DAREL NEWMAN 100 DASH RUNNER VINTAGE ORIGINAL PHOTO FROM
1965
MEASURING APPROXIMATELY
8 X 10 INCHES
Two great sprinters died within weeks of each other in the fall of 2017. You would have be close to my age and a real track nut to know who they were. These two sprinters had a huge influence on my interest in speed and how to get people to run faster. Their best years came within a four-year span from 1961 to 1965. Both were small in stature, if you saw them in street clothes you would never guess they were world class athletes. Their small stature disguised incredible power and explosiveness. Neither ever lifted weights. One was white and one was African American. They were both linked to the great Bob Hayes. Hayes was the physical opposite of both of them.
Who were these guys? Johnny Gilbert who graduated from Santa Barbara High school in 1960 and ran a close second to Bob Hayes world record 100 yards for 9.1 seconds years in St Louis in 1962 (First record ever set on an artificial track – rubberized asphalt). Johnny ran a 9.2 and later claimed the dubious distinction of being the first American to lose to a Russian sprinter when he finished third in the 1963 USA/USSR dual meet in Moscow.
The other sprinter was Darel Newman, AKA the bald Bullet, he was prematurely bald after a bout of valley fever as a child. He beat Bob Hayes in an indoor race. He won NCAA indoor 60-yard dash in 1964. His best 100 was a hand timed 9.2. He finished second in 1965 NCAA meet and was ranked number three in the world in 1965.
So, what is my connection? The summer after my freshman year in high school Gilbert was the recreation supervisor at Harding Elementary school across the street from my house. He used to let us challenge him to races of various lengths and give us a handicap and would always beat us no matter how short the distance. I remember him spotting bunch of us ten yards in a 60 and him beating us by almost ten yards! I just keep trying to figure how someone could be so fast, it started me trying to find the answer. Here is his obituary.
Darel Newman was senior at Fresno State when I was freshman. He lived in the same dorm. After freshman football ended I made it a point to watch him train any time I could. Nothing spectacular. He seldom ran over 120 yards in training. He was a pure “drop dead” 100-yard sprinter and his training reflected it. I quickly realized that sprinters needed to be trained differently. Here is his obituary.
It was sad to learn of their passing. They were good guys who represented their sport well and taught me more in than short time than I would have learned in years. Best of all their fueled my passion for learning about speed that continues today. RIP and God speed to you guys, hopefully you and Bob Hayes are having good races in heaven.
Tags: Obituary, Speed
Vern Gambetta has worked as a coach of professional athletes and teams in more than a dozen sports. He is the founder of the Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network (GAIN) and host of the GAINcast.
Darel Max Newman, who in the 1960s was among the fastest men in the world and earned the nickname the “Bald Bullet” as a record-setting sprinter at Fresno State, died Tuesday. He was 74.
Born in Reedley on Aug. 6, 1943, Newman attended Selma High and developed into a world-class athlete. At Fresno State in 1964, he matched the hand-timed 100-yard world record of 9.2 seconds and won the NCAA indoor 60-yard dash, according to his induction citation as a member of the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.
Newman also advanced that year to the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
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Known for his explosive starts out of the blocks, Newman competed in a televised meet between the U.S. and Soviet Union in 1965 in Kiev, winning the 100 meters in 10.01 seconds. He was selected Athlete of the Meet.
“All of a sudden I was super famous in Russia,” Newman was quoted in a 1997 article in the Los Angeles Times. “I was even assigned two KGB agents as bodyguards.”
Newman was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall in 1988 as part of a class that included Sanger native and Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Flores.
The Hall came calling again in 2013, when it inducted the Bulldogs’ 1964 track and field team – the first in school history to win a national championship.
Newman won the 100-yard dash at the College Division Championships at Ratcliffe Stadium. That team, coached by Dutch Warmerdam, also got victories in the long jump and 120-yard high hurdles from Sid Nickolas, the triple jump by Charles Craig and by its 440-yard relay team.
After retiring as an athlete, Newman was a teacher and coach first at Carr Junior High in Santa Ana and then at Santa Ana High. He also served as meet director for the Santa Ana Relays, the oldest high school meet in the state.
Newman is survived by his wife of 51 years, Linda; daughter Shelly Repp and her husband, Steve; son Ryan and his wife, Tammy; grandchildren Steffani, Shaun and Summer; and great-granddaughter Beratta.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Greenlawn Memorial Park Southwest, 2739 Panama Lane in Bakersfield. A reception will follow.
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1928 for women. The World Championships 100 metres has been contested since 1983.
File:Women's 100M Final - 28th Summer Universiade 2015 Gwangju.webm
Women's 100M Final – 28th Summer Universiade 2015
The reigning 100 m Olympic or world champion is often named "the fastest man or woman in the world". Christian Coleman and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are the reigning world champions; Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson are the men's and women's Olympic champions.
On an outdoor 400 metres running track, the 100 m is run on the home straight, with the start usually being set on an extension to make it a straight-line race. There are three instructions given to the runners immediately before and at the beginning of the race: ready, set, and the firing of the starter's pistol. The runners move to the starting blocks when they hear the 'ready' instruction. The following instruction, to adopt the 'set' position, allows them to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles: this will help them to start faster. A race-official then fires the starter's pistol to signal the race beginning and the sprinters stride forwards from the blocks. Sprinters typically reach top speed after somewhere between 50 and 60 m. Their speed then slows towards the finish line.
The 10-second barrier has historically been a barometer of fast men's performances, while the best female sprinters take eleven seconds or less to complete the race. The current men's world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2009, while the women's world record of 10.49 seconds set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 remains unbroken.[a]
The 100 m (109.361 yards) emerged from the metrication of the 100 yards (91.44 m), a now defunct distance originally contested in English-speaking countries. The event is largely held outdoors as few indoor facilities have a 100 m straight.
US athletes have won the men's Olympic 100 metres title more times than any other country, 16 out of the 28 times that it has been run. US women have also dominated the event winning 9 out of 21 times.
Contents
1 Race dynamics
1.1 Start
1.2 Mid-race
1.3 Finish
1.4 Climatic conditions
2 10-second barrier
2.1 Ethnicity
3 Record performances
3.1 Continental records
4 All-time top 25 men
4.1 More facts about these male runners
4.2 Assisted marks
5 All-time top 25 women
5.1 More facts about these female runners
5.2 Assisted marks
6 Season's bests
6.1 Men
6.2 Women
7 Top 17 junior (under-20) men
7.1 Notes
8 Top 20 junior (under-20) women
8.1 Notes
9 Top 15 Youth (under-18) boys
10 Top 15 Youth (under-18) girls
10.1 Notes
11 Para world records men
12 Para world records women
13 Olympic medallists
13.1 Men
13.2 Women
14 World Championship medallists
14.1 Men
14.2 Women
15 See also
16 Notes
17 References
18 External links
Race dynamics
Start
Male sprinters await the starter's instructions
At the start, some athletes play psychological games such as trying to be last to the starting blocks.[3][4][5]
At high level meets, the time between the gun and first kick against the starting block is measured electronically, via sensors built in the gun and the blocks. A reaction time less than 0.1 s is considered a false start. The 0.2-second interval accounts for the sum of the time it takes for the sound of the starter's pistol to reach the runners' ears, and the time they take to react to it.
For many years a sprinter was disqualified if responsible for two false starts individually. However, this rule allowed some major races to be restarted so many times that the sprinters started to lose focus. The next iteration of the rule, introduced in February 2003, meant that one false start was allowed among the field, but anyone responsible for a subsequent false start was disqualified.
This rule led to some sprinters deliberately false-starting to gain a psychological advantage: an individual with a slower reaction time might false-start, forcing the faster starters to wait and be sure of hearing the gun for the subsequent start, thereby losing some of their advantage. To avoid such abuse and to improve spectator enjoyment, the IAAF implemented a further change in the 2010 season – a false starting athlete now receives immediate disqualification.[6] This proposal was met with objections when first raised in 2005, on the grounds that it would not leave any room for innocent mistakes. Justin Gatlin commented, "Just a flinch or a leg cramp could cost you a year's worth of work."[7] The rule had a dramatic impact at the 2011 World Championships, when current world record holder Usain Bolt was disqualified.[8][9]
Mid-race
Runners normally reach their top speed just past the halfway point of the race and they progressively decelerate in the later stages of the race. Maintaining that top speed for as long as possible is a primary focus of training for the 100 m.[10] Pacing and running tactics do not play a significant role in the 100 m, as success in the event depends more on pure athletic qualities and technique.
Finish
The winner, by IAAF Competition Rules, is determined by the first athlete with his or her torso (not including limbs, head, or neck) over the nearer edge of the finish line.[11] There is therefore no requirement for the entire body to cross the finish line. When the placing of the athletes is not obvious, a photo finish is used to distinguish which runner was first to cross the line.
Climatic conditions
See also: wind assistance
Climatic conditions, in particular air resistance, can affect performances in the 100 m. A strong head wind is very detrimental to performance, while a tail wind can improve performances significantly. For this reason, a maximum tail wind of 2.0 m/s is allowed for a 100 m performance to be considered eligible for records, or "wind legal".
