100 metres at the Olympics
hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
100 metres at the Olympic Games | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Sport | Athletics |
Gender | Men and women |
Years held | Men: 1896 – 2020 Women: 1928 – 2020 |
Reigning champion | |
Men | Marcell Jacobs (ITA) |
Women | Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) |
The 100 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 100 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. The 100 metres is considered one of the blue ribbon events of the Olympics and is among the highest profile competitions at the games. It is the most prestigious 100 m race at elite level and is the shortest sprinting competition at the Olympics – a position it has held at every edition except for a brief period between 1900 and 1904, when a men's 60 metres was contested.[1]
The first Olympic champions were Thomas Burke in the men's category and, 32 years later, Betty Robinson in the women's category. The Olympic records for the event are 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2012, and 10.61 seconds, set by Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2021.[2][3][4] The world records for the event have been equalled or broken during the Olympics on seven occasions in the men's category and on twelve occasions in the women's.[citation needed]
Among the competing nations, the United States has had the most success in this event, having won sixteen golds in the men's race and nine in the women's race. Usain Bolt of Jamaica has won three consecutive titles (2008–16). Five other athletes have won back-to-back titles: Wyomia Tyus (1964–68), Carl Lewis (1984–88), Gail Devers (1992–96), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2008–12), and Elaine Thompson-Herah (2016-2020). Merlene Ottey is the only athlete to win three medals without winning gold, with one silver and two bronze medals.[5][6]
Many athletes that compete in this event also compete individually in the Olympic 200 metres and with their national teams in the Olympic 4×100 metres relay. Nine men have achieved the 100 metres and 200 metres 'Double' at the same Olympic Games - Archie Hahn (1904), Ralph Craig (1912), Percy Williams (1928), Eddie Tolan (1932), Jesse Owens (1936), Bobby Morrow (1956), Valeriy Borzov (1972), Carl Lewis (1984), and Usain Bolt (2008, 2012, 2016). Four of these men were also members of the winning team in the 4x100 meters relay at the same games - Jesse Owens (1936), Bobby Morrow (1956), Carl Lewis (1984), and Usain Bolt (2012, 2016). Two of these men have won a fourth gold medal at the same games - Archie Hahn in the now defunct 60 metres, and both Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis in the long jump.
Seven women have achieved the 100 metres and 200 metres 'Double' at the same Olympic Games - Fanny Blankers-Koen (1948), Marjorie Jackson (1952), Betty Cuthbert (1956), Wilma Rudolph (1960), Renate Stecher (1972), Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988), and Elaine Thompson-Herah (2016). Four of these women were also members of the winning team in the 4x100 meters relay at the same games - Fanny Blankers-Koen (1948), Betty Cuthbert (1956), Wilma Rudolph (1960), and Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988). Fanny Blankers-Koen is the only one of these women to win four gold medals at the same games by winning the 80 metres hurdles in 1948.
Competition format[]
The Olympic 100 metres competitions are carried out under standard international rules, as set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The races are segregated by gender, with one for men and one for women.[7] The 100 m is usually held at the beginning of the Olympic athletics programme as this allows athletes to compete in other events held later at the games – many 100 m athletes also compete in the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay events.[8]
Traditionally there are four rounds of competition: heats, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Prior to 1964, finals featured six athletes.[9] For all Olympic competitions from 1964 onwards—allowing for a sufficient number of athletes being present—each race features eight runners.[10] Athletes are seeded by past performance to ensure an even balance of quality across the heats and allow the best runners to progress to the later stages. Usually in the first two rounds the top three runners progress to the next stage. A small number of other athletes also progress as the fastest non-qualifiers (or "fastest losers") through a repechage system. Prior to 2012, the semi-finals stage comprised two races of eight athletes and the top four finishers in each race (regardless of time) were entered into the final.[11]
Several amendments were made to the competition format in 2012. Any participant not in possession of an Olympic qualifying standard time is entered into the preliminary round. Qualifiers in this round progress to the first round proper. The semi-finals stage is divided into three races: the top two progress to the final by right and the two fastest non-qualifiers complete the eight finalists. Changes to the international false start rules were also introduced – any validly recorded reaction time to the starter's pistol of below 0.1 seconds will result in instant disqualification.[11] At the 2004 and 2008 Olympics one false start was allowed per race, with any subsequent false start resulting in disqualification for the offending athletes. At Olympics prior to 2004 each athlete was allowed one false start, with a second false start leading to removal from the field.[12][13]
The top three finishers in the final are awarded a gold, silver and bronze medal, respectively. If runners cannot be separated by their time (recorded to one hundredth of a second) further analysis is used to distinguish their times to the thousandth of a second. In the 2008 Women's 100 m final the minor medallists Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart could not be separated by this method and were both awarded the silver medal.[14] Medal positions in a 100 m race have only been shared on one other occasion in Olympic history: Alajos Szokolyi and Francis Lane were joint third at the 1896 men's final.[15]
Participation[]
Starting with 15 men from eight nations at the inaugural 1896 Olympic 100 m, participation in the event reached its peak at the 2000 Sydney Games, where 179 male and female athletes from 100 nations were present. The number of competitors and nations in the event has seen an increasing historical trend. This increase has been mostly linear, though participation was affected by the Olympic boycotts of 1976, 1980 and 1984. The linear trend stopped after the 2000 peak and has steadily decreased in subsequent Summer Olympics.[5][6]
Year | Men "A" | Men "B" | Women "A" | Women "B" |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 10.27 | 10.40 | 11.40 | 11.60 |
2004 | 10.21 | 10.28 | 11.30 | 11.40 |
2008 | 10.21 | 10.28 | 11.32 | 11.42 |
2012 | 10.18 | 10.24 | 11.29 | 11.38 |
2016 | 10.16 | N/A | 11.32 | N/A |
2020/2021 | 10.05 | N/A | 11.12 | N/A |
Men's participation reached its highest at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which featured 104 men from 75 nations. Women's participation began in 1928, with 31 women from 13 nations competing, and reached an all-time high at the 2008 Beijing Games, which had 85 women representing 69 nations. The 2008 and 2012 editions reversed the historical gender bias towards male participation, as women outnumbered men at the Olympic 100 m for the first time.[5][6]
As the governing body for the sport of athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) applies qualifying standards to the competition. This aims to encourage high level performances at the Olympic Games and contain the number of potential entries (the IAAF aims to cap Olympic participation in athletics events at 2000 athletes). There are two types of qualifying standard: the "A" standard and the "B" standard. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter up to three athletes who have obtained the "A" standard, or one athlete with the "B" standard. If a NOC has no qualifying athletes in any Olympic athletic event, it may enter one non-qualified athlete – the 100 m is a frequent choice for this type of entry given the brevity of the event. Athletes must achieve the qualifying time without wind-assistance at an officially authorised event within a certain time period, which typically begins from the year prior to the Olympics and extends up to three weeks before the games. The IAAF prohibits entrants who do not reach the age of sixteen in that Olympic year, but there is no upper age limit. The IAAF qualifying standards for the 100 m have become progressively more stringent since 2000.[16][17][18][19]
On top of IAAF standards, national governing bodies may apply their own participation restrictions. These principally come in four forms: stricter national qualifying times, reduced time periods for qualifying performances,[20] performances in the event at a national Olympic trials, and decisions of national selection committees. Smaller nations do not typically apply these additional criteria due to the smaller numbers of sprinters eligible to compete. Larger nations, and nations with strong traditions in sprinting, often have long-running histories of Olympic 100 m trials (such as at the United States Olympic Trials). Participation for a country also demands that the athlete hold respective citizenship and is not subject to a competitive ban through anti-doping rules.[21]
World Athletics in 2019 announced that, following the inauguration of their World Rankings platform, that in addition to those who achieved the Olympic standard, placing in the top 32 of the rankings will serve as a qualification method for athletes. (For example, if someone comes 3rd in the 100m finals of their national championships in 10.14, if he is 22nd in the World Rankings, he has qualified for the games).
