Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres

{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = Women's 200 metres

|games = 1972 Summer

|image =

|caption =

|venue = Olympic Stadium

|dates = September 4 & 7, 1972

|competitors = 37

|nations = 27

|win_value = 22.40 {{WR|athletics}}

|longnames = yes

|gold = Renate Stecher

|goldNOC = GDR

|silver = Raelene Boyle

|silverNOC = AUS

|bronze = Irena Szewińska

|bronzeNOC = POL

|prev=1968

|next=1976

}}

{{AthleticsAt1972SummerOlympics}}

The women's 200 metres sprint event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 4 & 7.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/womens-200-metres.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173939/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/womens-200-metres.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Athletics at the 1972 Munich Summer Games: Women's 200 metres |access-date=13 July 2017 |work=Sports Reference}} The favorite would have been Republic of China's Chi Cheng, who set world records in the 200 meters and 220 yards distances in 1970. She suffered a career ending injury at the end of 1970. An attempted surgery in 1971 failed. The top three ranked women in the world in 1971, were the three women on the podium in Munich -- European Champion Renate Stecher (GDR) who won by 0.05 seconds, Commonwealth Champion Raelene Boyle (AUS), and the defending Champion Irena Szewinska of Poland.