Furthermore, sprint athletes perform a better run at high altitudes because of the thinner air, which provides less air resistance. In theory, the thinner air would also make breathing slightly more difficult (due to the partial pressure of oxygen being lower), but this difference is negligible for sprint distances where all the oxygen needed for the short dash is already in the muscles and bloodstream when the race starts. While there are no limitations on altitude, performances made at altitudes greater than 1000 m above sea level are marked with an "A".[12]
10-second barrier
Main article: 10-second barrier
The 10 second mark had been widely been considered a barrier for the 100 meters. The first man to break the 10 second barrier was Jim Hines at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Since then, numerous sprinters have run faster than 10 seconds.
Ethnicity
Main article: Race and sports
Only male sprinters have beaten the 100 m 10-second barrier, majority of them being of West African descent. Namibian (formerly South-West Africa) Frankie Fredericks became the first man of non-West African heritage to achieve the feat in 1991 and in 2003 Australia's Patrick Johnson (an Indigenous Australian with Irish heritage) became the first sub-10-second runner without an African background.[13][14][15][16]
In 2010, French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre became the first Caucasian to break the 10-second barrier,[16] In 2017, Azerbaijani-born naturalized Turkish Ramil Guliyev followed[17] and in 2018, Filippo Tortu became the first Italian to run under 10s. In the Prefontaine Classic 2015 Diamond League meet at Eugene, Su Bingtian of China ran a time of 9.99 seconds, becoming the first East Asian athlete to officially break the 10-second barrier. On 22 June 2018, Su improved his time in Madrid with a time of 9.91.[18] On 9 September 2017, Yoshihide Kiryū became the first man from Japan to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, running a 9.98 (+1.8) at an intercollegiate meet in Fukui.
Colin Jackson, an athlete with mixed ethnic background and former world record holder in the 110 metre hurdles,[19] noted that both his parents were talented athletes and suggested that biological inheritance was the greatest influence, rather than any perceived racial factor. Furthermore, successful black role models in track events may reinforce the racial disparity.[20]
Record performances
Major 100 m races, such as at the Olympic Games, attract much attention, particularly when the world record is thought to be within reach.
The men's world record has been improved upon twelve times since electronic timing became mandatory in 1977.[21] The current men's world record of 9.58 s is held by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships final in Berlin, Germany on 16 August 2009, breaking his own previous world record by 0.11 s.[22] The current women's world record of 10.49 s was set by Florence Griffith-Joyner of the US, at the 1988 United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 16 July 1988[23] breaking Evelyn Ashford's four-year-old world record by .27 seconds. The extraordinary nature of this result and those of several other sprinters in this race raised the possibility of a technical malfunction with the wind gauge which read at 0.0 m/s- a reading which was at complete odds to the windy conditions on the day with high wind speeds being recorded in all other sprints before and after this race as well as the parallel long jump runway at the time of the Griffith-Joyner performance. All scientific studies commissioned by the IAAF and independent organisations since have confirmed there was certainly an illegal tailwind of between 5 m/s – 7 m/s at the time. This should have annulled the legality of this result, although the IAAF has chosen not to take this course of action. The legitimate next best wind legal performance would therefore be Griffith-Joyner's 10.61s performance in the final the next day.[24]
Some records have been marred by prohibited drug use – in particular, the scandal at the 1988 Summer Olympics when the winner, Canadian Ben Johnson was stripped of his medal and world record.
Jim Hines, Ronnie Ray Smith and Charles Greene were the first to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m, all on 20 June 1968, the Night of Speed. Hines also recorded the first legal electronically timed sub-10 second 100 m in winning the 100 metres at the 1968 Olympics. Bob Hayes ran a wind-assisted 9.91 seconds at the 1964 Olympics.
Continental records
Updated 29 November 2018.[25]
Area Men Women
Time (s) Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Time (s) Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation
Africa (records) 9.85 +1.7 Olusoji Fasuba Nigeria 10.78 +1.6 Murielle Ahouré Ivory Coast
Asia (records) 9.91 +1.8 Femi Ogunode Qatar 10.79 0.0 Li Xuemei China
+0.6
+0.2 Su Bingtian China
+0.8
Europe (records) 9.86 +0.6 Francis Obikwelu Portugal 10.73 +2.0 Christine Arron France
+1.3 Jimmy Vicaut France
+1.8
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 11.11 +1.9 Melissa Breen Australia
South America (records) 10.00[A] +1.6 Robson da Silva Brazil 10.91 −0.2 Rosângela Santos Brazil
Notes
A Represents a time set at a high altitude.[26]
WR World record
All-time top 25 men
Usain Bolt breaking the world and Olympic records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
See also: 10-second barrier and Men's 100 metres world record progression
Updated 28 September 2019.[27][28]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Country Date Place Ref
1 9.58 +0.9 Usain Bolt Jamaica 16 August 2009 Berlin [29]
2 9.69 +2.0 Tyson Gay United States 20 September 2009 Shanghai [30]
−0.1 Yohan Blake Jamaica 23 August 2012 Lausanne [31]
4 9.72 +0.2 Asafa Powell Jamaica 2 September 2008 Lausanne [32]
5 9.74 +0.9 Justin Gatlin United States 15 May 2015 Doha [33]
6 9.76 +0.6 Christian Coleman United States 28 September 2019 Doha [34]
7 9.78 +0.9 Nesta Carter Jamaica 29 August 2010 Rieti [35]
8 9.79 +0.1 Maurice Greene United States 16 June 1999 Athens [36]
9 9.80 +1.3 Steve Mullings Jamaica 4 June 2011 Eugene [37]
10 9.82 +1.7 Richard Thompson Trinidad and Tobago 21 June 2014 Port of Spain [38]
11 9.84 +0.7 Donovan Bailey Canada 27 July 1996 Atlanta
+0.2 Bruny Surin Canada 22 August 1999 Seville
+1.3 Trayvon Bromell United States 25 June 2015 Eugene
+1.6 3 July 2016 [39]
14 9.85 +1.2 Leroy Burrell United States 6 July 1994 Lausanne [40]
+1.7 Olusoji Fasuba Nigeria 12 May 2006 Doha
+1.3 Mike Rodgers United States 4 June 2011 Eugene
17 9.86 +1.2 Carl Lewis United States 25 August 1991 Tokyo [41]
−0.7 Frankie Fredericks Namibia 3 July 1996 Lausanne
+1.8 Ato Boldon Trinidad and Tobago 19 April 1998 Walnut
+0.6 Francis Obikwelu Portugal 22 August 2004 Athens
+1.4 Keston Bledman Trinidad and Tobago 23 June 2012 Port of Spain
+1.3 Jimmy Vicaut France 4 July 2015 Saint-Denis [42]
+0.9 Noah Lyles United States 18 May 2019 Shanghai [43]
+0.8 Divine Oduduru Nigeria 7 June 2019 Austin [44]
25 9.87 +0.3 Linford Christie United Kingdom 15 August 1993 Stuttgart
9.87[A] −0.2 Obadele Thompson Barbados 11 September 1998 Johannesburg
9.87 −0.1 Ronnie Baker United States 22 August 2018 Chorzów [45]
More facts about these male runners
Usain Bolt also holds the world record for the fastest 100 metres with a running start at 8.70 (41 km/h). This was achieved in a 150 metres race during the BUPA Great City Games in Manchester on 17 May 2009, completed in 14.35 (also a world record).[46] He also ran 9.63 (2012), 9.69 (2008), 9.72 (2008), 9.76 (2008, 2011, 2012), 9.77 (2008, 2013), 9.79 (2009, 2012, 2015), 9.80 (2013), 9.81 (2009, 2016), 9.82 (2010, 2012), 9.83 (2008), 9.84 (2010), 9.85 (2008, 2011, 2013), 9.86 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2016) and 9.87 (2012, 2015).
Tyson Gay also ran 9.71 (2009), 9.77 (2008, 2009), 9.78 (2010), 9.79 (2010, 2011), 9.84 (2006, 2007, 2010), 9.85 (2007, 2008), 9.86 (2012), and 9.87 (2015).
Asafa Powell also ran 9.74 (2007), 9.77 (2005, 2006, 2008), 9.78 (2007, 2011), 9.81 (2015), 9.82 (2008, 2009, 2010), 9.83 (2007, 2008, 2010), 9.84 (2005, 2007, 2009, 2015), 9.85 (2005, 2006, 2009, 2012), 9.86 (2006, 2011), and 9.87 (2004, 2008, 2014, 2015).
Yohan Blake also ran 9.75 (2012), 9.76 (2012), 9.82 (2011), 9.84 (2012), and 9.85 (2012).
Justin Gatlin ran 9.77 in Doha on 12 May 2006, which was at the time ratified as a world record. However, the record was rescinded in 2007 after he failed a doping test in April 2006. He also ran 9.75 (2015), 9.77 (2014, 2015), 9.78 (2015), 9.79 (2012), 9.80 (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016), 9.82 (2012, 2014), 9.83 (2014, 2016), 9.85 (2004, 2013) 9.86 (2014), and 9.87 (2012, 2014, 2019).