Year | No. of men |
Nations (men) |
No. of women |
Nations (women) |
Total athletes |
Total nations |
Men's champion | Women's champion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896[15] | 15 | 8 | N/A | N/A | 15 | 8 | Thomas Burke (USA) | N/A |
1900[22] | 20 | 9 | N/A | N/A | 20 | 9 | Frank Jarvis (USA) | N/A |
1904[23] | 11 | 3 | N/A | N/A | 11 | 3 | Archie Hahn (USA) | N/A |
1908[24] | 60 | 16 | N/A | N/A | 60 | 16 | Reggie Walker (RSA) | N/A |
1912[25] | 70 | 22 | N/A | N/A | 70 | 22 | Ralph Craig (USA) | N/A |
1920[26] | 61 | 23 | N/A | N/A | 61 | 23 | Charlie Paddock (USA) | N/A |
1924[27] | 86 | 34 | N/A | N/A | 86 | 34 | Harold Abrahams (GBR) | N/A |
1928[28][29] | 81 | 33 | 31 | 13 | 107 | 35 | Percy Williams (CAN) | Betty Robinson (USA) |
1932[30][31] | 33 | 17 | 20 | 10 | 51 | 19 | Eddie Tolan (USA) | Stanisława Walasiewicz (POL) |
1936[32][33] | 61 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 91 | 33 | Jesse Owens (USA) | Helen Stephens (USA) |
1948[34][35] | 61 | 33 | 38 | 21 | 99 | 39 | Harrison Dillard (USA) | Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED) |
1952[36][37] | 70 | 33 | 56 | 27 | 126 | 41 | Lindy Remigino (USA) | Marjorie Jackson (AUS) |
1956[38][39] | 63 | 31 | 34 | 16 | 97 | 34 | Bobby Morrow (USA) | Betty Cuthbert (AUS) |
1960[9][40] | 59 | 45 | 31 | 18 | 90 | 50 | Armin Hary (EUA) | Wilma Rudolph (USA) |
1964[10][41] | 71 | 49 | 44 | 27 | 115 | 56 | Bob Hayes (USA) | Wyomia Tyus (USA) |
1968[42][43] | 63 | 42 | 42 | 22 | 105 | 48 | Jim Hines (USA) | Wyomia Tyus (USA) |
1972[44][45] | 83 | 55 | 47 | 33 | 130 | 68 | Valeriy Borzov (URS) | Renate Stecher (GDR) |
1976[46][47] | 61 | 40 | 39 | 22 | 100 | 45 | Hasely Crawford (TRI) | Annegret Richter (FRG) |
1980[48][49] | 63 | 41 | 40 | 25 | 103 | 46 | Allan Wells (GBR) | Lyudmila Kondratyeva (URS) |
1984[50][51] | 80 | 59 | 46 | 33 | 126 | 68 | Carl Lewis (USA) | Evelyn Ashford (USA) |
1988[52][53] | 100 | 69 | 64 | 42 | 164 | 85 | Carl Lewis (USA) | Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) |
1992[54][55] | 79 | 66 | 54 | 41 | 133 | 86 | Linford Christie (GBR) | Gail Devers (USA) |
1996[56][57] | 104 | 75 | 56 | 38 | 160 | 89 | Donovan Bailey (CAN) | Gail Devers (USA) |
2000[58][59] | 95 | 71 | 84 | 63 | 179 | 100 | Maurice Greene (USA) | Vacated[60] |
2004[61][62] | 80 | 62 | 63 | 51 | 143 | 89 | Justin Gatlin (USA) | Yulia Nestsiarenka (BLR) |
2008[63][64] | 78 | 64 | 85 | 69 | 163 | 96 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM) |
2012[65][66] | 72 | 61 | 79 | 65 | 151 | 92 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) |
2016 | 84 | 57 | 80 | 56 | 164 | 82 | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Elaine Thompson (JAM) |
2020 | Marcell Jacobs (ITA) | Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) |
- Data notes
- Numbers do not include non-starting athletes. There have been two Olympic 100 m non-starters: Estonia's Reinhold Saulmann in 1920, and Kim Collins in 2012 – the latter was banned from competing by the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee for defying their orders and leaving the Olympic camp to stay with his wife.[67]
- Nations are above defined as the competing Olympic team as opposed to athletes' legal nationalities – the various Unified teams and Independent Olympian teams are thus each treated as one nation at that Olympic Games.
