100m World Records
The 100m Sprint is often the benchmark for speed, and the world record holder is labeled "the world's fastest man". The 100m world record has improved over time as track surfaces and running shoe design has improved, as well as the positive impact of advanced training methods and sports science research.
Early world records used only hand timing, which was generally accurate to one-tenth of a second. Currently, photo finish technology enables the sprint times to be measured to 1/1000th of a second.
Men's World Record Progression
The 100m World Record has had this progression (the more recent records are listed first).
| Time (seconds) | Athlete | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9.58 | Usain Bolt (Jamaica) | Aug 16, 2009 |
| 9.69 | Usain Bolt (Jamaica) | Aug 16, 2008 |
| 9.72 | Usain Bolt (Jamaica) | May 31, 2008 |
| 9.74 | Asafa Powell (Jamaica) | Sept 9, 2007 |
| 9.77 | Asafa Powell (Jamaica) | June 14, 2005 |
| 9.78 | Tim Montgomery (USA) | Sept. 14, 2002 (doped) |
| 9.79 | Maurice Greene (USA) | June 16, 1999 |
| 9.84 | Donovan Bailey (Canada) | July 27, 1996 |
| 9.85 | Leroy Burrell (USA) | July 6, 1994 |
| 9.86 | Carl Lewis (USA) | Aug. 25, 1991 |
| 9.90 | Leroy Burrell (USA) | June 14, 1991 |
| 9.92 | Carl Lewis (USA) | Sept. 24, 1988 |
| 9.93 | Calvin Smith (USA) | July 3, 1983 |
| 9.95 | Jim Hines (USA) | Oct. 14, 1968 |
| 9.99 | Jim Hines (USA) | June 20, 1968 |
| 10.0 | Armin Hary (West Germany) | June 21, 1960 |
| 10.1 | Willie Williams (USA) | Aug. 3, 1956 |
| 10.2 | Jesse Owens (USA) | June 20, 1936 |
| 10.3 | Percy Williams (Canada) | Aug. 9, 1930 |
| 10.4 | Charles Paddock (USA) | April 23, 1921 |
| 10.6 | Donald Lippincott (USA) | July 6, 1912 |
Women's World Record Progression
The women's 100m World Record has had this evolution (the more recent records are listed first).
| Time (seconds) | Athlete | Nationality | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.49 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States | July 16, 1988 |
| 10.76 | Evelyn Ashford | United States | August 22, 1984 |
| 10.79 | Evelyn Ashford | United States | July 3, 1983 |
| 10.81 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany | June 8, 1983 |
| 10.88 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany | July 9, 1982 |
| 10.88 | Marlies Oelsner | East Germany | July 1, 1977 |
| 11.01 | Annegret Richter | West Germany | July 25, 1976 |
| 11.04 | Inge Helten | West Germany | June 13, 1976 |
| 11.07 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | September 2, 1972 |
| 11.07 | Wyomia Tyus | United States | October 15, 1968 |
| 10.8 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | July 20, 1973 |
| 10.9 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | June 7, 1973 |
| 11.0 | Eva Glesková | Czechoslovakia | July 1, 1972 |
| 11.0 | Ellen Strophal | East Germany | June 15, 1972 |
| 11.0 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | June 3, 1972 |
| 11.0 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | July 31, 1971 |
| 11.0 | Renate Meißner | East Germany | August 2, 1970 |
| 11.0 | Chi Cheng | Republic of China (Taiwan) | July 18, 1970 |
| 11.0 | Wyomia Tyus | Mexico City, Mexico | October 15, 1968 |
| 11.1 | Irena Szewińska | Poland | October 14, 1968 |
| 11.1 | Lyudmila Samotyosova | Soviet Union | August 15, 1968 |
| 11.1 | Wyomia Tyus | United States | April 21, 1968 |
| 11.1 | Barbara Ferrell | United States | July 2, 1967 |
| 11.1 | Irena Kirszenstein | Poland | July 9, 1965 |
| 11.1 | Ewa Klobukowska | Poland | July 9, 1965 |
| 11.2 | Wyomia Tyus | United States | October 15, 1964 |
| 11.2 | Wilma Rudolph | United States | July 19, 1961 |
| 11.3 | Wilma Rudolph | United States | September 2, 1960 |
| 11.3 | Vera Krepkina | Soviet Union | September 13, 1958 |
| 11.3 | Shirley Strickland | Australia | August 4, 1955 |
| 11.4 | Marjorie Jackson | Australia | October 4, 1952 |
| 11.5 | Marjorie Jackson | Australia | July 22, 1952 |
| 11.5 | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Netherlands | June 13, 1948 |
| 11.6 | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | August 1, 1937 |
| 11.6 | Helen Stephens | United States | June 8, 1935 |
| 11.7 | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | August 26, 1934 |
| 11.8 | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | September 17, 1933 |
| 11.9 | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | August 1, 1932 |
| 11.9 | Tollien Schuurman | Netherlands | June 5, 1932 |
| 12.0 | Tollien Schuurman | Netherlands | August 31, 1930 |
| 12.0 | Myrtle Cook | Canada | July 2, 1928 |
| 12.2 | Kinue Hitomi | Japan | May 20, 1928 |
| 12.4 | Gundel Wittmann | Germany | August 22, 1926 |
| 12.8 | Mary Lines | United Kingdom | August 20, 1922 |
| 13.6 | Marie Mejzlíková II | Czechoslovakia | August 5, 1922 |
Related Pages
- More Athletics Records
- Anthropometric measures of Olympic 100m champions
- Other sports and fitness records
- Poll: which record time will be broken next—100m or marathon?
- 100m sprint at the Olympic Games
- Warming-up for Sprinting
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