Tim Montgomery ran 9.78 in Paris on 14 September 2002, which was at the time ratified as a world record.[47] However, the record was rescinded in December 2005 following his indictment in the BALCO scandal on drug use and drug trafficking charges.[48] The time had stood as the world record until Asafa Powell first ran 9.77.[49]
Ben Johnson ran 9.79 in Seoul on 24 September 1988, but he was disqualified after he tested positive for stanozolol after the race. He subsequently admitted to drug use between 1981 and 1988, and his time of 9.83 at Rome on 30 August 1987 was rescinded.
Christian Coleman also ran 9.79 (2018), 9.81 (2019), 9.82 (2017), 9.85 (2019), and 9.86 (2019).
Maurice Greene also ran 9.80 (1999), 9.82 (2001), 9.85 (1999), 9.86 (1997, 2000), and 9.87 (1999, 2000, 2004).
Trayvon Bromell also ran 9.84 (2016).
Nesta Carter also ran 9.85 (2010), 9.86 (2010), and 9.87 (2013).
Richard Thompson also ran 9.85 (2011).
Ato Boldon also ran 9.86 (1998, 1999) and 9.87 (1997).
Keston Bledman also ran 9.86 (2015).
Mike Rodgers also ran 9.86 (2015).
Jimmy Vicaut also ran 9.86 (2016).
Frankie Fredericks also ran 9.87 (1996).
Dwain Chambers ran 9.87 in Paris on 14 September 2002, which at the time equaled the European record. He tested positive for tetrahydrogestrinone in October 2003, and was given a two-year suspension in February 2004. Originally he claimed innocence, but after his suspension ended in November 2005 he admitted to doping during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. His record was subsequently rescinded in June 2006.[50]
Steve Mullings is serving a lifetime ban for doping.[51]
Assisted marks
Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of the fastest wind-assisted times (9.80 or better). Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown.
Justin Gatlin ran 9.45 (+20 m/s) in 2011 on the Japanese TV show Kasupe! assisted by wind machines blowing at speeds over 25 metres per second.[52]
Tyson Gay (USA) ran 9.68 (+4.1 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon on 29 June 2008.[53]
Obadele Thompson (BAR) ran 9.69 (+5.7 m/s) in El Paso, Texas on 13 April 1996, which stood as the fastest ever 100 metres time for 12 years.
Andre De Grasse (CAN) ran 9.69 (+4.8 m/s) during the Diamond League in Stockholm on 18 June 2017[54] and 9.75 (+2.7 m/s) during the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on 12 June 2015.
Richard Thompson (TTO) ran 9.74 (exact wind unknown) in Clermont, Florida on 31 May 2014.
Darvis Patton (USA) ran 9.75 (+4.3 m/s) in Austin, Texas on 30 March 2013.
Churandy Martina (AHO) ran 9.76 (+6.1 m/s) in El Paso, Texas on 13 May 2006.
Trayvon Bromell (USA) ran 9.76 (+3.7 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 26 June 2015 and 9.77 (+4.2 m/s) in Lubbock, Texas on 18 May 2014.
Carl Lewis (USA) ran 9.78 (+5.2 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis on 16 July 1988 and 9.80 (+4.3 m/s) during the World Championships in Tokyo on 24 August 1991.
Maurice Greene (USA) ran 9.78 (+3.7 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 31 May 2004.
Ronnie Baker (USA) ran 9.78 (+2.4 m/s) during the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon on 26 May 2018.
Andre Cason (USA) ran 9.79 (+5.3 m/s) and (+4.5 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 16 June 1993.
Walter Dix (USA) ran 9.80 (+4.1 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon on 29 June 2008.
Mike Rodgers (USA) ran 9.80 (+2.7 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 31 May 2014 and 9.80 (+2.4 m/s) in Sacramento, California on 27 June 2014.
All-time top 25 women
Christine Arron (left) wins the 100 m at the Weltklasse meeting.
See also: Women's 100 metres world record progression
Updated 21 June 2019.[55][56]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Date Location Ref
1 10.49 0.0[a] Florence Griffith-Joyner United States 16 July 1988 Indianapolis
2 10.64 +1.2 Carmelita Jeter United States 20 September 2009 Shanghai
3 10.65 [A] +1.1 Marion Jones United States 12 September 1998 Johannesburg
4 10.70 +0.6 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jamaica 29 June 2012 Kingston
+0.3 Elaine Thompson Jamaica 1 July 2016 Kingston [57]
6 10.73 +2.0 Christine Arron France 19 August 1998 Budapest
7 10.74 +1.3 Merlene Ottey Jamaica 7 September 1996 Milan
+1.0 English Gardner United States 3 July 2016 Eugene [39]
9 10.75 +0.4 Kerron Stewart Jamaica 10 July 2009 Rome
+1.6 Sha'Carri Richardson United States 8 June 2019 Austin [58]
11 10.76 +1.7 Evelyn Ashford United States 22 August 1984 Zürich
+1.1 Veronica Campbell-Brown Jamaica 31 May 2011 Ostrava
13 10.77 +0.9 Irina Privalova Russia 6 July 1994 Lausanne
+0.7 Ivet Lalova Bulgaria 19 June 2004 Plovdiv
15 10.78 [A] +1.0 Dawn Sowell United States 3 June 1989 Provo
10.78 +1.8 Torri Edwards United States 26 June 2008 Eugene
+1.6 Murielle Ahouré Ivory Coast 11 June 2016 Montverde [59]
+1.0 Tianna Bartoletta United States 3 July 2016 Eugene [39]
+1.0 Tori Bowie United States 3 July 2016 Eugene [39]
20 10.79 0.0 Li Xuemei China 18 October 1997 Shanghai
−0.1 Inger Miller United States 22 August 1999 Seville
+1.1 Blessing Okagbare Nigeria 27 July 2013 London
23 10.81 +1.7 Marlies Göhr East Germany 8 June 1983 Berlin
−0.3 Dafne Schippers Netherlands 24 August 2015 Beijing [60]
25 10.82 −1.0 Gail Devers United States 1 August 1992 Barcelona
+1.5 7 July 1993 Lausanne
−0.3 16 August 1993 Stuttgart
+0.4 Gwen Torrence United States 3 September 1994 Paris
−0.3 Zhanna Block Ukraine 6 August 2001 Edmonton
−0.7 Sherone Simpson Jamaica 24 June 2006 Kingston
+0.9 Michelle-Lee Ahye Trinidad and Tobago 24 June 2017 Port of Spain [61]
More facts about these female runners
Florence Griffith-Joyner's world record has been the subject of a controversy due to strong suspicion of a defective anemometer measuring a tailwind lower than actually present;[62] since 1997 the International Athletics Annual of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians has listed this performance as "probably strongly wind assisted, but recognised as a world record".[63] It can be reasonable to assume a wind reading of about +4.7 m/s for Griffith-Joyner's quarter-final. Her legal 10.61 the following day and 10.62 at the 1988 Olympics would still make her the world record holder.[64]
Below is a list of all other legal times equal or superior to 10.82:
As well as the 10.61 (1988) and 10.62 (1988) mentioned in the more facts section, Florence Griffith-Joyner also ran 10.70 (1988).
Carmelita Jeter also ran 10.67 (2009), 10.70 (2011), 10.78 (2011, 2012), 10.81 (2012), and 10.82 (2010).
Marion Jones also ran 10.70 (1999), 10.71 (1998), 10.72 (1998), 10.75 (1998), 10.76 (1997, 1999), 10.77 (1998), 10.78 (2000), 10.79 (1998), 10.80 (1998, 1999), 10.81 (1997, 1998), and 10.82 (1998).
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also ran 10.71 (2013, 2019), 10.72 (2013), 10.73 (2009, 2019), 10.74 (2015, 2019), 10.75 (2012), 10.76 (2015), 10.77 (2013), 10.78 (2008, 2019), 10.79 (2009, 2015), 10.80 (2019), 10.81 (2015, 2019), and 10.82 (2015).
Elaine Thompson also ran 10.71 (2016, 2017), 10.72 (2016), 10.73 (2019), and 10.78 (2016, 2017).
Kerron Stewart also ran 10.75 (2009) and 10.80 (2008).
Merlene Ottey also ran 10.78 (1990, 1994), 10.79 (1991), 10.80 (1992), and 10.82 (1990, 1993).
Veronica Campbell-Brown also ran 10.78 (2010), 10.81 (2012), and 10.82 (2012).
Evelyn Ashford also ran 10.79 (1983) and 10.81 (1988).
English Gardner also ran 10.79 (2015) and 10.81 (2016).
Tori Bowie also ran 10.80 (2014, 2016), 10.81 (2015), and 10.82 (2015).
Blessing Okagbare also ran 10.80 (2015).
Christine Arron also ran 10.81 (1998).
Inger Miller also ran 10.81 (1999).
Murielle Ahouré also ran 10.81 (2015).
Irina Privalova also ran 10.82 (1992).
Gail Devers also ran 10.82 (1993).
Gwen Torrence also ran 10.82 (1996).