Biological factors[]
Age[]
The 100 m requires a high level of athleticism and as a result most of the participants in the Olympics are aged between 18 and 35 – which is roughly contiguous with the period of peak physical fitness in humans.[68] Consequently, the vast majority of participants in the Olympic 100 m fall within this age range.[65][66] As of 2020, the qualification rules prohibit athletes younger than 16 at the end of the year of the Games.[69]
The record for the youngest athlete to participate in the Olympic 100 m is held by Katura Marae, who was 14 when she represented Vanuatu at the 2004 Athens Olympics.[70] Merlene Ottey holds the records for both the oldest participant and the oldest medallist, having won bronze at age 40 in 2000 and reached the Olympic semi-finals four years later. (Ottey is also the most frequent participant having competed in the Olympic 100 m an unrivalled six times from 1984 to 2004).[71] The first women's champion, Betty Robinson in 1928, remains the youngest gold medallist for the event at 16 years old,[72] while a 32-year-old Linford Christie became the oldest 100 m Olympic champion in 1992.[73]
Distinction | Male athlete | Age | Female athlete | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|
Youngest champion | Reggie Walker | 19 years, 4 months, 6 days[74] | Betty Robinson | 16 years, 11 months, 8 days[72] |
Youngest medallist | Donald Lippincott | 18 years, 7 months, 21 days[75] | Betty Robinson | 16 years, 11 months, 8 days[72] |
Youngest participant | Alphonse Yanghat | 15 years, 3 months, 27 days[76] | Katura Marae | 14 years, 8 months, 17 days[70] |
Oldest champion | Linford Christie | 32 years, 3 months, 30 days[73] | Fanny Blankers-Koen | 30 years, 3 months, 7 days[77] |
Oldest medallist | Linford Christie | 32 years, 3 months, 30 days[73] | Merlene Ottey | 40 years, 4 months, 14 days[71] |
Oldest participant | Stefan Burkart | 38 years, 10 months, 14 days[78] | Merlene Ottey | 44 years, 4 months, 11 days[71] |
Gender[]
Since introduction of testing by the IAAF in the early-20th century, female sprinters may be subject to gender verification. This rule was first formally applied to the 100 m at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.[79] No 100 m sprinter has been publicly barred at an Olympic competition. However, there have been historic cases involving two women's medallists: 1932 champion Stanisława Walasiewicz and 1964 bronze medallist Ewa Kłobukowska, both of Poland. Walasiewicz endured accusations during her career due to her appearance, but was never subject to a test.[80] An autopsy following her death in a shooting revealed ambiguous genitalia.[81] Walasiewicz accused Helen Stephens (who beat her in the 1936 final) of being male and, despite there being no relevant rules on the matter, officials performed a physical examination of Stephens' external genitalia and concluded that she was female. Kłobukowska was not tested at the Olympics, thus did not lose her Olympic medals, but was subsequently disqualified at the 1967 European Cup on the basis of having a chromosomal mosaic.[80][82] Intersex athletes are restricted from competition in the 100 m without having undergone surgery and hormonal therapy, as a result of the 2003 Stockholm consensus ruling by the IOC.[83]
Race[]
Olympic 100 m medallists in the early editions of the Modern Olympic Games were principally white, Western sprinters of European descent, largely reflecting the make up of the nations that took part. As the Olympic competition began to attract wider international participation, athletes with African heritage began to reach the 100 m Olympic podium, particularly African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans.[84]
Eddie Tolan became the first non-white winner of the event in 1932 and this signified the start of a prolonged period of success by black male sprinters; since 1932 only five men's Olympic champions in the event have not had significant African heritage. The women's event was dominated by runners of European descent until Wilma Rudolph won the title in 1960. Soviet and German women returned to the podium in the period from 1972 to 1980, but since then African-American and Jamaican women have won the great majority of 100 m medals.[84] Dominance in the men's event has been particularly pronounced from 1984 to 2016, during which time all the men's Olympic 100 m finalists have been of African heritage.[85] In the 2020 games, Su Bingtian became the first athlete without African heritage to reach the final since 1984.
Most commentators attribute this statistical discrepancy to genetic rather than to cultural factors.[86][87][88]
Doping[]
All athletes who participate in the Olympic 100 m competition are subject to the World Anti-Doping Code –the IAAF and International Olympic Committee (IOC) are both signatories. Mandatory in-competition drug testing was introduced at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[89]
One of the most prominent cases of doping at the Olympics, and in sport as a whole, occurred during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Ben Johnson entered the race as the reigning 100 metres world record holder and won the Olympic final, raising his arm in victory, in a new world record of 9.79 seconds to much fanfare. Soon after being awarded the gold medal the results of his post-race drug test revealed his urine contained traces of stanozolol (a banned steroid).[90] Johnson later admitted to doping, but he and his coach Charlie Francis still claimed he had his drink spiked at the Olympics, as Johnson was taking a different type of steroid at the time.[91] The positive test had long-lasting effects on public perception of the sport and advanced the case for more stringent drug testing. The Canadian government launched an investigation into drugs in sport, known as the Dubin Inquiry, the following year.[92] The 1988 Olympic men's 100 metres final has been referred to as "the dirtiest race in history", as only two of the eight finalists remained free of doping issues during their careers.[93]
Ekaterini Thanou, the 2000 women's silver medallist, was barred from the 2004 Athens Olympics after failing to attend a pre-competition drugs test (her third consecutive missed test). The Greek sprinter and her teammate Kostas Kenteris were convicted of staging a motorcycle crash to avoid the test, but this was overturned on appeal. Her doping ban remained as they admitted to having missed the tests.[94] Tameka Williams was banned from competing in the 100 m at the 2012 Olympics when, at the Olympic village, she admitted to the Saint Kitts and Nevis management team that she had been ingesting a banned substance.[95] Bulgaria's Tezdzhan Naimova had her 2008 Olympic performance annulled and received a two-year ban after it was proved that she had tampered with her drug test a month prior to the competition.[96]
Another high-profile doping case involved the 2000 Olympic women's 100 m champion Marion Jones, though no doping infractions occurred during the Olympics. Having been one of the stars of the games—she won three gold and two bronze medals in track and field events—Jones was later implicated in doping through the BALCO scandal. She lied to federal agents and a grand jury during questioning around the scandal, but later admitted in 2007 to using Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) during the period of her Olympic success.[97] The IOC annulled all her Olympic results, including her 100 m title. Given that the 2000 women's runner-up Ekaterini Thanou had herself been banned for drug usage, the IOC chose not to upgrade her to the gold medal position, but rather leave the position vacant.[98] Working around the dilemma, the IOC decided to raise bronze medallist Tayna Lawrence to joint silver and fourth-placed Merlene Ottey to the bronze medal position.[99]
