100 metres facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Athletics 100 metres
Start of the men's 100 metres final at the 2012 Olympic Games in London
World records
Men	Usain Bolt 9.58 (2009)
Women	Florence Griffith-Joyner 10.49 (1988)
Olympic records
Men	Usain Bolt 9.63 (2012)
Women	Elaine Thompson-Herah 10.61 (2021)
World Championship records
Men	Usain Bolt 9.58 (2009)
Women	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 10.67 (2022)

The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a super fast running race in track and field sports. It's the shortest common outdoor running distance. This race is one of the most popular and exciting events in athletics.

Men have competed in the 100 metres at the Summer Olympics since 1896. Women joined the event at the Olympics in 1928. The first World Championships for this race happened in 1983.

The person who wins the Olympic or world champion title in the 100 metres is often called "the fastest man or woman in the world." Right now, Fred Kerley and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are the current world champions. Marcell Jacobs and Elaine Thompson-Herah are the current Olympic champions.

The 100 metres race takes place on a 400-metre running track. It's run on the home straight, which is a flat, straight part of the track. The start line is often extended to make sure the entire race is a straight line.

Before the race begins, runners get three instructions:

• "On your marks"
• "Set"
• A loud sound from the starter's pistol

When they hear "on your marks," runners go to their starting blocks. The "set" instruction helps them get into a powerful starting position. This helps them push off the blocks faster. When the pistol fires, the race officially begins, and the sprinters burst forward. Most sprinters reach their fastest speed between 50 and 60 metres into the race. After that, their speed usually starts to slow down a little as they get closer to the finish line.

For men, running the 100 metres in under 10 seconds has always been a big deal. The best women sprinters usually finish in 11 seconds or less. The fastest time ever for men is 9.58 seconds. Usain Bolt from Jamaica set this world record in 2009. For women, the world record is 10.49 seconds, set by Florence Griffith-Joyner from America in 1988.

How the Race Works

The Start

Male sprinters waiting for the starter's instructions

At the start of a big race, athletes sometimes try to play mind games. For example, some might try to be the last one to get into their starting blocks.

In important races, the time it takes for a runner to react to the starting gun is measured very carefully. Sensors in the gun and the starting blocks record this. If a runner reacts in less than 0.1 seconds, it's considered a false start. This 0.2-second rule allows for the time it takes for the sound to reach the runners and for them to react.

For many years, a runner was disqualified if they made two false starts. But this rule sometimes caused races to be restarted too many times. This made it hard for sprinters to stay focused. In 2003, a new rule came in: one false start was allowed for all runners in the race. But if anyone made another false start after that, they were disqualified.

This rule sometimes led to sprinters purposely making a false start to gain an advantage. A slower starter might do this to make faster starters wait and be extra careful for the next start. To stop this and make races more fun to watch, the IAAF changed the rule again in 2010. Now, if an athlete makes a false start, they are immediately disqualified. This rule caused a big moment at the 2011 World Championships. The world record holder, Usain Bolt, was disqualified because of a false start.

Middle of the Race

Runners usually reach their fastest speed a little after the halfway point of the race. After that, they slowly start to slow down until they reach the finish line. A big part of training for the 100 metres is learning to keep that top speed for as long as possible. Things like pacing or special running plans aren't very important in the 100 metres. Winning this race mostly depends on how fast and strong an athlete is, and how good their running technique is.

The Finish Line

According to the rules, the winner is the first athlete whose torso (the main part of their body, not including arms, legs, head, or neck) crosses the closer edge of the finish line. So, their whole body doesn't need to cross. If it's hard to tell who finished first, a photo finish camera is used. This camera takes many pictures very quickly to show exactly who crossed the line first.

Weather Conditions

The weather, especially air resistance from wind, can really change how fast someone runs the 100 metres. A strong wind blowing against the runner (a headwind) makes it much harder to run fast. But a wind blowing from behind (a tailwind) can help runners go much faster. Because of this, for a 100 metres time to count as a record, the tailwind must be no more than 2.0 metres per second (4.5 mph). This is called being "wind legal."

Also, sprinters can run faster at high altitudes. This is because the air is thinner there, which means less air resistance. Even though the thinner air might make breathing a tiny bit harder, it doesn't really affect sprinters. This is because they get all the oxygen they need for the short race from their muscles and blood before the race even starts. There are no limits on altitude for records, but performances made higher than 1000 metres (about 3,280 feet) above sea level are marked with an "A."

