| Event: | Men's 200 metres |
| Competition: | 1978 European Athletics Championships |
| Venue: | Stadion Evžena Rošického |
| Location: | Prague |
| Competitors: | 26 |
| Nations: | 15 |
| Win Value: | 20.16 |
| Gold: | Pietro Mennea |
| Goldnoc: | ITA |
| Silver: | Olaf Prenzler |
| Silvernoc: | SUI |
| Bronze: | Peter Muster |
| Bronzenoc: | GDR |
| Previous: | 1974 |
| Next: | 1982 |
The men's 200 metres at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 31 August, and 1 September 1978.[1]
The winning margin was 0.45 seconds. With the conclusion of the 2024 championships, this remains the greatest winning margin in the men's 200 metres at these championships, a feat which was equalled in 2012 by Churandy Martina of the Netherlands.
According to an unofficial count, 26 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.
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(1)31 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 20.70 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 21.01 | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 21.13 | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 21.16 | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 21.17 | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 21.36 | ||
| Wind: +0.5 m/s | ||||||
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 20.97 | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 21.32 | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 21.34 | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 21.36 | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 21.39 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 21.48 | ||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 21.80 | ||
| Wind: -1.5 m/s | ||||||
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 20.78 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 20.98 | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 21.18 | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 21.48 | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 21.50 | |||
| align=left | align=left | | ||||
| Wind: -0.2 m/s | ||||||
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 20.82 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 20.96 | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 20.97 | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 21.04 | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 21.24 | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 21.27 | ||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 21.47 | |||
| Wind: +0.2 m/s | ||||||
31 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 20.40 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 20.63 | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 20.64 | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 20.69 | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 20.74 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 21.08 | ||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 21.19 | ||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 21.59 | |||
| Wind: -0.2 m/s | ||||||
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 20.96 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 20.96 | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 21.08 | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 21.10 | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 21.24 | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 21.28 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 21.59 | ||
| align=left | align=left | DNF | ||||
| Wind: 0.0 m/s | ||||||
1 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | align=left | | 20.16 | |||
| align=left | align=left | 20.61 | ||||
| align=left | align=left | 20.64 | ||||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 20.68 | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 20.70 | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 20.74 | ||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 20.87 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 20.92 | |||
| Wind: -0.2 m/s | ||||||