In spite of the relatively few occasions in which 100 m sprinters have failed doping tests at the Olympics, numerous Olympic sprinters have been banned outside the competition or implicated otherwise, including many medallists. Two-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis had a positive drug test for stimulants at the US Olympic trials. The United States Olympic Committee accepted his claim of inadvertent use, since a dietary supplement he ingested was found to contain "Ma huang", the Chinese name for Ephedra (ephedrine is known to help weight loss).[100] The 1992 Olympic champion Linford Christie was banned for nandrolone later in his career.[101] Angel Guillermo Heredia accused the 2000 Olympic champion Maurice Greene of doping; Greene denied this but admitted to paying for "stuff" for his training mates.[102] Justin Gatlin, the men's gold medallist in 2004, served a doping suspension both before and after his Olympic win, and returned to the podium at the 2012 Olympics.[103] The men's runner-up in 2012, Yohan Blake, was banned for consuming a stimulant in 2009.[104]
On the women's side, the Olympic 100 m was affected by state-sponsored doping in East Germany. Stasi documents released after the fall of the Berlin Wall revealed extensive drug usage by Olympic sprinters, including the 1976 and 1980 silver medallists Renate Stecher and Marlies Göhr, as well as the 1988 bronze medallist Heike Drechsler.[105][106] Shelly-Ann Fraser, twice Olympic champion, received a six-month ban in 2010 for taking a prohibited narcotic for pain relief.[107] A similar system was in place in the Soviet Union with major revelations concerning the Soviet state-sponsored doping program in preparation for the 1984 Olympics coming to light in 2016.[108] The 2008 runner-up Sherone Simpson was banned in 2013 after a positive test for a stimulant and two-time bronze medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown failed a test for a diuretic that same year.[109] A fourth Jamaican medallist, Merlene Ottey, received a ban for the steroid nandrolone in 1999 but this was rescinded on appeal due to laboratory errors.[110][111]
Medal summary[]
Men[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens |
Thomas Burke (USA) | Fritz Hofmann (GER) | Francis Lane (USA) Alajos Szokolyi (HUN) |
1900 Paris |
Frank Jarvis (USA) | Walter Tewksbury (USA) | Stan Rowley (AUS) |
1904 St. Louis |
Archie Hahn (USA) | Nathaniel Cartmell (USA) | William Hogenson (USA) |
1908 London |
Reggie Walker (RSA) | James Rector (USA) | Robert Kerr (CAN) |
1912 Stockholm |
Ralph Craig (USA) | Alvah Meyer (USA) | Donald Lippincott (USA) |
1920 Antwerp |
Charley Paddock (USA) | Morris Kirksey (USA) | Harry Edward (GBR) |
1924 Paris |
Harold Abrahams (GBR) | Jackson Scholz (USA) | Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt (NZL) |
1928 Amsterdam |
Percy Williams (CAN) | Jack London (GBR) | Georg Lammers (GER) |
1932 Los Angeles |
Eddie Tolan (USA) | Ralph Metcalfe (USA) | Arthur Jonath (GER) |
1936 Berlin |
Jesse Owens (USA) | Ralph Metcalfe (USA) | Tinus Osendarp (NED) |
1948 London |
Harrison Dillard (USA) | Barney Ewell (USA) | Lloyd La Beach (PAN) |
1952 Helsinki |
Lindy Remigino (USA) | Herb McKenley (JAM) | McDonald Bailey (GBR) |
1956 Melbourne |
Bobby Morrow (USA) | Thane Baker (USA) | Hector Hogan (AUS) |
1960 Rome |
Armin Hary (EUA) | Dave Sime (USA) | Peter Radford (GBR) |
1964 Tokyo |
Bob Hayes (USA) | Enrique Figuerola (CUB) | Harry Jerome (CAN) |
1968 Mexico City |
Jim Hines (USA) | Lennox Miller (JAM) | Charles Greene (USA) |
1972 Munich |
Valeriy Borzov (URS) | Robert Taylor (USA) | Lennox Miller (JAM) |
1976 Montreal |
Hasely Crawford (TRI) | Don Quarrie (JAM) | Valeriy Borzov (URS) |
1980 Moscow |
Allan Wells (GBR) | Silvio Leonard (CUB) | Petar Petrov (BUL) |
1984 Los Angeles |
Carl Lewis (USA) | Sam Graddy (USA) | Ben Johnson (CAN) |
1988 Seoul[112][113] |
Carl Lewis (USA) | Linford Christie (GBR) | Calvin Smith (USA) |
1992 Barcelona |
Linford Christie (GBR) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Dennis Mitchell (USA) |
1996 Atlanta |
Donovan Bailey (CAN) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Ato Boldon (TRI) |
2000 Sydney |
Maurice Greene (USA) | Ato Boldon (TRI) | Obadele Thompson (BAR) |
2004 Athens |
Justin Gatlin (USA) | Francis Obikwelu (POR) | Maurice Greene (USA) |
2008 Beijing |
Usain Bolt (JAM) | Richard Thompson (TRI) | Walter Dix (USA) |
2012 London |
Usain Bolt (JAM) | Yohan Blake (JAM) | Justin Gatlin (USA) |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Usain Bolt (JAM) | Justin Gatlin (USA) | Andre De Grasse (CAN) |
2020 Tokyo |
Marcell Jacobs (ITA) | Fred Kerley (USA) | Andre De Grasse (CAN) |
Multiple medallists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Usain Bolt | Jamaica (JAM) | 2008–2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
2 | Carl Lewis | United States (USA) | 1984–1988 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
3 | Justin Gatlin | United States (USA) | 2004–2016 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Linford Christie | Great Britain (GBR) | 1988–1992 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
5 | Valeriy Borzov | Soviet Union (URS) | 1972–1976 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Maurice Greene | United States (USA) | 2000–2004 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
7 | Ralph Metcalfe | United States (USA) | 1932–1936 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Frankie Fredericks | Namibia (NAM) | 1992–1996 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
9 | Lennox Miller | Jamaica (JAM) | 1968–1972 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Ato Boldon | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | 1996–2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
11 | Andre De Grasse | Canada (CAN) | 2016–2020 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Medals by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 16 | 14 | 9 | 39 |
2 | Jamaica (JAM) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
4 | Canada (CAN) | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
5 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
6 | Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
7 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
South Africa (RSA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
United Team of Germany (EUA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
10 | Cuba (CUB) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Namibia (NAM) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
12 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
13 | Portugal (POR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14 | Australia (AUS) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
15 | Barbados (BAR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bulgaria (BUL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Panama (PAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
20 | Totals | 29 | 28 | 29 | 86 |
Women[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1928 Amsterdam |
Betty Robinson United States |
Fanny Rosenfeld Canada |
Ethel Smith Canada |
1932 Los Angeles |
Stanisława Walasiewicz Poland |
Hilda Strike Canada |
Wilhelmina von Bremen United States |
1936 Berlin |
Helen Stephens United States |
Stanisława Walasiewicz Poland |
Käthe Krauß Germany |
1948 London |
Fanny Blankers-Koen Netherlands |
Dorothy Manley Great Britain |
Shirley Strickland Australia |
1952 Helsinki |
Marjorie Jackson Australia |
Daphne Hasenjager South Africa |
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty Australia |
1956 Melbourne |
Betty Cuthbert Australia |
Christa Stubnick United Team of Germany |
Marlene Matthews Australia |
1960 Rome |