Breaking the 10-Second Barrier

For a long time, running the 100 metres in under 10 seconds was a huge goal for male sprinters. Jim Hines was the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier with electronic timing at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Since then, over 170 sprinters have run faster than 10 seconds.

Different Backgrounds

Most of the male sprinters who have run under 10 seconds have West African roots. Frankie Fredericks from Namibia was the first man not from West African heritage to do it in 1991. In 2003, Patrick Johnson from Australia, who is Indigenous Australian with Irish heritage, became the first sub-10-second runner without an African background.

In 2010, Christophe Lemaitre from France became the first Caucasian (white) runner to break the 10-second barrier. Later, Ramil Guliyev from Turkey (born in Azerbaijan) did it in 2017. In 2018, Filippo Tortu became the first Italian to run under 10 seconds.

In 2015, Su Bingtian from China ran 9.99 seconds, becoming the first East Asian athlete to officially break the 10-second barrier. Another Chinese sprinter, Xie Zhenye, ran 9.97 in 2018. Su improved his Asian record to 9.83 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In 2017, Yoshihide Kiryū became the first Japanese man to run under 10 seconds with a time of 9.98. His teammates Yuki Koike and Ryota Yamagata also achieved this later.

Adam Gemili, a British sprinter with Iranian-Moroccan family background, was the first sprinter of Middle-Eastern and North African heritage to legally break the barrier in 2015.

On July 3, 2022, Yupun Abeykoon became the first Sri Lankan and South Asian sprinter to run under 10 seconds. He won a race in Switzerland with a time of 9.96 seconds. This made Sri Lanka the 32nd country to have a sub-10 sprinter.

Amazing Performances

Big 100 metres races, like those at the Olympic Games, get a lot of attention. Everyone watches closely, especially when a new world record might be set.

The men's world record has been broken twelve times since electronic timing became standard in 1977. The current men's world record is 9.58 seconds. Usain Bolt from Jamaica set this record at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany, on August 16, 2009. He broke his own record by a big 0.11 seconds!

The current women's world record is 10.49 seconds. Florence Griffith-Joyner from the US set this at the 1988 United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 16, 1988. She broke the old record by 0.27 seconds. Some experts have questioned this record because the wind gauge read 0.0 m/s, even though it was a very windy day. Many studies suggest there was an illegal tailwind. If that record were not counted, Elaine Thompson-Herah's time of 10.54 seconds in 2021 would be the fastest legal time. Griffith-Joyner's next best legal time of 10.61 from 1988 would place her third on the all-time list, behind Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.60).

Jim Hines, Ronnie Ray Smith, and Charles Greene were the first to run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds, all on June 20, 1968, known as the "Night of Speed." Hines also ran the first official electronically timed sub-10 second 100 metres when he won the 100 metres at the 1968 Olympics.

Records by Continent

Updated July 16, 2022

Area	Men				Women
	Time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation	Time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation
Africa (records)	9.77	+1.2	Ferdinand Omanyala	Kenya	10.72	+1.4	Marie-Josée Ta Lou	Ivory Coast
Asia (records)	9.83	+0.9	Su Bingtian	China	10.79	0.0	Li Xuemei	China
Europe (records)	9.80	+0.1	Marcell Jacobs	Italy	10.73	+2.0	Christine Arron	France
North, Central America and Caribbean (records)	9.58 WR	+0.9	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	10.49 WR	0.0	Florence Griffith-Joyner	United States
Oceania (records)	9.93	+1.8	Patrick Johnson	Australia	10.97	+0.5	Zoe Hobbs	New Zealand
South America (records)	10.00	+1.6	Robson da Silva	Brazil	10.91	−0.2	Rosângela Santos	Brazil

Fastest Men of All Time

Usain Bolt breaking world and Olympic records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

As of June 2022^[update]