Assisted marks
Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of the fastest wind-assisted times (10.82 or better). Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown.
Tori Bowie (USA) ran 10.72 (+3.2 m/s) during the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on 26 June 2015 and 10.74 (+3.1 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon on 3 July 2016.
Tawanna Meadows (USA) ran 10.72 (+4.5 m/s) in Lubbock, Texas on 6 May 2017.
Blessing Okagbare (NGR) ran 10.72 (+2.7 m/s) in Austin, Texas on 31 March 2018 and 10.75 (+2.2 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 1 June 2013.
Marshevet Hooker (USA) ran 10.76 (+3.4 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon on 27 June 2008.
Gail Devers (USA) ran 10.77 (+2.3 m/s) in San Jose, California on 28 May 1994.
Ekaterini Thanou (GRE) ran 10.77 (+2.3 m/s) in Rethymno on 29 May 1999.
Gwen Torrence (USA) ran 10.78 (+5.0 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis on 16 July 1988.
Muna Lee (USA) ran 10.78 (+3.3 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 26 June 2009.
Marlies Göhr (GDR) ran 10.79 (+3.3 m/s) in Cottbus on 16 July 1980.
Kelli White (USA) ran 10.79 (+2.3 m/s) in Carson, California on 1 June 2001. This performance was annulled in 2003 after she tested positive for modafinil.
Pam Marshall (USA) ran 10.80 (+2.9 m/s) in Eugene, Oregon on 20 June 1986.
Heike Drechsler (GDR) ran 10.80 (+2.8 m/s) in Oslo on 5 July 1986.
Jenna Prandini (USA) ran 10.81 (+3.6 m/s) during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon on 2 July 2016.
Silke Gladisch (GDR) ran 10.82 (+2.2 m/s) in Rome on 30 August 1987.
Season's bests
Men
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[A] Silvio Leonard (CUB) Guadalajara
1978 10.07 Clancy Edwards (USA) Eugene
10.07[A] Eddie Hart (USA) Colorado Springs
10.07 Steve Williams (USA) Zürich
1979 10.01[A] 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[A] 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[A] 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 9.91 A Akani Simbine (RSA) Pretoria
Women
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[A] Evelyn Ashford (USA) Colorado Springs
1982 10.88 Marlies Göhr (GDR) Karl-Marx-Stadt
1983 10.79[A] 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 (GER) Potsdam
1988 10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) Indianapolis
1989 10.78[A] 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[A] 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
Top 17 junior (under-20) men
As of 29 March 2020[65]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Date Location Age Ref
1 9.97 +1.8 Trayvon Bromell United States 13 June 2014 Eugene 18 years, 338 days [66]
2 10.00 +1.6 Trentavis Friday United States 5 July 2014 Eugene 19 years, 30 days
3 10.01 +0.0 Darrel Brown Trinidad and Tobago 24 August 2003 Saint-Denis 18 years, 317 days
+1.6 Jeff Demps United States 28 June 2008 Eugene 18 years, 172 days
+0.9 Yoshihide Kiryu Japan 28 April 2013 Hiroshima 17 years, 134 days [67]
6 10.03 +0.7 Marcus Rowland United States 31 July 2009 Port of Spain 19 years, 142 days
+1.7 Lalu Muhammad Zohri Indonesia 19 May 2019 Osaka 18 years, 322 days [68]
8 10.04 +1.7 D'Angelo Cherry United States 10 June 2009 Fayetteville 18 years, 313 days
+0.2 Christophe Lemaitre France 24 July 2009 Novi Sad 19 years, 43 days
+1.9 Abdullah Abkar Mohammed Saudi Arabia 15 April 2016 Norwalk 18 years, 319 days [69]
11 10.05 Davidson Ezinwa Nigeria 3 January 1990 Bauchi 18 years, 42 days
+0.1 Adam Gemili Great Britain 11 July 2012 Barcelona 18 years, 279 days
+0.6 Abdul Hakim Sani Brown Japan 24 June 2017 Osaka 18 years, 110 days [70]
−0.6 4 August 2017 London 18 years, 151 days [71]
14 10.06 0.0 Sunday Emmanuel Nigeria 26 April 1997 Walnut 18 years, 200 days
+2.0 Dwain Chambers Great Britain 25 July 1997 Ljubljana 19 years, 111 days
+1.5 Walter Dix United States 7 May 2005 New York 19 years, 116 days
+0.8 Phatutshedzo Maswanganye South Africa 14 March 2020 Pretoria 19 years, 42 days [72]
Notes
Trayvon Bromell's junior world record is also the age-18 world record. He also recorded the fastest wind-assisted (+4.2 m/s) time for a junior or age-18 athlete of 9.77 seconds on 18 May 2014 (age 18 years, 312 days).[73]
Yoshihide Kiryu's time of 10.01 seconds matched the junior world record set by Darrel Brown and Jeff Demps, but was not ratified because of the type of wind gauge used.[74]
British sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis recorded a time of 9.97 seconds on 4 August 2001 (age 18 years, 334 days), but the wind gauge malfunctioned.[75]
Nigerian sprinter Davidson Ezinwa recorded a time of 10.05 seconds on 4 January 1990 (age 18 years, 43 days), but with no wind gauge.[76]
Below is a list of all other legal times equal or superior to 10.06:
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown also ran 10.06 (2017).
Top 20 junior (under-20) women
Updated 5 January 2020[77]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Date Location Age Ref
1 10.75 +1.6 Sha'Carri Richardson United States 8 June 2019 Austin 19 years, 75 days [58]
2 10.88 +2.0 Marlies Göhr East Germany 1 July 1977 Dresden 19 years, 102 days
3 10.89 +1.8 Katrin Krabbe East Germany 20 July 1988 Berlin 18 years, 241 days
4 10.98 +2.0 Candace Hill United States 20 June 2015 Shoreline 16 years, 129 days [78]
5 10.99 +0.9 Ángela Tenorio Ecuador 22 July 2015 Toronto 19 years, 176 days [79]
+1.7 Twanisha Terry United States 21 April 2018 Torrance 19 years, 148 days [80]
7 11.02 +1.8 Tamara Clark United States 12 May 2018 Knoxville 19 years, 123 days
+0.8 Briana Williams Jamaica 8 June 2019 Albuquerque 17 years, 79 days
9 11.03 +1.7 Silke Gladisch-Möller East Germany 8 June 1983 Berlin 18 years, 353 days
+0.6 English Gardner United States 14 May 2011 Tucson 19 years, 22 days
11 11.04 +1.4 Angela Williams United States 5 June 1999 Boise 19 years, 126 days
+1.6 Kiara Grant Jamaica 8 June 2019 Austin 18 years, 243 days [81]
13 11.06 +0.9 Khalifa St. Fort Trinidad and Tobago 24 June 2017 Port of Spain 19 years, 131 days [82]
14 11.07 +0.7 Bianca Knight United States 27 June 2008 Eugene 19 years, 177 days
15 11.08 +2.0 Brenda Morehead United States 21 June 1976 Eugene 18 years, 260 days
16 11.09 NWI Angela Williams Trinidad and Tobago 14 April 1984 Nashville 18 years, 335 days
17 11.10 +0.9 Kaylin Whitney United States 5 July 2014 Eugene 16 years, 118 days
18 11.11 +0.2 Shakedia Jones United States 2 May 1998 Westwood 19 years, 48 days
+1.1 Joan Uduak Ekah Nigeria 2 July 1999 Lausanne 17 years, 224 days
20 11.12 +2.0 Veronica Campbell-Brown Jamaica 18 October 2000 Santiago 18 years, 156 days
+1.2 Alexandria Anderson United States 22 June 2006 Indianapolis 19 years, 145 days
+1.1 Aurieyall Scott United States 24 June 2011 Eugene 19 years, 37 days
+0.9 Ewa Swoboda Poland 21 July 2016 Bydgoszcz 18 years, 361 days
Notes
Briana Williams ran 10.94 s at the Jamaican Championships on 21 June 2019, which would have made her the fourth fastest junior female of all-time.[83] However, she tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide during the competition. She was determined to be not at fault and received no period of ineligibility to compete, but her results from the Jamaican Championships were nullified.[84][85][86]
Below is a list of all other legal times equal or superior to 10.99:
Sha'Carri Richardson also ran 10.99 (2019).