Wilma Rudolph United States |
Dorothy Hyman Great Britain |
Giuseppina Leone Italy |
1964 Tokyo |
Wyomia Tyus United States |
Edith McGuire United States |
Ewa Kłobukowska Poland |
1968 Mexico City |
Wyomia Tyus United States |
Barbara Ferrell United States |
Irena Szewińska Poland |
1972 Munich |
Renate Stecher East Germany |
Raelene Boyle Australia |
Silvia Chivás Cuba |
1976 Montreal |
Annegret Richter West Germany |
Renate Stecher East Germany |
Inge Helten West Germany |
1980 Moscow |
Lyudmila Kondratyeva Soviet Union |
Marlies Göhr East Germany |
Ingrid Auerswald East Germany |
1984 Los Angeles |
Evelyn Ashford United States |
Alice Brown United States |
Merlene Ottey Jamaica |
1988 Seoul |
Florence Griffith-Joyner United States |
Evelyn Ashford United States |
Heike Drechsler East Germany |
1992 Barcelona |
Gail Devers United States |
Juliet Cuthbert Jamaica |
Irina Privalova Unified Team |
1996 Atlanta |
Gail Devers United States |
Merlene Ottey Jamaica |
Gwen Torrence United States |
2000 Sydney |
Vacant[114] | Ekaterini Thanou Greece |
Merlene Ottey Jamaica |
Tayna Lawrence Jamaica | |||
2004 Athens |
Yulia Nestsiarenka Belarus |
Lauryn Williams United States |
Veronica Campbell Jamaica |
2008 Beijing |
Shelly-Ann Fraser Jamaica |
Sherone Simpson Jamaica |
none awarded |
Kerron Stewart Jamaica | |||
2012 London |
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jamaica |
Carmelita Jeter United States |
Veronica Campbell-Brown Jamaica |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Elaine Thompson Jamaica |
Tori Bowie United States |
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jamaica |
2020 Tokyo |
Elaine Thompson-Herah Jamaica |
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jamaica |
Shericka Jackson Jamaica |
Multiple medallists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica (JAM) | 2008–2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
2 | Wyomia Tyus | United States (USA) | 1964–1968 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Gail Devers | United States (USA) | 1992–1996 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica (JAM) | 2016–2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
4 | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland (POL) | 1932–1936 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Renate Stecher | East Germany (GDR) | 1972–1976 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Evelyn Ashford | United States (USA) | 1984–1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
7 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica (JAM) | 1984–2000 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
8 | Shirley Strickland | Australia (AUS) | 1948–1952 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica (JAM) | 2004–2012 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Medals by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 9 | 7 | 2 | 18 |
2 | Jamaica (JAM) | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 |
3 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
4 | East Germany (GDR) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
5 | Poland (POL) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
6 | West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Italy (ITA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
7 | Belarus (BLR) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
10 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
11 | Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
12 | Greece (GRE) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
South Africa (RSA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
United Team of Germany (EUA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
15 | Cuba (CUB) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Germany (GER) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Unified Team (EUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
18 | Totals | 21 | 23 | 20 | 64 |
Overall[]
Medals by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 25 | 21 | 11 | 57 |
2 | Jamaica (JAM) | 7 | 9 | 6 | 20 |
3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
4 | Canada (CAN) | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
5 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
6 | Soviet Union (URS) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
7 | East Germany (GDR) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
8 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
9 | Poland (POL) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
10 | South Africa (RSA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
United Team of Germany (EUA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
12 | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
14 | Belarus (BLR) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
15 | Cuba (CUB) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
16 | Namibia (NAM) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
17 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
18 | Greece (GRE) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Portugal (POR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
20 | Barbados (BAR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bulgaria (BUL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Italy (ITA) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Panama (PAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Unified Team (EUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
26 | Totals | 48 | 51 | 49 | 148 |
Olympic record progression[]
The best time for the 100 m set during Olympic competition is known as the Olympic record. To count as an official record, the race and the equipment used must adhere to IAAF international rules. results were the standard until 1975, when fully automatic timing (FAT) became the preferred method for officially measuring athletes' times. Further to this wind conditions must be measured and any time achieved with a wind speed of over 2.0 metres per second in a direction behind the athlete is treated as wind-assisted and cannot be taken for an Olympic record mark.[115]
Since the first men's Olympic record of 12.2 seconds by Frank Lane in 1896, the record has been broken 13 times and matched 24 times. Twenty-eight men have been holder (or co-holder) of the record. Usain Bolt is the current record holder with 9.63, set in 2012. Further to this standing men's world record for the 100 m has been equalled five times in Olympic competition and improved twice (by Carl Lewis in 1988 with 9.92 and by Bolt in 2008 with 9.69). Ben Johnson's time of 9.79 was annulled before it was ratified as either an Olympic or world record.[115]
Since the initial women's Olympic record of 13.0 seconds was set by Anni Holdmann in 1928, it has been broken 18 times and equalled 17 further times. The standing women's 100 m world record has been improved five times during Olympic competition and equalled seven times.[115]
The tables below refer to hand-timing for races held prior to the 1972 Summer Olympics and to fully automatic times after that point, when they became the standard for the Olympics.[115] Hand-timed results that matched the Olympic record are treated as equalling the mark, with the exception of any athletes that matched that time but finished behind another athlete in their race.
Men[]
Time | Athlete | Nation | Games | Round | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12.2 | Francis Lane | United States (USA) | 1896 | Heat 1 | 1896-04-06 |
12.2 | Thomas Curtis | United States (USA) | 1896 | Heat 2 | 1896-04-06 |
11.8 | Tom Burke | United States (USA) | 1896 | Heat 3 | 1896-04-06 |
11.4 | Arthur Duffey | United States (USA) | 1900 | Heat 1 | 1900-06-14 |
11.4 | Walter Tewksbury | United States (USA) | 1900 | Heat 2 | 1900-06-14 |