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Reaction (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	9.58	+0.9	0.146	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	16 AUG 2009	Berlin
	2	9.63	+1.5	0.165	Bolt #2		05 AUG 2012	London
	3	9.69	±0.0	0.165	Bolt #3		16 AUG 2008	Beijing
2	3	9.69	+2.0	0.178	Tyson Gay	United States	20 SEP 2009	Shanghai
			−0.1	0.142	Yohan Blake	Jamaica	23 AUG 2012	Lausanne
	6	9.71	+0.9	0.144	Gay #2		16 AUG 2009	Berlin
	7	9.72	+1.7	0.157	Bolt #4		31 MAY 2008	New York City
4	7	9.72	+0.2		Asafa Powell	Jamaica	02 SEP 2008	Lausanne
	9	9.74	+1.7	0.137	Powell #2		09 SEP 2007	Rieti
5	9	9.74	+0.9	0.161	Justin Gatlin	United States	15 MAY 2015	Doha
	11	9.75	+1.1		Blake #2		29 JUN 2012	Kingston
			+1.5	0.179	Blake #3		05 AUG 2012	London
			+0.9	0.164	Gatlin #2		04 JUN 2015	Rome
			+1.4	0.154	Gatlin #3		09 JUL 2015	Lausanne
	15	9.76	+1.8		Bolt #5		03 MAY 2008	Kingston
			+1.3	0.154	Bolt #6		16 SEP 2011	Brussels
			−0.1	0.152	Bolt #7		31 MAY 2012	Rome
			+1.4	0.146	Blake #4		30 AUG 2012	Zürich
6	15	9.76	+0.6	0.128	Christian Coleman	United States	28 SEP 2019	Doha
		9.76	+1.2		Trayvon Bromell	United States	18 SEP 2021	Nairobi
		9.76	+1.4		Fred Kerley	United States	24 JUN 2022	Eugene
	22	9.77	+1.6	0.150	Powell #3		14 JUN 2005	Athens
			+1.5	0.145	Powell #4		11 JUN 2006	Gateshead
			+1.0	0.148	Powell #5		18 AUG 2006	Zürich
			+1.0		Gay #3		28 JUN 2008	Eugene
			−1.3		Bolt #8		05 SEP 2008	Brussels
			+0.9		Powell #6		07 SEP 2008	Rieti
			+0.4		Gay #4		10 JUL 2009	Rome
			−0.3	0.163	Bolt #9		11 AUG 2013	Moscow
			+0.6	0.178	Gatlin #4		05 SEP 2014	Brussels
			+0.9	0.153	Gatlin #5		23 AUG 2015	Beijing
			+1.5		Bromell #2		05 JUN 2021	Miramar
9	22	9.77	+1.2		Ferdinand Omanyala	Kenya	18 SEP 2021	Nairobi
	22	9.77	+1.8		Kerley #2		24 JUN 2022	Eugene
10		9.78	+0.9		Nesta Carter	Jamaica	29 AUG 2010	Rieti
11		9.79	+0.1		Maurice Greene	United States	16 JUN 1999	Athens
12		9.80	+1.3		Steve Mullings	Jamaica	04 JUN 2011	Eugene
			+0.1		Marcell Jacobs	Italy	01 AUG 2021	Tokyo
14		9.82	+1.7		Richard Thompson	Trinidad and Tobago	21 JUN 2014	Port of Spain
15		9.83	+0.9		Su Bingtian	China	01 AUG 2021	Tokyo
			+0.9		Ronnie Baker	United States	01 AUG 2021	Tokyo
			+1.3	0.150	Zharnel Hughes	Great Britain	24 JUN 2023	New York City
18		9.84	+0.7		Donovan Bailey	Canada	27 JUL 1996	Atlanta
			+0.2		Bruny Surin	Canada	22 AUG 1999	Seville
			+1.2		Akani Simbine	South Africa	06 JUL 2021	Székesfehérvár
21		9.85	+1.2		Leroy Burrell	United States	06 JUL 1994	Lausanne
			+1.7		Olusoji Fasuba	Nigeria	12 MAY 2006	Doha
			+1.3		Mike Rodgers	United States	04 JUN 2011	Eugene
			+1.5		Marvin Bracy	United States	05 JUN 2021	Miramar
25		9.86	+1.2		Carl Lewis	United States	25 AUG 1991	Tokyo
			−0.4		Frankie Fredericks	Namibia	03 JUL 1996	Lausanne
			+1.8		Ato Boldon	Trinidad and Tobago	19 APR 1998	Walnut
			+0.6		Francis Obikwelu	Portugal	22 AUG 2004	Athens
			+1.4		Keston Bledman	Trinidad and Tobago	23 JUN 2012	Port of Spain
			+1.3		Jimmy Vicaut	France	04 JUL 2015	Saint-Denis
			+0.9		Noah Lyles	United States	18 MAY 2019	Shanghai
			+0.8		Divine Oduduru	Nigeria	07 JUN 2019	Austin
			+1.6		Michael Norman	United States	20 JUL 2020	Fort Worth
			+0.2		Oblique Seville	Jamaica	21 MAY 2022	Kingston
			+0.7		Micah Williams	United States	27 MAY 2022	Fayetteville

Fastest Women of All Time

Florence Griffith-Joyner of the U.S. is the world record holder.

Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, the fastest woman alive and the second fastest woman of all time.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, the third fastest woman in history.

As of September 2022^[update]

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Reaction (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	10.49	±0.0		Florence Griffith-Joyner	United States	16 JUL 1988	Indianapolis
2	2	10.54	+0.9	0.150	Elaine Thompson-Herah	Jamaica	21 AUG 2021	Eugene
3	3	10.60	+1.7	0.151	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce	Jamaica	26 AUG 2021	Lausanne
	4	10.61	+1.2	0.12	Griffith-Joyner #2		17 JUL 1988	Indianapolis
			−0.6	0.150	Thompson-Herah #2		31 JUL 2021	Tokyo
	6	10.62	+1.0	0.107	Griffith-Joyner #3		24 SEP 1988	Seoul
			+0.4	0.134	Fraser-Pryce #2		10 AUG 2022	Monaco
	8	10.63	+1.3		Fraser-Pryce #3		05 JUN 2021	Kingston
4	9	10.64	+1.2	0.150	Carmelita Jeter	United States	20 SEP 2009	Shanghai
	9	10.64	+1.7	0.154	Thompson-Herah #3		26 AUG 2021	Lausanne
5	11	10.65	+1.1	0.183	Marion Jones	United States	12 SEP 1998	Johannesburg
	11	10.65	+0.6	0.139	Thompson-Herah #4		09 SEP 2021	Zürich
			−0.8	0.159	Fraser-Pryce #4		08 SEP 2022	Zürich
	14	10.66	+0.5	0.152	Fraser-Pryce #5		06 AUG 2022	Chorzów
	15	10.67	−0.1	0.145	Jeter #2		13 SEP 2009	Thessaloniki
		10.67	−0.4		Fraser-Pryce #6		07 MAY 2022	Nairobi
		10.67	+0.5	0.137	Fraser-Pryce #7		18 JUN 2022	Paris
			+0.8	0.137	Fraser-Pryce #8		17 JUL 2022	Eugene
			+1.3	0.139	Fraser-Pryce #9		08 AUG 2022	Székesfehérvár
	20	10.70	+1.6		Griffith-Joyner #4		17 JUL 1988	Indianapolis
			−0.1	0.120	Jones #2		22 AUG 1999	Seville
			+2.0	0.188	Jeter #3		04 JUN 2011	Eugene
			+0.6		Fraser-Pryce #10		29 JUN 2012	Kingston
			+0.3		Thompson-Herah #5		01 JUL 2016	Kingston
			+1.1		Fraser-Pryce #11		23 JUN 2022	Kingston
6		10.71	+0.4	0.171	Shericka Jackson	Jamaica	10 AUG 2022	Monaco
7		10.72	+1.6		Sha'Carri Richardson	United States	10 APR 2021	Miramar
			+0.4		Marie-Josée Ta Lou	Côte d'Ivoire	10 AUG 2022	Monaco
9		10.73	+2.0		Christine Arron	France	19 AUG 1998	Budapest
10		10.74	+1.3		Merlene Ottey	Jamaica	07 SEP 1996	Milan
+1.0				English Gardner	United States	03 JUL 2016	Eugene
12		10.75	+0.4		Kerron Stewart	Jamaica	10 JUL 2009	Rome
13		10.76	+1.7		Evelyn Ashford	United States	22 AUG 1984	Zürich
			+1.1		Veronica Campbell-Brown	Jamaica	31 MAY 2011	Ostrava
15		10.77	+0.9		Irina Privalova	Russia	06 JUL 1994	Lausanne
			+0.7		Ivet Lalova	Bulgaria	19 JUN 2004	Plovdiv
17		10.78	+1.0		Dawn Sowell	United States	03 JUN 1989	Provo
		10.78	+1.8		Torri Edwards	United States	28 JUN 2008	Eugene
			+1.6		Murielle Ahouré	Côte d'Ivoire	11 JUN 2016	Montverde
			+1.0		Tianna Bartoletta	United States	03 JUL 2016	Eugene
			+1.0		Tori Bowie	United States	03 JUL 2016	Eugene
22		10.79	±0.0		Li Xuemei	China	18 OCT 1997	Shanghai
			−0.1		Inger Miller	United States	22 AUG 1999	Seville
			+1.1		Blessing Okagbare	Nigeria	27 JUL 2013	London
25		10.81	+1.7		Marlies Göhr	East Germany	08 JUN 1983	Berlin
			−0.3		Dafne Schippers	Netherlands	24 AUG 2015	Beijing
			+1.7		Julien Alfred	Saint Lucia	14 MAY 2022	Lubbock
			+0.5		Aleia Hobbs	United States	24 JUN 2022	Eugene