Top 15 Youth (under-18) boys
Updated 5 January 2020[87]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Country Date Location Age Ref
1 10.15 +2.0 Anthony Schwartz United States 31 March 2017 Gainesville 16 years, 207 days [88]
2 10.19 +0.5 Yoshihide Kiryu Japan 3 November 2012 Fukuroi 16 years, 324 days
3 10.20 +1.4 Darryl Haraway United States 15 June 2014 Greensboro 17 years, 87 days
+1.5 Tlotliso Leotlela South Africa 7 September 2015 Apia 17 years, 118 days [89]
+2.0 Sachin Dennis Jamaica 23 March 2018 Kingston 15 years, 233 days [90]
6 10.22 +1.0 Abdul Hakim Sani Brown Japan 14 May 2016 Shanghai 17 years, 69 days
7 10.23 +0.8 Tamunosiki Atorudibo Nigeria 23 March 2002 Enugu 17 years, 2 days [citation needed]
+1.2 Rynell Parson United States 21 June 2007 Indianapolis 16 years, 345 days
9 10.24 +0.0 Darrel Brown Trinidad and Tobago 14 April 2001 Bridgetown 16 years, 185 days
10 10.25 +1.5 J-Mee Samuels United States 11 July 2004 Knoxville 17 years, 52 days
+1.6 Jeff Demps United States 1 August 2007 Knoxville 17 years, 205 days
+0.9 Jhevaughn Matherson Jamaica 5 March 2016 Kingston 17 years, 7 days [91][failed verification]
13 10.26 +1.2 Deworski Odom United States 21 July 1994 Lisbon 17 years, 101 days
−0.1 Sunday Emmanuel Nigeria 18 March 1995 Bauchi 16 years, 161 days
15 10.27 +0.2 Henry Thomas United States 19 May 1984 Norwalk 16 years, 314 days [citation needed]
+1.6 Curtis Johnson United States 30 June 1990 Fresno 16 years, 188 days
+1.0 Ivory Williams United States 8 June 2002 Sacramento 17 years, 37 days
−0.2 Jazeel Murphy Jamaica 23 April 2011 Montego Bay 17 years, 55 days
+1.9 Raheem Chambers Jamaica 20 April 2014 Fort-de-France 16 years, 196 days [citation needed]
Top 15 Youth (under-18) girls
Updated 5 January 2020[92]
Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Date Location Age Ref
1 10.98 +2.0 Candace Hill United States 20 June 2015 Shoreline 16 years, 129 days [78]
2 11.02 +0.8 Briana Williams Jamaica 8 June 2019 Albuquerque 17 years, 79 days
3 11.10 +0.9 Kaylin Whitney United States 5 July 2014 Eugene 16 years, 118 days [93]
4 11.13 +2.0 Chandra Cheeseborough United States 21 June 1976 Eugene 17 years, 163 days
+1.6 Tamari Davis United States 9 June 2018 Montverde 15 years, 159 days
6 11.14 +1.7 Marion Jones United States 6 June 1992 Norwalk 16 years, 238 days
−0.5 Angela Williams United States 21 June 1997 Edwardsville 17 years, 142 days
8 11.16 +1.2 Gabrielle Mayo United States 22 June 2006 Indianapolis 17 years, 147 days
+0.9 Kevona Davis Jamaica 23 March 2018 Kingston 16 years, 93 days
10 11.17 A +0.6 Wendy Vereen United States 3 July 1983 Colorado Springs 17 years, 70 days
11 11.19 0.0 Khalifa St. Fort Trinidad and Tobago 16 July 2015 Cali 17 years, 153 days
12 11.20 A +1.2 Raelene Boyle Australia 15 October 1968 Mexico City 17 years, 144 days
13 11.24 −1.0 Ewa Swoboda Poland 4 June 2015 Sankt Pölten 17 years, 313 days
14 11.24 +1.2 Jeneba Tarmoh United States 22 June 2006 Indianapolis 16 years, 268 days
+0.8 Jodie Williams Great Britain 31 May 2010 Bedford 16 years, 245 days
Notes
Briana Williams ran 10.94 s at the Jamaican Championships on 21 June 2019, which would have been a world under-18 best time.[83] However, she tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide during the competition. She was determined to be not at fault and received no period of ineligibility to compete, but her results from the Jamaican Championships were nullified.[84][85][86]
Para world records men
Jason Smyth (in lane five) breaking the men's T13 world record at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Updated 6 October 2019[94]
Class Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nationality Date Place Ref
T11 10.92 +1.8 David Brown United States 18 April 2014 Walnut
T12 10.45 +1.8 Salum Ageze Kashafali Norway 13 June 2019 Oslo [95]
T13 10.46 +0.6 Jason Smyth Ireland 1 September 2012 London
T32 23.25 0.0 Martin McDonagh Ireland 13 August 1999 Nottingham
T33 16.46 +1.3 Ahmad Almutairi Kuwait 12 May 2015 Doha
+1.0 3 June 2017 Nottwil
T34 14.46 +0.6 Walid Ktila Tunisia 1 June 2019 Arbon
T35 12.22 +0.7 Ihor Tsvietov Ukraine 9 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [96]
T36 11.87 −0.5 Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi Malaysia 9 October 2018 Jakarta [97]
T37 11.42 +0.2 Charl du Toit South Africa 10 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [98]
T38 10.74 −0.3 Hu Jianwen China 13 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [99]
T42 12.56 −0.2 Record mark (previous record removed) IPA 1 January 2019 Bonn
T43 vacant
T44 11.12 +0.1 Mpumelelo Mhlongo South Africa 29 August 2019 Paris
T45 10.94 +0.2 Yohansson Nascimento Brazil 6 September 2012 London
T46/47 10.50 +0.5 Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos Brazil 15 June 2018 Paris
T51 19.89 +1.3 Peter Genyn Belgium 31 May 2018 Nottwil
T52 16.41 +0.2 Raymond Martin United States 30 May 2019 Arbon
T53 14.10 +0.7 Brent Lakatos Canada 27 May 2017 Arbon
T54 13.63 +1.0 Leo-Pekka Tähti Finland 1 September 2012 London
T61 12.77 −0.1 Ntando Mahlangu South Africa 20 March 2019 Stellenbosch
T62 10.66 +1.3 Johannes Floors Germany 21 June 2019 Leverkusen
T63 11.95 +1.9 Vinicius Goncalves Rodrigues Brazil 25 April 2019 São Paulo
T64 10.61 +1.4 Richard Browne United States 29 October 2015 Doha
Para world records women
Updated 4 September 2019[100]
Classification Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nationality Date Place Ref
T11 11.91 +0.7 Libby Clegg Great Britain 9 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [101]
T12 11.40 +0.2 Omara Durand Cuba 9 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [102]
T13 11.79 +0.5 Leilia Adzhametova Ukraine 11 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [103]
T32 37.67 0.0 Lindsay Wright United Kingdom 25 July 1997 Nottingham
T33 19.89 +0.3 Shelby Watson United Kingdom 26 May 2016 Nottwil
T34 16.80 +0.5 Kare Adenegan United Kingdom 21 July 2018 London
T35 13.43 +0.9 Isis Holt Australia 19 July 2017 London
T36 13.68 +1.5 Shi Yiting China 20 July 2017 London
T37 13.10 +1.3 Mandy Francois-Elie France 24 May 2019 Nottwil
T38 12.43 +1.3 Sophie Hahn Great Britain 19 May 2019 Loughborough
T42 14.61 −0.2 Martina Caironi Italy 30 October 2015 Doha [104]
T43 12.80 +1.0 Marlou van Rhijn Netherlands 29 October 2015 Doha [105]
T44 12.72 +0.5 Irmgard Bensusan Germany 24 May 2019 Nottwil [106]
12.72 +1.8 Irmgard Bensusan Germany 21 June 2019 Leverkusen
T45 14.00 0.0 Giselle Cole Canada 2 June 1980 Arnhem
T46/47 11.95 −0.2 Yunidis Castillo Cuba 4 September 2012 London
T51 24.69 −0.8 Cassie Mitchell United States 2 July 2016 Charlotte
T52 18.67 +1.7 Michelle Stilwell Canada 14 July 2012 Windsor
T53 16.19 +1.0 Huang Lisha China 8 September 2016 Rio de Janeiro [107]
T54 15.35 +1.9 Tatyana McFadden United States 5 June 2016 Indianapolis
T61 21.58 −0.2 Erina Yuguchi Japan 11 May 2019 Beijing
T62 13.63 +1.0 Fleur Jong Netherlands 15 June 2019 Nijmegen
T63 14.61 −0.2 Martina Caironi Italy 30 October 2015 Doha
T64 12.66 +0.5 Marlene van Gansewinkel Netherlands 24 May 2019 Nottwil [106]
Olympic medallists
Further information: 100 metres at the Olympics
Men
Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
details Thomas Burke (USA) Fritz Hofmann (GER) Francis Lane (USA)
Alajos Szokolyi (HUN)
1900 Paris
details Frank Jarvis (USA) Walter Tewksbury (USA) Stan Rowley (AUS)
1904 St. Louis
details Archie Hahn (USA) Nathaniel Cartmell (USA) William Hogenson (USA)
1908 London
details Reggie Walker (RSA) James Rector (USA) Robert Kerr (CAN)
1912 Stockholm
details Ralph Craig (USA) Alvah Meyer (USA) Donald Lippincott (USA)
1920 Antwerp
details Charley Paddock (USA) Morris Kirksey (USA) Harry Edward (GBR)
1924 Paris
details Harold Abrahams (GBR) Jackson Scholz (USA) Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt (NZL)
1928 Amsterdam
details Percy Williams (CAN) Jack London (GBR) Georg Lammers (GER)
1932 Los Angeles
details Eddie Tolan (USA) Ralph Metcalfe (USA) Arthur Jonath (GER)
1936 Berlin
details Jesse Owens (USA) Ralph Metcalfe (USA) Tinus Osendarp (NED)
1948 London
details Harrison Dillard (USA) Barney Ewell (USA) Lloyd LaBeach (PAN)
1952 Helsinki
details Lindy Remigino (USA) Herb McKenley (JAM) McDonald Bailey (GBR)
1956 Melbourne
details Bobby Morrow (USA) Thane Baker (USA) Hector Hogan (AUS)
1960 Rome
details Armin Hary (EUA) Dave Sime (USA) Peter Radford (GBR)
1964 Tokyo
details Bob Hayes (USA) Enrique Figuerola (CUB) Harry Jerome (CAN)
1968 Mexico City
details Jim Hines (USA) Lennox Miller (JAM) Charles Greene (USA)
1972 Munich
details Valeriy Borzov (URS) Robert Taylor (USA) Lennox Miller (JAM)
1976 Montreal
details Hasely Crawford (TRI) Don Quarrie (JAM) Valeriy Borzov (URS)
1980 Moscow
details Allan Wells (GBR) Silvio Leonard (CUB) Petar Petrov (BUL)
1984 Los Angeles
details Carl Lewis (USA) Sam Graddy (USA) Ben Johnson (CAN)
1988 Seoul[108][109]
details Carl Lewis (USA) Linford Christie (GBR) Calvin Smith (USA)
1992 Barcelona
details Linford Christie (GBR) Frankie Fredericks (NAM) Dennis Mitchell (USA)
1996 Atlanta
details Donovan Bailey (CAN) Frankie Fredericks (NAM) Ato Boldon (TRI)
2000 Sydney
details Maurice Greene (USA) Ato Boldon (TRI) Obadele Thompson (BAR)
2004 Athens
details Justin Gatlin (USA) Francis Obikwelu (POR) Maurice Greene (USA)
2008 Beijing
details Usain Bolt (JAM) Richard Thompson (TRI) Walter Dix (USA)
2012 London
details Usain Bolt (JAM) Yohan Blake (JAM) Justin Gatlin (USA)
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details Usain Bolt (JAM) Justin Gatlin (USA) Andre De Grasse (CAN)
Women
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[110] 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
World Championship medallists
Men
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)
Women
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
detail75s 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)
See also
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
A sports event unlike any other
The Olympic Games are unique. Athletes from the entire world take part.