10.8 =WR | Frank Jarvis | United States (USA) | 1900 | Heat 3 | 1900-06-14 |
10.8 =WR | Walter Tewksbury | United States (USA) | 1900 | Semi-final 2 | 1900-06-14 |
10.8 | James Rector | United States (USA) | 1908 | Heat 15 | 1908-07-20 |
10.8 | Reggie Walker | South Africa (RSA) | 1908 | Semi-final 1 | 1908-07-20 |
10.8 | James Rector | United States (USA) | 1908 | Semi-final 3 | 1908-07-20 |
10.8 | Reggie Walker | South Africa (RSA) | 1908 | Final | 1908-07-20 |
10.8 | David Jacobs | Great Britain (GBR) | 1912 | Heat 10 | 1912-07-06 |
10.6 | Donald Lippincott | United States (USA) | 1912 | Heat 16 | 1912-07-06 |
10.6 | Harold Abrahams | Great Britain (GBR) | 1924 | Quarter-final 4 | 1924-07-06 |
10.6 | Harold Abrahams | Great Britain (GBR) | 1924 | Semi-final 2 | 1924-07-07 |
10.6 | Harold Abrahams | Great Britain (GBR) | 1924 | Final | 1924-07-07 |
10.6 | Percy Williams | Canada (CAN) | 1928 | Quarter-final 4 | 1928-07-29 |
10.6 | Robert McAllister | United States (USA) | 1928 | Semi-final 1 | 1928-07-30 |
10.6 | Jack London | United States (USA) | 1928 | Semi-final 2 | 1928-07-30 |
10.6 | Arthur Jonath | Germany (GER) | 1932 | Heat 3 | 1932-07-31 |
10.4 | Eddie Tolan | United States (USA) | 1932 | Quarter-final 1 | 1932-07-31 |
10.3 =WR | Eddie Tolan | United States (USA) | 1932 | Final | 1932-08-01 |
10.3 | Jesse Owens | United States (USA) | 1936 | Heat 1 | 1936-08-02 |
10.3 | Harrison Dillard | United States (USA) | 1948 | Final | 1948-07-31 |
10.3 | Bobby Joe Morrow | United States (USA) | 1956 | Quarter-final 1 | 1956-11-23 |
10.3 | Ira Murchison | United States (USA) | 1956 | Quarter-final 2 | 1956-11-23 |
10.3 | Bobby Joe Morrow | United States (USA) | 1956 | Semi-final 2 | 1956-11-24 |
10.2 | Armin Hary | West Germany (FRG) | 1960 | Quarter-final 2 | 1960-08-31 |
10.2 | Armin Hary | West Germany (FRG) | 1960 | Final | 1960-08-31 |
10.0 =WR | Bob Hayes | United States (USA) | 1964 | Final | 1964-10-15 |
10.0 A | Hermes Ramírez | Cuba (CUB) | 1968 | Quarter-final 2 | 1968-10-13 |
10.0 A | Charlie Greene | United States (USA) | 1968 | Quarter-final 4 | 1968-10-13 |
10.0 A | Jim Hines | United States (USA) | 1968 | Semi-final 1 | 1968-10-14 |
9.9 A =WR | Jim Hines | United States (USA) | 1968 | Final | 1968-10-14 |
9.92 WR[nb3] | Carl Lewis | United States (USA) | 1988 | Final | 1988-09-24 |
9.84 WR | Donovan Bailey | Canada (CAN) | 1996 | Final | 1996-07-27 |
9.69 WR | Usain Bolt | Jamaica (JAM) | 2008 | Final | 2008-08-16 |
9.63 | Usain Bolt | Jamaica (JAM) | 2012 | Final | 2012-08-05 |
- nb3 Carl Lewis's time of 9.92 seconds in the 1988 Olympic final was initially second to Ben Johnson's 9.79, but Johnson was disqualified soon after due to a failed drug test.[115]
Women[]
Time | Athlete | Nation | Games | Round | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13.0 | Anni Holdmann | Germany (GER) | 1928 | Heat 1 | 1928-07-30 |
12.8 | Erna Steinberg | Germany (GER) | 1928 | Heat 2 | 1928-07-30 |
12.8 | Kinue Hitomi | Japan (JPN) | 1928 | Heat 3 | 1928-07-30 |
12.8 | Leni Junker | Germany (GER) | 1928 | Heat 4 | 1928-07-30 |
12.8 | Leni Schmidt | Germany (GER) | 1928 | Heat 6 | 1928-07-30 |
12.6 | Fanny Rosenfeld | Canada (CAN) | 1928 | Heat 7 | 1928-07-30 |
12.6 | Ethel Smith | Canada (CAN) | 1928 | Heat 9 | 1928-07-30 |
12.4 | Fanny Rosenfeld | Canada (CAN) | 1928 | Semi-final 1 | 1928-07-30 |
12.4 | Betty Robinson | United States (USA) | 1928 | Semi-final 2 | 1928-07-30 |
12.2 WR | Betty Robinson | United States (USA) | 1928 | Final | 1928-07-31 |
12.2 | Marie Dollinger | Germany (GER) | 1932 | Heat 1 | 1932-08-01 |
11.9 WR | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland (POL) | 1932 | Heat 2 | 1932-08-01 |
11.9 =WR | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland (POL) | 1932 | Semi-final 2 | 1932-08-01 |
11.9 =WR | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland (POL) | 1932 | Final | 1932-08-02 |
11.9 | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Netherlands (NED) | 1948 | Final | 1948-08-02 |
11.9 | Catherine Hardy | United States (USA) | 1952 | Heat 7 | 1952-07-21 |
11.6 | Marjorie Jackson | Australia (AUS) | 1952 | Heat 8 | 1952-07-21 |
11.6 | Marjorie Jackson | Australia (AUS) | 1952 | Quarter-final 1 | 1952-07-21 |
11.5 =WR | Marjorie Jackson | Australia (AUS) | 1952 | Semi-final 1 | 1952-07-22 |
11.5 =WR | Marjorie Jackson | Australia (AUS) | 1952 | Final | 1952-07-22 |
11.5 | Marlene Mathews | Australia (AUS) | 1956 | Heat 2 | 1956-11-24 |
11.4 | Betty Cuthbert | Australia (AUS) | 1956 | Heat 3 | 1956-11-24 |
11.3 =WR | Wilma Rudolph | United States (USA) | 1960 | Semi-final 1 | 1960-09-02 |
11.2 =WR | Wyomia Tyus | United States (USA) | 1964 | Quarter-final 1 | 1964-10-15 |
11.2 A | Wyomia Tyus | United States (USA) | 1968 | Heat 1 | 1968-10-14 |
11.2 A | Margaret Bailes | United States (USA) | 1968 | Heat 2 | 1968-10-14 |
11.2 A | Barbara Ferrell | United States (USA) | 1968 | Heat 6 | 1968-10-14 |
11.1 A =WR | Barbara Ferrell | United States (USA) | 1968 | Quarter-final 1 | 1968-10-14 |
11.1 A =WR | Irena Szewińska-Kirszenstein | Poland (POL) | 1968 | Quarter-final 4 | 1968-10-14 |
11.0 A WR | Wyomia Tyus | United States (USA) | 1968 | Final | 1968-10-15 |
11.07 WR | Renate Stecher | East Germany (GDR) | 1972 | Quarter-final 1 | 1972-09-01 |
11.05 | Annegret Richter | West Germany (FRG) | 1976 | Quarter-final 1 | 1976-07-24 |
11.01 WR | Annegret Richter | West Germany (FRG) | 1976 | Semi-final 1 | 1976-07-25 |
10.97 | Evelyn Ashford | United States (USA) | 1984 | Final | 1984-08-05 |
10.88 | Florence Griffith Joyner | United States (USA) | 1988 | Heat 7 | 1988-09-24 |
10.88 | Evelyn Ashford | United States (USA) | 1988 | Quarter-final 2 | 1988-09-24 |
10.62 | Florence Griffith Joyner | United States (USA) | 1988 | Quarter-final 3 | 1988-09-24 |
10.61 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica (JAM) | 2021 | Final | 2021-07-31 |
Finishing times[]
The Olympic 100 m is the most prestigious competition for the distance and it attracts elite level, international competitors. The winner of the race is occasionally referred to as "the world's fastest" man or woman, reflecting the high level of the competition and the quality of performances.[116][117] As of February 2014, the current Olympic records of 9.63 for men and 10.62 seconds for women rank as the second and third fastest times in history, for men and women respectively.[118][119] The standard of performances at the Olympics has progressed in line with the discipline as a whole and the times in the final often rank highly in the end-of-season lists.[120][121][122] National records and personal bests are frequently improved at the event by sprinters from large and small nations alike, as most elite athletes aim to reach peak race fitness for the Olympics.[123][124]
The 2012 men's final was the fastest 100 m race in history, collectively: the top five men ran under 9.90 seconds for the first time ever and seven of the eight finalists ran under 10 seconds (the last runner suffered an injury).[125][126] Tyson Gay became the fastest non-medallist in history at that race with his time of 9.80 seconds.[118] Similarly, the 2012 women's final was, collectively, the fastest women's 100 m race ever: seven of the eight finalists ran 11 seconds or faster for the first time, with Veronica Campbell-Brown becoming the fastest ever bronze medallist with her time of 10.81 seconds and Tianna Madison becoming the fastest non-medallist with her time of 10.85 seconds.[119]
Top ten fastest Olympic times[]
|
|
- H – time recorded in the heats
- QF – time recorded in the quarter-finals
- SF – time recorded in the semi-finals
Note: Florence Griffith-Joyner ran 10.54 (+3.0) and 10.70 (+2.6) in the finals and semifinals of the 100m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, however, both were over the legal wind speed limit of +2.0m/s.