Season's Best Times

Men's Best Times Each Year Year Time Athlete Place 1972 10.07  Valeriy Borzov (URS) Munich 1973 10.15  Steve Williams (USA) Dakar 1974 9.9h  Steve Williams (USA) Los Angeles 1975 10.05  Steve Riddick (USA) Zürich 1976 10.06  Hasely Crawford (TRI) Montreal 1977 9.98  Silvio Leonard (CUB) Guadalajara 1978 10.07  Clancy Edwards (USA) Eugene 10.07  Eddie Hart (USA) Colorado Springs 10.07  Steve Williams (USA) Zürich 1979 10.01  Pietro Mennea (ITA) Mexico City 1980 10.02  James Sanford (USA) Westwood 1981 10.00  Carl Lewis (USA) Dallas 1982 10.00  Carl Lewis (USA) Modesto 1983 9.93  Calvin Smith (USA) Colorado Springs 1984 9.96  Mel Lattany (USA) Athens 1985 9.98  Carl Lewis (USA) Modesto 1986 10.00  Chidi Imoh (NGR) Berlin 1987 9.93  Carl Lewis (USA) Rome 1988 9.92  Carl Lewis (USA) Seoul 1989 9.94  Leroy Burrell (USA) Houston 1990 9.96  Leroy Burrell (USA) Villeneuve d'Ascq 9.96 Sestriere 1991 9.86  Carl Lewis (USA) Tokyo 1992 9.93  Michael Marsh (USA) Walnut 1993 9.87  Linford Christie (GBR) Stuttgart 1994 9.85  Leroy Burrell (USA) Lausanne 1995 9.91  Donovan Bailey (CAN) Montreal 1996 9.84  Donovan Bailey (CAN) Atlanta 1997 9.86  Maurice Greene (USA) Athens 1998 9.86  Ato Boldon (TRI) Walnut Athens 1999 9.79  Maurice Greene (USA) Athens 2000 9.86  Maurice Greene (USA) Berlin 2001 9.82  Maurice Greene (USA) Edmonton 2002 9.89  Maurice Greene (USA) Rome 2003 9.93  Patrick Johnson (AUS) Mito 2004 9.85  Justin Gatlin (USA) Athens 2005 9.77  Asafa Powell (JAM) Athens 2006 9.77  Asafa Powell (JAM) Gateshead Zürich 2007 9.74  Asafa Powell (JAM) Rieti 2008 9.69  Usain Bolt (JAM) Beijing 2009 9.58  Usain Bolt (JAM) Berlin 2010 9.78  Tyson Gay (USA) London  Nesta Carter (JAM) Rieti 2011 9.76  Usain Bolt (JAM) Brussels 2012 9.63  Usain Bolt (JAM) London 2013 9.77  Usain Bolt (JAM) Moscow 2014 9.77  Justin Gatlin (USA) Brussels 2015 9.74  Justin Gatlin (USA) Doha 2016 9.80  Justin Gatlin (USA) Eugene 2017 9.82  Christian Coleman (USA) Eugene 2018 9.79  Christian Coleman (USA) Brussels 2019 9.76  Christian Coleman (USA) Doha 2020 9.86  Michael Norman (USA) Fort Worth 2021 9.76  Trayvon Bromell (USA) Nairobi 2022 9.76  Fred Kerley (USA) Eugene 2023 9.83  Zharnel Hughes (GBR) New York City

