Yes, that is not a typo in the headline. Michael Marsh ran 19.73 (-0.2) in the semi-finals with such ease, that he let up 10 meters before the finish. No doubt if he continued all the way, he would have broken Pietro Mennea’s 19.72(A) world record set on Sept 12, 1979 in Mexico City, one of the oldest records in the books at that time. There were even allegations that Pietro ran on the line, which would have disqualified him according to the IAAF rules.
Of course, Mike tried too hard in the Finals, and ran 20.01 (the wind had picked up to a -1.0 headwind) with a look of disappointment after he crossed the finish line. He won a Gold Medal and looked disappointed!
He would later be on the WR USA 4x100m relay team in 37.40, a time that still stands today.
[...] Sometimes the great performances are not held in the finals, like Mike Marsh’s 200m 19.73 seconds semi-final in Barcelona ‘92. [...]