Best time for place[]
|
|
- Florence Griffith-Joyner ran 10.54 to win the final of the 1988 Olympic Games, but the wind was over the legal limit (+3.0)
Intercalated Games[]
The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[129]
At this event a men's 100 m was held and 1904 Olympic champion Archie Hahn of the United States won the race. Another American, Fay Moulton, was the runner-up and Australian Nigel Barker was the bronze medallist.[130]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1906 Athens |
Archie Hahn (USA) | Fay Moulton (USA) | Nigel Barker (AUS) |
Non-canonical Olympic events[]
In addition to the main 1900 Olympic men's 100 metres, two further 100 m events were held that year. A handicap race attracted 32 athletes from 10 countries and was won by Edmund Minahan, an American semi-finalist in the main 100 m competition, which had taken place five days earlier.[131] A 100 m event for professionals only was held several weeks later. Four entrants are known and the winner was , a British former world record holder.[132][133]
A 100 m professionals handicap race is also believed to have been held in 1900. In 1904 a 100-yard dash handicap race was contested and an American, C. Hastedt, was the victor.[134]
These events are no longer considered part of the official Olympic history of the 100 m or the athletics programme in general. Consequently, medals from these races have not been assigned to nations on the all-time medal tables.[134]
Cultural impact[]
The 100 metres is typically considered one of the blue ribbon Olympic track and field events, and of the Olympic Games as a whole.[135] The Olympic 100 m finals, particularly the men's, are among the most popular events from any sport at the Olympics – the 2012 Olympic men's 100 metres final was the most watched event at the London Games by British audiences (with 20 million television viewers)[136] while in the United States that event was the third-most viewed Olympic clip.[137]
The high-profile nature of 100 m Olympic finals in some countries has served to encourage participation in sport among the wider public, particularly in short sprinting. Successive generations of athletes cite previous 100 m Olympic champions as the reason for their entering the sport.[138] The history of the event has had particular impact for African-American athletes: Jesse Owens' Olympic 100 m gold was an early example of a black American achieving success on an international stage while Wilma Rudolph's 1960 win inspired many black American women.[139][140] Owens' 100 m victory at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (one of four gold medals he won over seven days at the games) helped challenge notions of white supremacy that were popular during that era.[141][142]
1996 Olympic 100 metre champion Donovan Bailey from Canada had his billing as "World's Fastest Man" questioned by the American media, who instead promoted 1996 Olympic 200 metre and 400 metre champion Michael Johnson from the United States. After much sparring between the two athletes and media of their respective countries, an unsanctioned 150-metre race was held at the SkyDome in Toronto to settle the matter, with Bailey winning while Johnson pulled up injured, and they earned $1.5 million and $500,000, respectively.
The Olympic 100 metres has been covered by several film documentaries. Chariots of Fire, a 1981 historical drama focusing on Harold Abrahams' victory at the 1924 Paris Olympics, is among the most prominent. The film won four Academy Awards,[143] is often listed among polls for the best sports and Olympics films.,[144][145] and was ranked 19th in the British Film Institute's 100 Best British Films[146] Wilma Rudolph was a central figure in The Grand Olympics (Italian: La grande olimpiade), an Academy-Award nominated documentary about the 1960 Rome Olympics, where Rudolph's 100 m feats earned her the nickname La Gazzella Negra (The Black Gazelle).[147][148] The 1988 Olympic final, featuring Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis has been the topic of documentaries, including ESPN's "9.79*" from the 30 for 30 series,[149] as well as non-fiction books, such as Richard Moore's The Dirtiest Race in History.[100]
Across the sport of track and field, Olympic 100 m champions have often featured on Athlete of the Year lists. Carl Lewis (1984), Evelyn Ashford (1984), Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988) and Usain Bolt (2008) were chosen as Track & Field News Athlete of the Year in the year of their Olympic victories.[150] Lewis, Griffith-Joyner, and Bolt were also awarded the title of IAAF World Athlete of the Year for their Olympic feats.[151]
See also[]
- 100 metres at the World Championships in Athletics
References[]
- Olympic record progressions
- Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS[permanent dead link]. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- Specific
- ^ "Athletics Men's 60 metres Medalists". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ Hayward, Paul (6 August 2012). "Usain Bolt wins men's 100m Olympic final in 9.58 seconds to seal legacy". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ Rosenbaum, Mike. "Women's Olympic Records". About.com Track & Field. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Olympic Games Records". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Athletics Men's 100 metres Medalists". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Athletics Women's 100 metres Medalists". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Competition Rules 2012-2013" (PDF). IAAF Competition Rules (Centenary ed.). International Association of Athletics Federations: 130. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2014.