Women's Best Times Each Year Year Time Athlete Place 1972 11.07  Renate Stecher (GDR) Munich 1973 11.07  Renate Stecher (GDR) Dresden 1974 11.13  Irena Szewinska (POL) Rome 1975 11.13  Renate Stecher (GDR) Dresden 1976 11.01  Annegret Richter (FRG) Montreal 1977 10.88  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Dresden 1978 10.94  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Dresden 1979 10.97  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Dresden  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Walnut 1980 10.93  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Dresden 1981 10.90  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Colorado Springs 1982 10.88  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Karl-Marx-Stadt 1983 10.79  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Colorado Springs 1984 10.76  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Zürich 1985 10.86  Marlies Göhr (GDR) Berlin 1986 10.88  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Rieti 1987 10.86  Anelia Nuneva (BUL) Belgrade  Silke Möller (GDR) Potsdam 1988 10.49  Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) Indianapolis 1989 10.78  Dawn Sowell (USA) Provo 1990 10.78  Merlene Ottey (JAM) Seville 1991 10.79  Merlene Ottey (JAM) Vigo 1992 10.80  Merlene Ottey (JAM) Salamanca 1993 10.82  Gail Devers (USA) Lausanne Stuttgart  Merlene Ottey (JAM) Stuttgart 1994 10.77  Irina Privalova (RUS) Lausanne 1995 10.84  Gwen Torrence (USA) Gothenburg 1996 10.74  Merlene Ottey (JAM) Milan 1997 10.76  Marion Jones (USA) Brussels 1998 10.65  Marion Jones (USA) Johannesburg 1999 10.70  Marion Jones (USA) Seville 2000 10.78  Marion Jones (USA) London 2001 10.82  Zhanna Block (UKR) Edmonton 2002 10.91  Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (BAH) Manchester 2003 10.86  Chryste Gaines (USA) Monaco 2004 10.77  Ivet Lalova (BUL) Plovdiv 2005 10.84  Chandra Sturrup (BAH) Lausanne 2006 10.82  Sherone Simpson (JAM) Kingston 2007 10.89  Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) Kingston 2008 10.78  Torri Edwards (USA) Eugene  Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM) Beijing 2009 10.64  Carmelita Jeter (USA) Shanghai 2010 10.78  Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) Eugene 2011 10.70  Carmelita Jeter (USA) Eugene 2012 10.70  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Kingston 2013 10.71  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Moscow 2014 10.80  Tori Bowie (USA) Monaco 2015 10.74  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Saint-Denis 2016 10.70  Elaine Thompson (JAM) Kingston 2017 10.71  Elaine Thompson (JAM) Kingston 2018 10.85  Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV) Doha  Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) Berlin 2019 10.71  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Doha 2020 10.85  Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) Rome 2021 10.54  Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) Eugene 2022 10.62  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Monaco 2023 10.75  Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV) Oslo

Olympic Medal Winners

Men's Olympic Medalists

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1896 Athens details	Thomas Burke  United States	Fritz Hofmann  Germany	Francis Lane  United States
			Alajos Szokolyi  Hungary
1900 Paris details	Frank Jarvis  United States	Walter Tewksbury  United States	Stan Rowley  Australia
1904 St. Louis details	Archie Hahn  United States	Nathaniel Cartmell  United States	William Hogenson  United States
1908 London details	Reggie Walker  South Africa	James Rector  United States	Robert Kerr  Canada
1912 Stockholm details	Ralph Craig  United States	Alvah Meyer  United States	Donald Lippincott  United States
1920 Antwerp details	Charley Paddock  United States	Morris Kirksey  United States	Harry Edward  Great Britain
1924 Paris details	Harold Abrahams  Great Britain	Jackson Scholz  United States	Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt  New Zealand
1928 Amsterdam details	Percy Williams  Canada	Jack London  Great Britain	Georg Lammers  Germany
1932 Los Angeles details	Eddie Tolan  United States	Ralph Metcalfe  United States	Arthur Jonath  Germany
1936 Berlin details	Jesse Owens  United States	Ralph Metcalfe  United States	Tinus Osendarp  Netherlands
1948 London details	Harrison Dillard  United States	Barney Ewell  United States	Lloyd LaBeach  Panama
1952 Helsinki details	Lindy Remigino  United States	Herb McKenley  Jamaica	McDonald Bailey  Great Britain
1956 Melbourne details	Bobby Morrow  United States	Thane Baker  United States	Hector Hogan  Australia
1960 Rome details	Armin Hary  United Team of Germany	Dave Sime  United States	Peter Radford  Great Britain
1964 Tokyo details	Bob Hayes  United States	Enrique Figueroa  Cuba	Harry Jerome  Canada
1968 Mexico City details	Jim Hines  United States	Lennox Miller  Jamaica	Charles Greene  United States
1972 Munich details	Valeriy Borzov  Soviet Union	Robert Taylor  United States	Lennox Miller  Jamaica
1976 Montreal details	Hasely Crawford  Trinidad and Tobago	Don Quarrie  Jamaica	Valeriy Borzov  Soviet Union
1980 Moscow details	Allan Wells  Great Britain	Silvio Leonard  Cuba	Petar Petrov  Bulgaria
1984 Los Angeles details	Carl Lewis  United States	Sam Graddy  United States	Ben Johnson  Canada
1988 Seoul details	Carl Lewis  United States	Linford Christie  Great Britain	Calvin Smith  United States
1992 Barcelona details	Linford Christie  Great Britain	Frankie Fredericks  Namibia	Dennis Mitchell  United States
1996 Atlanta details	Donovan Bailey  Canada	Frankie Fredericks  Namibia	Ato Boldon  Trinidad and Tobago
2000 Sydney details	Maurice Greene  United States	Ato Boldon  Trinidad and Tobago	Obadele Thompson  Barbados
2004 Athens details	Justin Gatlin  United States	Francis Obikwelu  Portugal	Maurice Greene  United States
2008 Beijing details	Usain Bolt  Jamaica	Richard Thompson  Trinidad and Tobago	Walter Dix  United States
2012 London details	Usain Bolt  Jamaica	Yohan Blake  Jamaica	Justin Gatlin  United States
2016 Rio details	Usain Bolt  Jamaica	Justin Gatlin  United States	Andre De Grasse  Canada
2020 Tokyo details	Marcell Jacobs  Italy	Fred Kerley  United States	Andre De Grasse  Canada

