps (Australia) | 24.2 | (24.41) | |
| 5 | Helga Klein (West Germany) | 24.6 | (24.71) | |
| 6 | Daphne Hasenjäger (South Africa) | 24.6 | (24.72) | |
| [Catherine Hardy (USA) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Mae Faggs (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Dolores Dwyer (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Khnykina 24.3 (24.47) =OR {heat}; Jackson 23.6 (23.73) =WR, OR | ||||
| {heat}, 23.4 (23.59) WR, OR {semi}] | ||||
| 1948 | ||||
| (Wind legal) | ||||
| 1 | Fanny Blankers-Koen (Holland) | 24.4 | ||
| 2 | Audrey Williamson (Great Britain) | 25.1 | (0.80 back) | |
| 3 | Audrey Patterson (USA) | 25.2 | (0.86) | |
| 4 | Shirley de la Hunty (Australia) | 25.2 | (0.85) | |
| 5 | Margaret Walker (Great Britain) | 25.4 | (1.19) | |
| 6 | Daphne Hasenjäger (South Africa) | 24.6 | (1.25) | |
| [Mae Faggs (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Nell Jackson (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Blankers-Koen 25.7 OR {heat}; Cynthia Thompson (Jamaica) 25.6 | ||||
| OR {heat}; Hasenjäger 25.3 OR {heat}; Blankers-Koen 24.3 | ||||
| OR {semi}] | ||||
| 1936 | ||||
| (not contested before 1948) |