Their achievements are watched from both near and far by hundreds
of millions of spectators.
The five rings on the Olympic flag represent the international nature
of the Games.
What makes the Olympic Games different from other sports events?
The Games are held every four years. They are the largest sporting celebration
in the number of sports on the programme, the number of athletes present
and the number of people from different nations gathered together at the same
time in the same place.
The Games are held at intervals, but are part of a broader framework which
is that of the Olympic Movement. The purpose of the Olympic Movement
is to promote the practice of sport all over the world and disseminate
the Olympic values. It is in this spirit that the Olympic Games are held
and celebrated.
The Summer Games and the Winter Games
The Olympic Games include the Games of the Olympiad (i.e. the Summer
Games) and the Olympic Winter Games. The first edition of the modern
Summer Games was held in 1896 in Athens (Greece), and the first Olympic
Winter Games in 1924 in Chamonix (France).
The word Olympiad designates the four-year period that separates each
edition of the Summer Games.
Until 1992, the Summer and Winter Games were held in the same year,
but since then, the Winter Games were moved two years from the Summer
Games. The Summer and Winter Games continue to be organised once
every four years.
In the Summer Games, athletes compete in a wide variety of competitions
on the track, on the road, on grass, in the water, on the water, in the open
air and indoors, in a total of 28 sports.
The Winter Games feature 7 sports practised on snow and ice, both indoors
and outdoors.
The Modern Olympic Games Introduction 3
The London 2012 Olympic
Games were broadcast
all over the world, via the
traditional media as well as
online and mobile platforms.
They reached a record audience
estimated at 4.8 billion people.
© The Olympic Museum
The Modern Olympic Games Introduction 4
History
It was Pierre de Coubertin of France who dreamt up this ambitious project,
although others before him had tried in vain to revive these Games. Drawing
inspiration from the ancient Olympic Games, he decided to create the modern
Olympic Games. With this purpose, he founded the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) in 1894 in Paris. The new committee set itself the objective
of organising the first Olympic Games of modern times.
The date of the first Games, 1896, marked the beginning of an extraordinary
adventure that has now lasted for over a century!
1
1. OG Athenes 1896. Athletics.
Discus Men – Robert GARRETT
(USA) 1st.
© 1896 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
© The Olympic Museum
The characteristics
of the modern Olympic
Games
Elements of the past
The roots of the Olympic Games are to be found in Ancient Greece [see sheet
“The Olympic Games in Antiquity”], and the first modern Games, in 1896, featured
many references to this legacy of Greek Antiquity:
› The Games were held in Athens, in Greece, the country where the ancient Games
were held.
› Most of the competitions were held in the ancient stadium (the Panathinaiko
Stadium), which had been restored for the occasion.
› Most of the sports on the programme of the ancient Games were included
in the first modern Games.
› The organisers invented a race inspired by an event in antiquity: the marathon.
Generally speaking, the modern Games strive towards a more peaceful world.
The Olympic Truce calling for a halt to all conflicts recalls the concept of the truce
observed during the Ancient Games.
Sacred and respected throughout Ancient Greece, the Olympic Truce announced
by messengers before the Games allowed spectators, athletes and officials
to travel to and from Olympia in safety through the numerous battle zones.
Today, the Olympic Truce is the subject of a United Nations resolution calling
for a halt to hostilities during the period of the Games and the search for means
of peaceful resolution in areas of tension. The athletes who support this initiative
are invited to sign a “Truce Wall” in the Olympic Village.
Innovations
While the modern Games draw their inspiration from the past, they are also
quite different.
From the outset, Coubertin proposed:
› Secular Games
The modern Games are secular, unlike the ancient Games which were dedicated
to the gods.
The Modern Olympic Games The characteristics
of the modern Olympic Games 5
In antiquity, the Panathinaiko
Stadium in Athens hosted the
sports competitions known as
the Panathenaea.
The marathon
This race commemorates the
exploit of a soldier who, in 490
BC, ran from Marathon to tell
the people of Athens of their
victory in the battle against the
Persians, a distance of roughly
34.5 kilometres.
© The Olympic Museum
The Modern Olympic Games 6
› Games around the globe
In contrast with the Olympic Games of Antiquity, each edition of the modern
Games takes place in principle in a different city and country.
› Longer Games
In ancient times, the Games were held first on one day, and finally over five days.
Today the official duration is no more than 16 days.
The Games are also evolving constantly:
› Since 1896, athletes from all over the world
The ancient Olympic Games were the preserve of free male Greek citizens,
whereas the modern Games have always been open to athletes from
all over the world. The 245 participants in Athens in 1896 came from
14 different countries.
The 1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) were the first to boast the presence
of national delegations from the five continents. The universality of the modern
Olympic Games was assured.
Today, the Summer Games welcome athletes from every country of the world,
without exception.
› Since 1900, women join in
As in Ancient Greece, there were no female athletes at the first edition of the modern
Olympic Games. In Athens in 1896, only men competed. At that time, female athletes
faced many prejudices. People worried that they would lose their femininity,
over-develop their muscles or become sterile. They therefore had to overcome
this kind of attitude and gradually take their place at the Games. Women made
their Olympic debut at the 1900 Games in Paris (France), in tennis and golf.
Subsequently, over the course of the century, they gained access to more and more
sports (e.g. swimming in 1912, athletics in 1928, volleyball in 1964, rowing in 1976,
cycling in 1984 and football in 1996), but it was not until the 2012 Games in London,
with the introduction of women’s boxing, that women could compete in all the sports
on the programme. Since the 2004 Games in Athens, more than 40 per cent
of the athletes at the Games have been women.
› Since 1924, Games for winter sports
When Coubertin revived the Olympic Games, only summer sports were included.
In the 1920s, however, snow and ice sports began to enjoy soaring popularity.
A number of IOC members decided to react to this, and, in 1924, it was decided
1
1. OG Paris 1900. Tennis, singles
Women – Hélène PREVOS
© 1900 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
The characteristics
of the modern Olympic Games
© The Olympic Museum
to hold an International Winter Sports Week in Chamonix (France): 258 athletes
from 16 countries (mainly in Europe and North America) attended.
This proved a great success and, two years later, this “Week” was officially recognised
as the first Olympic Winter Games. The future of an Olympic event dedicated
exclusively to snow and ice sports was assured.
At the 2010 Games in Vancouver (Canada), a total of 2,566 athletes came
together from 82 countries as diverse as Ghana, Brazil, New Zealand
and Pakistan.
› Since 1984, professional athletes at the Games
The modern Olympic Games were long open only to amateur athletes, in line with
Pierre de Coubertin’s wishes. The IOC abolished this rule in 1984 (for the Games
in Los Angeles), and since then professional athletes have also been able to take part.