Women's Olympic Medalists

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	1928 Amsterdam details	Betty Robinson  United States	Fanny Rosenfeld  Canada	Ethel Smith  Canada
1932 Los Angeles details	Stanisława Walasiewicz  Poland	Hilda Strike  Canada	Wilhelmina von Bremen  United States
1936 Berlin details	Helen Stephens  United States	Stanisława Walasiewicz  Poland	Käthe Krauß  Germany
1948 London details	Fanny Blankers-Koen  Netherlands	Dorothy Manley  Great Britain	Shirley Strickland  Australia
1952 Helsinki details	Marjorie Jackson  Australia	Daphne Hasenjager  South Africa	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty  Australia
1956 Melbourne details	Betty Cuthbert  Australia	Christa Stubnick  United Team of Germany	Marlene Matthews  Australia
1960 Rome details	Wilma Rudolph  United States	Dorothy Hyman  Great Britain	Giuseppina Leone  Italy
1964 Tokyo details	Wyomia Tyus  United States	Edith McGuire  United States	Ewa Kłobukowska  Poland
1968 Mexico City details	Wyomia Tyus  United States	Barbara Ferrell  United States	Irena Szewińska  Poland
1972 Munich details	Renate Stecher  East Germany	Raelene Boyle  Australia	Silvia Chivás  Cuba
1976 Montreal details	Annegret Richter  West Germany	Renate Stecher  East Germany	Inge Helten  West Germany
1980 Moscow details	Lyudmila Kondratyeva  Soviet Union	Marlies Göhr  East Germany	Ingrid Auerswald  East Germany
1984 Los Angeles details	Evelyn Ashford  United States	Alice Brown  United States	Merlene Ottey  Jamaica
1988 Seoul details	Florence Griffith-Joyner  United States	Evelyn Ashford  United States	Heike Drechsler  East Germany
1992 Barcelona details	Gail Devers  United States	Juliet Cuthbert  Jamaica	Irina Privalova  Unified Team
1996 Atlanta details	Gail Devers  United States	Merlene Ottey  Jamaica	Gwen Torrence  United States
2000 Sydney details	Vacant	Ekaterini Thanou  Greece	Merlene Ottey  Jamaica
		Tayna Lawrence  Jamaica
2004 Athens details	Yulia Nestsiarenka  Belarus	Lauryn Williams  United States	Veronica Campbell  Jamaica
2008 Beijing details	Shelly-Ann Fraser  Jamaica	Sherone Simpson  Jamaica	none awarded
		Kerron Stewart  Jamaica
2012 London details	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica	Carmelita Jeter  United States	Veronica Campbell-Brown  Jamaica
2016 Rio de Janeiro details	Elaine Thompson  Jamaica	Tori Bowie  United States	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica
2020 Tokyo details	Elaine Thompson-Herah  Jamaica	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica	Shericka Jackson  Jamaica
2024 Paris details