- ^ "Athletics - Technical". Team GB. British Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Athletics at the 1960 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Athletics at the 1964 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b 100m competition format. London 2012 (archived). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Sprint rule well received. BBC Sport (2003-01-16). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Hinnen, Jerry (2012-07-24). IAAF adjusts false start rule ahead of the Olympics. CBS Sports. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Landells, Steve (2008-08-17). Women's 100m - FINAL. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Athletics at the 1896 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ The XXIX Olympic Games - Beijing, China - 8/24 August 2008. IAAF (2008-02-05). Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Sydney 2000 Olympics Entry Standards. IAAF (1999-06-08). Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Olympic Games, Athens. IAAF (2008-02-05). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Entry Standards for London Olympics. IAAF (2011-04-15). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Qualifying Standards. USATF. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athlete Selection Procedure Form for the Olympic Games. United States Olympic Committee (2012). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1904 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1908 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1912 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1920 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1924 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 1928 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1928 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1932 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1932 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1936 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1936 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1948 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1948 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1952 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1952 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1956 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1956 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1960 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1964 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1968 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1968 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1972 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1972 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1976 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1976 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1980 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1980 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1984 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1984 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1988 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1988 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1992 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1992 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1996 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 1996 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 2000 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 2000 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Olympic Women's 100 metres medallists. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Athletics at the 2004 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 2004 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 2008 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Athletics at the 2008 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Athletics at the 2012 Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Athletics at the 2012 Summer Games: Women's 100 metres. Sports Reference.. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Olympics athletics: Kim Collins 'dropped for visiting wife'. BBC Sport (2012-08-04). Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Bongard, Vanina, et al (2007-06-23). Effects of age and gender on physical performance. AGE (American Aging Association). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ "Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Athletics". IAAF.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Katura Marae. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Merlene Ottey-Page. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Betty Robinson. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Linford Christie. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Reggie Walker. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Donald Lippincott. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Alphonse Yanghat. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Fanny Blankers-Koen. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Stefan Burkart. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Saner, Emine (2008-07-30). The gender trap. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Richie, Robert, et al (2008-08-01). Intersex and the Olympic Games. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (vol. 101 no. 8 395-399). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Augustyn, Adam (2012-04-13). Stanisława Walasiewicz. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Heggie, Vanessa (2012-08-02). Sex testing and the Olympics: myths, rumours and confirmation bias. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Sch 12.11.03 Statement of the Stockholm consensus on sex reassignment in sports. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Sears, Edward Seldon (2001). Running Through the Ages (pg. 178-183). McFarland. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Syed, Matthew (2012-08-09). Genetic research shows athletic skill is not a black and white issue. The Australian/The Times. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Entine, Jon (2012-08-12). The DNA Olympics -- Jamaicans Win Sprinting 'Genetic Lottery' -- and Why We Should All Care. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Is it wrong to note 100m winners are always black?. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Moore, Matthew (2010-07-12). Centre of gravity theory for dominance of black sprinters and white swimmers. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Rosenbaum, Mike. Drug Testing Scandals: Olympic Sprint Controversies. About Track and Field. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Weinberg, Rick. ESPN.com - ESPN 25 - 53: Johnson flunks drug test, loses gold medal Archived 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. ESPN. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Francis, Charlie (1991). Speed Trap. St. Martins Press. ISBN 0-312-04877-7.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary & Hall, Joseph (2008-09-24). Ben Johnson scandal still haunts track world. The Toronto Star. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Crompton, Sarah (2012-10-12). Forgotten heroes who rose above the scandal of drugs. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Macur, Juliet (2011-09-06). Peculiar Doping Case Takes Another Twist. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ London 2012 Olympics: Sprinter Tameka Williams sent home over drugs. The Scotsman (2012-07-30). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Doping Rule Violation. IAAF (2009-02-18). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Bond, David (2007-10-06). Marion Jones finally confesses to steroid use. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Marion Jones. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Katerina Thanou denied Marion Jones' Olympic 100m gold. BBC Sport (2009-12-08). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Pye, Steven (2013-10-21). Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis and the drama of the Dirtiest Race in History. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Milmo, Cahal (2000-08-22). BBC drops Linford Christie after drugs ban is confirmed . The Independent. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Knight, Tom (2008-04-23). Maurice Greene doping allegations hit IAAF. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Gatlin’s Doping Ban Reduced to 4 Years . The New York Times (2008-01-02). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Jamaican athletes fail drug tests. BBC Sport (2009-07-24). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Franke, Werner & Berendonk, Brigitte (1997). "Hormonal doping and androgenization of athletes: a secret program of the German Democratic Republic government Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine". Proceedings of the Doping in Sport Symposium. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Brigitte Berendonk: Doping documents - From Scientific Research to Cheating. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-540-53742-2, p. 122, Fig 6
- ^ Six-month ban for sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser. BBC Sport (2010-10-06). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ The Soviet Doping Plan: Document Reveals Illicit Approach to ’84 Olympics The New York Times
- ^ Riach, James (2014-01-06). Jamaica's Sherone Simpson faces anti-doping panel after positive test. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ IOC hit back in Ottey doping case. BBC Sport (2000-07-13). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Ottey cleared to run again. BBC Sport (2000-07-03). Retrieved on 2014-02-01.
- ^ Canadian Ben Johnson won the 1988 men's 100 metres final, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for steroids in a subsequent doping test.
- ^ "1988: Johnson stripped of Olympic gold". BBC News. 27 September 1988.
- ^ Marion Jones admitted to having taken performance enhancing drugs prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics. She relinquished her medals to the United States Olympic Committee, and the International Olympic Committee formally stripped her of her medals.
- 100 metres
- not awarded
- Ekaterini Thanou 11.12 and Tayna Lawrence 11.18
- Merlene Ottey 11.19
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS[permanent dead link]. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Coffey, Wayne (2012-08-06). Jamaica’s Usain Bolt retains his title as world’s fastest man as he blows past the field to win 100-meter gold in 9.63 seconds. New York Daily News. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Longman, Jere (2012-08-05). In Fastest Field Ever, the World’s Fastest Man Proves It Again. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Jump up to: a b 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor. IAAF (2014-02-04). Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Jump up to: a b 100 Metres - women - senior - outdoor. IAAF (2014-02-04). Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2012. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2008. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2004. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Results The XXX Olympic Games GREAT BRITAIN & N.I. London, GREAT BRITAIN & N.I. 27 JUL 2012 - 12 AUG 2012 100 Metres - women Heats Summary. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Results The XXX Olympic Games GREAT BRITAIN & N.I. London, GREAT BRITAIN & N.I. 27 JUL 2012 - 12 AUG 2012 100 Metres - men Heats Summary. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Usain Bolt wins Olympic 100m gold at London 2012. BBC Sport (2012-08-05). Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Martin, David (2012-08-05). London 2012 - Event Report - Men's 100m Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-04.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Men's 100m".
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Women's 100m".
- ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's 100 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 100 metres, Handicap. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-22.
- ^ Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 100 metres, Professionals. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-22.
- ^ Athletics at the 1896 Athina Summer Games: Men's 400 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-22.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Olympic Games (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-03-22.
- ^ London 2012 Athletics Archived 8 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Plunkett, John (2012-08-13). Top 10 Olympics TV events: opening and closing ceremonies dominate. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ London Olympics on NBC is Most-Watched Television Event in U.S. History . NBC Press Box (2012-08-14). Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Whitney, Susan (1996-07-21). `GRACE AND GLORY' GIVES GIRLS EXAMPLES OF GOLD. Deseret News. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Harvey, Randy (1994-11-13). Olympic Legend Wilma Rudolph Dies : Sports: Triple gold medalist who inspired a generation of women's track stars loses battle with brain cancer at 54.. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Horton, Derrin (2013-02-15). LA Dreamers: Our African-American Pioneers – Wilma Rudolph. KTLA5. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Jesse Owens. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ "Jesse Owens and the greatest 45 minutes in sport". International Olympic Committee. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Chariots of Fire (1981). The New York Times. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ The 50 Greatest Sports Movies. Empire. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Mitchell, Houston (2012-02-20). The 10 best sports movies of all time, No. 10: 'Chariots of Fire'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ The BFI's 100 Best British Films. British Pictures. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ La Grande Olimpiade (1961). The New York Times. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ Rome celebrates 50th anniversary of hosting the 1960 Olympic Games Archived 19 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Sports Features (2010-08-24). Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ 9.79*. ESPN. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ History Of T&FN’s Athletes Of The Year Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
- ^ IAF Athletes of the Year. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-01-31.
External links[]
- IAAF 100 metres homepage
- Official Olympics website
- Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News
- 100 metres at the Olympics
- 100 metres
- Athletics events at the Olympics