The rituals of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The Olympic Games begin and end with big celebrations, important ceremonies
in which various rituals express the identity of the Games. Today, these rituals are part
of the protocol of the Games. They include the following elements:
The Modern Olympic Games
Opening of the Games
› the entry of the athletes into the stadium
with their delegations (in alphabetical
order, except for Greece which goes
first, and the host country which brings
up the rear)
› the declaration of the opening of the
Games by the Head of State of the host
country
› the address by the Games Organising
Committee President
› the speech by the IOC President
› the entry of the Olympic flag into
the stadium
› the Olympic anthem
› the symbolic release of doves (a symbol
of peace)
› the oath sworn by an athlete and
an official from the host country (respect
for the rules)
› the entrance of the flame and lighting
of the cauldron
Closing of the Games
› handing over of the Olympic flag
to the next Olympic host city (continuity
of the Games)
› gathering of the athletes in the stadium
(brotherhood)
› the extinguishing of the flame
› the declaration of the closing
of the Games by the IOC President
7
Most of this protocol had been
established by the time
of the 1920 Games in Antwerp
(Belgium). It has been added
to over the years as the Games
have evolved.
1. OG London 2012. Opening
Ceremony.
© 2012 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / FURLONG,
Christopher
1
The characteristics
of the modern Olympic Games
© The Olympic Museum
The Modern Olympic Games 8
The protocol forms part of a much broader scenography and programme. The opening
and closing ceremonies are an invitation to discover the culture of the country hosting
the Games, through music, song, dance, etc.
Sport, art and culture
In Ancient Greece, art and sport were seen as perfect partners. The ideal was to achieve
harmony by exercising both the body and the mind.
Pierre de Coubertin adopted this ideal for the modern Olympic Games and proposed
including art and culture in the programme of the Games.
On his initiative, architecture, sculpture, painting, literature and music competitions
were part of the Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948.
Nowadays, the competitions have been replaced with cultural programmes
that are completely separate from the sports competitions. Plays, concerts, ballets
and exhibitions are held in the city, region and even the country hosting the Games.
Numerous artists, designers, architects, choreographers and musicians play an active
part in the success of the Games, be it through the construction of stadiums and
other competition venues, the Look of the Games (logos, pictograms and mascots)
or the opening and closing ceremonies.
Whether through sport, art or culture,
everyone can take part in the great
celebration of the Olympic Games,
which offer an opportunity to open
up to and better understand
other people.
The characteristics
of the modern Olympic Games
© The Olympic Museum
Olympic sports 9
Olympic sports
The Olympic programme includes all the sports in the Olympic Games. The IOC
sets the programme and decides which sports will be included. The IOC also
has the right to add or remove any sport, discipline or event.
Sport − For a sport to be made an Olympic sport it has to be governed
by an International Federation recognised by the IOC
Exemples:
Swimming at the Games is governed by the International Swimming Federation (FINA);
Skating by the International Skating Union (ISU).
Discipline − An Olympic sport comprises one or several disciplines.
Exemples:
Water polo and diving are disciplines of swimming.
Speed skating and figure skating are disciplines of skating.
Event − A discipline includes one or more events or competitions.
An event gives rise to a result for which medals and diplomas are awarded.
Exemples:
The 10m platform for women is a diving event.
The men’s 500m is a speed skating event.
Criteria for being an Olympic sport
In order to be included in the Olympic programme, a sport must be governed
by an International Federation which complies with the Olympic Charter
and applies the World Anti-Doping Code.
If it is widely practised around the world and satisfies a number of criteria
established by the IOC Session, a recognised sport may be added to the Olympic
programme.
Since 2000, there has been little change to the number of sports on the programme
of the Summer and Winter Games, but rather changes to events in order to limit the size
of the Games.
Summer Games sports
In Athens in 1896, nine sports were on the programme: athletics, cycling, fencing,
The Modern Olympic Games
1
1. OG Beijing 2008. Athletics,
pole vault – final. Elena
ISINBAEVA (RUS) 1st.
© 2008 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / KISHIMOTO,
Tsutomu
© The Olympic Museum
10
gymnastics, weightlifting, wrestling, swimming, tennis and shooting.
The Olympic programme has come a long way since then: some sports have been
discontinued (e.g. polo and baseball); others were dropped and then reintroduced
(e.g. archery and tennis), while several new sports have been added (e.g. triathlon
and taekwondo).
At the 2004 Games in Athens, the programme included the nine original sports
plus a further 19: rowing, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, canoe/kayak,
equestrian sports, football, handball, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, softball,
taekwondo, table tennis, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball. This represented
a total of 301 events!
The two major sports on the programme of the Summer Games are athletics
and swimming. These are the most widely followed Olympic sports in the world.
They also have the largest number of events and greatest number of participants
from different countries.
Athletics consists of a wide range of events: jumping, throwing, and sprint,
middle-distance and long-distance races. Some of these were performed
at the ancient Olympic Games: foot races (varying distances), the javelin throw,
the discus throw and the long jump.
The first swimming competitions at the Olympic Games took place in the sea or
in a river. Today competitions take place in a 50m swimming pool, usually indoors.
The current programme includes the following disciplines: swimming (freestyle,
breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly), water polo, diving and synchronised
swimming.
Winter Games sports
Winter sports made their Olympic debut at … the Summer Games in London
in 1908! Figure skating competitions were organised for men, women and pairs.
The experience was repeated at the Antwerp Games in 1920, along with an ice
hockey tournament.
It was in Chamonix in 1924 that winter sports finally got their own Olympic
Games. Six sports were on the programme: bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, figure
and speed skating, skiing (cross-country and ski jumping) and the military patrol
race.
Some sports were missing from the official programme for several editions
of the Games before being reintroduced. One example is skeleton, which featured
at the 1928 and 1948 Games in St Moritz, before returning to the programme
for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
The number of sports at the Winter Games has remained relatively stable over
the years. At the Vancouver Games in 2010, there were seven sports – biathlon,
bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing. However, the number
The Modern Olympic Games Olympic sports
1. OG London 2012, Swimming
– Michael PHELPS (USA),
© 2012 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / FURLONG,
Christopher
2. OG Vancouver 2010, Men
ice-hockey – Game for the
bronze medal, Finland (FIN)
3rd – Slovakia (SLO)
© 2010 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / EVANS,
Jason
1
2 © The Olympic Museum
11
of events has increased considerably: in 2010, there were 86 on the programme!
Of the 15 disciplines in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, only Nordic
combined is not yet open to women.
The three main sports on the Winter Games programme are skating, skiing
and ice hockey.
Skating has the longest Olympic history, having figured for the first time
on the programme of the London Games in 1908. Women made their debut
in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games, but speed skating was not open
to them until 1960. Held in the open air until 1956, the skating events now take
place indoors.
Skiing is the sport with the largest number of disciplines. Cross-country skiing
is the oldest discipline and snowboarding is the newest one (1998 Games
in Nagano, Japan). Alpine skiing appeared relatively late: it was on the
programme of the 1936 Games, but it was not until the 1948 Games in
St Moritz (Switzerland) that a more complete programme for men and women
was organised. In 1952, giant slalom was added to the programme. Introduced
in 1988, the super-G is the newest Olympic Alpine skiing event.
Ice hockey, like skating and skiing, is one of the sports that helped launching
the Olympic Winter Games. Hockey is very popular and attracts large audiences.
It is a spectacular sport in which the puck travels at speeds up to 180km/h.
Demonstration sports
Thanks to their popularity, the Games have provided a showcase for a number
of sports. These were known as demonstration sports, which featured as
an addition to the Olympic programme until 1992, when this concept was
abandoned.
› At the 1956 Games in Melbourne, there was Australian football, one of the national
sports;
› At the 1988 Games in Seoul, it was bowling, a sport unknown in the host country,
Korea.
› At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, it was Basque pelota, roller hockey and
taekwondo.
There have been many different sports at the Winter Games. Some have been
featured as demonstration sports (e.g. skijoring, bandy, winter pentathlon and
freestyle skiing).
For more information about the Olympic sports, go to the IOC website
The Modern Olympic Games Olympic sports
1
1. OG Chamonix 1924,
Figure skating.
© 1924/ International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
© The Olympic Museum
12
1
1. OG Beijing 2008. Athletics,
100m Men – semi final, start.
© 2008 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / KISHIMOTO,
Tsutomu
© The Olympic Museum
13 The Modern Olympic Games Athletes at the Olympic Games
Athletes atthe Olympic
Games
The challenge of the Games
The prospect of being selected for the Olympic Games is the dream of the majority
of athletes. Enormous reserves of willpower and many years of dedicated training
are required to achieve such a goal. The athletes that qualify for the Games
can consider themselves as being among the world’s best. They will become
Olympians, whether or not they win a medal.
Taking part in the Games is what matters to the majority of the competitors:
having the honour of representing their country and marching behind their flag
at the Opening Ceremony, mixing with elite athletes, and having the opportunity
to give their best. That is what the spirit of the Olympic Games is all about!
Pierre de Coubertin knew this already at the start of the 20th century:
“ […] In these Olympiads, the important thing is not winning but taking part.
[…] What counts in life is not the victory but the struggle; the essential thing
is not to conquer but to fight well.” 2
Almost a century later, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, the spirit was the same.