World Championships Medal Winners

Men's World Championships Medalists

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki details	Carl Lewis (USA)	Calvin Smith (USA)	Emmit King (USA)
1987 Rome details	Carl Lewis (USA)	Raymond Stewart (JAM)	Linford Christie (GBR)
1991 Tokyo details	Carl Lewis (USA)	Leroy Burrell (USA)	Dennis Mitchell (USA)
1993 Stuttgart details	Linford Christie (GBR)	Andre Cason (USA)	Dennis Mitchell (USA)
1995 Gothenburg details	Donovan Bailey (CAN)	Bruny Surin (CAN)	Ato Boldon (TRI)
1997 Athens details	Maurice Greene (USA)	Donovan Bailey (CAN)	Tim Montgomery (USA)
1999 Seville details	Maurice Greene (USA)	Bruny Surin (CAN)	Dwain Chambers (GBR)
2001 Edmonton details	Maurice Greene (USA)	Bernard Williams (USA)	Ato Boldon (TRI)
2003 Saint-Denis details	Kim Collins (SKN)	Darrel Brown (TRI)	Darren Campbell (GBR)
2005 Helsinki details	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Michael Frater (JAM)	Kim Collins (SKN)
2007 Osaka details	Tyson Gay (USA)	Derrick Atkins (BAH)	Asafa Powell (JAM)
2009 Berlin details	Usain Bolt (JAM)	Tyson Gay (USA)	Asafa Powell (JAM)
2011 Daegu details	Yohan Blake (JAM)	Walter Dix (USA)	Kim Collins (SKN)
2013 Moscow details	Usain Bolt (JAM)	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Nesta Carter (JAM)
2015 Beijing details	Usain Bolt (JAM)	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Trayvon Bromell (USA)  Andre De Grasse (CAN)
2017 London details	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Christian Coleman (USA)	Usain Bolt (JAM)
2019 Doha details	Christian Coleman (USA)	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Andre De Grasse (CAN)
2022 Eugene details	Fred Kerley (USA)	Marvin Bracy (USA)	Trayvon Bromell (USA)
2023 Budapest details

Women's World Championships Medalists

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki details	Marlies Oelsner-Göhr (GDR)	Marita Koch (GDR)	Diane Williams (USA)
1987 Rome details	Silke Gladisch-Möller (GDR)	Heike Daute-Drechsler (GDR)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1991 Tokyo details	Katrin Krabbe (GER)	Gwen Torrence (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1993 Stuttgart details	Gail Devers (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)	Gwen Torrence (USA)
1995 Gothenburg details	Gwen Torrence (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)	Irina Privalova (RUS)
1997 Athens details	Marion Jones (USA)	Zhanna Pintusevich (UKR)	Savatheda Fynes (BAH)
1999 Seville details	Marion Jones (USA)	Inger Miller (USA)	Ekaterini Thanou (GRE)
2001 Edmonton details	Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (UKR)	Ekaterini Thanou (GRE)	Chandra Sturrup (BAH)
2003 Saint-Denis details	Torri Edwards (USA)	Chandra Sturrup (BAH)	Ekaterini Thanou (GRE)
2005 Helsinki details	Lauryn Williams (USA)	Veronica Campbell (JAM)	Christine Arron (FRA)
2007 Osaka details	Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)	Lauryn Williams (USA)	Carmelita Jeter (USA)
2009 Berlin details	Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM)	Kerron Stewart (JAM)	Carmelita Jeter (USA)
2011 Daegu details	Carmelita Jeter (USA)	Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)	Kelly-Ann Baptiste (TRI)
2013 Moscow details	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)	Murielle Ahouré (CIV)	Carmelita Jeter (USA)
2015 Beijing details	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)	Dafne Schippers (NED)	Tori Bowie (USA)
2017 London details	Tori Bowie (USA)	Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV)	Dafne Schippers (NED)
2019 Doha details	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)	Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)	Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV)
2022 Eugene details	Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)	Shericka Jackson (JAM)	Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM)

Images for kids

• 

  Jason Smyth (in lane five) breaking the men's T13 world record at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

See also

In Spanish: 100 metros para niños

• 100-yard dash
• List of 100 metres national champions (men)
• List of 100 metres national champions (women)
• Men's 100 metres world record progression
• Women's 100 metres world record progression
• 2018 in 100 metres
• 2019 in 100 metres
• 2020 in 100 metres