Canadian athlete Perdita Felicien explains why taking part in the Games was
so important to her:
“Even though I was eliminated in the preliminary round of the 100m hurdles,
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Even though the months of religious
training and the exhausting 30 hours of flight to Sydney only meant exactly
13.21 seconds of running on the hottest track in the world that day, it was
beyond worth it.” 3
In order to participate in the Olympic Games, athletes have to abide by
the Olympic Charter and the rules of the International Federation (IF)
responsible for their sport. The IFs organise qualification events, while the National
Olympic Committee (NOC) of the athlete’s country is responsible for entering
athletes to the Games.
Athletes with more than one nationality may compete for the country of their
choice. However, if they have already represented one country either at the Games
or another major sports event, they may not compete for a different country
before three years have elapsed.
There is no age limit for competing in the Olympic Games, except for the one
What is the Olympic Charter?
It is an official document
containing all the rules to be
followed and explaining the role
and mission of each Olympic
Movement stakeholder.
1. OG London 2012, Opening
Ceremony, Athletes Parade
of the Costa Rica delegation.
© 2012 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / EVANS,
Jason
2. Olympic Review, July 1908,
p. 110. (Extract from a speech
given at the Olympic Games
in London in 1908).
3. Comments made on her
athletics team’s website,
27 November 2000.
1 © The Olympic Museum
14 The Modern Olympic Games Athletes at the Olympic Games
imposed by individual IFs for health reasons. In some sports, such as equestrian,
fencing and sailing, athletes can enjoy very long Olympic careers, sometimes
as long as 40 years!
By entering the Olympic Games, athletes are making a commitment to respect
the Olympic values and agree to undergo doping tests. Throughout the Games,
tests are carried out under the authority of the IOC and its Medical Commission.
Tests may be conducted before or during the Games.
For individual sports, tests are performed on each athlete who places among
the top five in each event, plus two other athletes (in the heats or the final)
chosen at random.
For team sports, or other sports in which teams are rewarded, testing
is performed throughout the period of the Olympic Games.
Life in the Olympic Village
Upon their arrival in the host city, athletes stay in the Olympic Village. While at
the Games, their time is not devoted exclusively to competing: it is also
an opportunity for them to meet other athletes from different countries
and cultures. Communal life is good for encouraging contact between athletes
from different sports or representatives from remote countries. All inhabitants
of the Village agree: it is not about the comfort of the surroundings or the quality
of services, what counts is the relationships created between athletes
of the entire world.
Anita L. De Frantz, Olympian and IOC member, said of her experience in the Village:
“For two to four weeks, the Village becomes the home for the elite athletes
of the world. It was there that I realised that excellence comes in every shape,
size, race and sex. It was there that I realised that an Olympian is one who
can respect every individual based on the effort that it takes to become
an Olympian. It was there that I learned that each sport takes special skills
and determination for a person to ascend to the top.” 2
Today’s Olympic Village is almost a city! It is usually located close to the
competition venues and its construction is taken very seriously during preparations
for the Games. In London in 2012, for example, the Village accommodated
over 17,000 athletes and officials!
Inhabitants of the village benefit from many advantages. They can eat in the Village
restaurant 24 hours a day, have their hair cut, go clubbing or attend evening
concerts.
When the Games have finished, the Olympic Village becomes a new residential
area for the city, and the housing is sold or rented to the local population.
Athletes have not always benefitted from this type of accommodation.
1. OG London 2012, Athletes
while jogging in the Olympic
Village.
© 2012 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / EVANS,
Jason
2. Olympic Message, no. 33,
July 1992.
1 © The Olympic Museum
15 The Modern Olympic Games Athletes at the Olympic Games
Before the Los Angeles Games in 1932 they stayed in a variety of places:
Shipshape accommodation
There was no Olympic Village for the athletes at the first few Olympic Games.
Some of them stayed in hotels or hostels. Others chose cheaper accommodation
in schools or barracks.
And some slept in the boats they had taken to the Olympic city. This was the case
at the Amsterdam Games in 1928, when the Americans, Italians and Finns stayed
in the harbour!
All in the same village
The first true Olympic Village was built for the 1932 Games in Los Angeles.
Athletes (men only) from 37 countries ate, slept and trained together.
For the first time certain community services were provided: a hospital, a fire station
and a post office.
In the early days women stayed in hotels, not the Olympic Village. It was not until
the 1956 Games in Melbourne that the Olympic Village was open to both sexes.
© The Olympic Museum
16 The Modern Olympic Games VICTORY
Victory
The moment of victory is symbolised by the athlete stepping onto the podium
to receive his or her medal. Yet this ceremony has not always existed!
The various elements of the ceremony entered Olympic history at different times.
THE MEDAL’S ICONOGRAPHY
The Summer Games medals
In the beginning, Olympic medals varied from one Olympiad to the next. At the first
modern Games in Athens in 1896, winners were rewarded with an olive wreath
and a silver medal, while the runners-up received a bronze medal and a laurel
wreath. Gold, silver and bronze medals were not awarded until 1904.
From the Amsterdam Games in 1928, when the medals were standardised,
until the 2000 Games in Sydney, the medals remained almost unchanged.
The obverse showed a seated, wingless figure of Victory holding a wreath in one
hand and a palm frond in the other. In the background appeared an arena similar
to the Coliseum in Rome. The reverse had to show a victorious athlete being
borne upon the shoulders of the crowd. Since 1972, only the obverse of the medal
remained the same. The reverse was modified for each Olympiad.
Then, in 2004, the iconography changed dramatically. A representation of Nike
from the Olympia Museum now features on the obverse of the summer Games
medals. She appears to be descending from the sky to land in the Panathinaiko
Stadium, recalling the place where the first modern Games were held in Athens
in 1896. In the background the Acropolis can be seen.
The Winter Games medals
The Winter Games medals are not subject to the same constraints. There are
no rules stipulating a particular shape or design. Even the materials may vary:
the medals of the Albertville Games (France) included a crystal disc;
the Lillehammer (Norway) medals had a granite element, and the medals
of the Nagano Games (Japan) were partially worked in lacquer. In fact,
every Olympic Winter Games has seen an original medal designed.
Medal ceremonies
Since the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid (USA) in 1932, the medals have
been awarded on a podium. The winner takes the centre spot, on the highest
step. He or she receives a gold medal and the title of Olympic champion.
The second placed athlete is to the winner’s right and receives a silver medal. The
1. Athenes 2004, winner’s
medal (gold)
© IOC
1 © The Olympic Museum
17
third placed athlete is to the winner’s left and receives a bronze medal.
The national flags of the three winners are hoisted and the national anthem
of the Olympic champion is played.
The first eight in each event receive a diploma and their names are read out.
Only the first three receive a medal in addition.
Celebrity of the champions
After the Olympic Games, the champions often become superstars and role
models for many people. The Olympic Charter stipulates that the names
of the athletes who win a gold medal must be engraved on the walls
of the main stadium in the city hosting the Games.
However, a medal is not always a guarantee of celebrity. If it is won in a little known
sport with low media coverage, a medal alone will not suffice to attract the interest
of the sponsors or the general public.
But whether or not they are winners, everyone who takes part in the Games
takes home with them the memory of an exceptional human experience.
The Modern Olympic Games VICTORY
1
1. OG Vancouver 2010,
Medal ceremony for crosscountry ski, 50km Men mass
start free.
© 2010 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
© The Olympic Museum
18 The Modern Olympic Games The Games and their era
The Games and their era
The Olympic Games are much more than just a series of sports competitions.
Technological progress in the last century helped turn them into an international
event eagerly awaited and followed by people all over the world. Everything that
happens during the Games is reported and analysed by thousands of journalists
and experts. So it is quite understandable that, at certain points in recent
history, governments have exploited the Games for political or diplomatic ends
(sometimes, sadly, to the detriment of sport).
Developments in technology
In little over a century, the Olympic Games have become a global event. Two major
technological revolutions have contributed to this: in transport and the media.
Improved transport – easier access to the Games
Depending on the city and country hosting the Games, athletes are obliged
to travel greater or lesser distances. For the 1904 Games in St Louis and the
1932 Games in Los Angeles, in the USA, the number of participants was much
lower because many athletes were unable to make and afford such a long journey.
The majority of host cities prior to World War II were European, and the
athletes who took part in the Games were mostly Westerners.
In 1956, the Games took place in Oceania (Australia). For the first time, most
of the 3,178 competitors travelled by plane to Melbourne. This novel
development, which was possible thanks to the growth of air transport, quickly
became essential to the organisation of the Olympic Games.
In 1964 it was the turn of the Asian continent to host the Games, which
were held in the city of Tokyo in Japan; then, in 1968, it was Latin America,
with the Games in Mexico City.
The Olympic Games have now been held on every continent except Africa.
Development of the media - Games accessible to everyone
Television made an enormous contribution to the growing popularity of the
Olympic Games. The first tests were carried out in 1936 and 1948. And the first
live television broadcast of the competitions was in 1956, at the Winter Games
in Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy). Beginning with the 1960 Games in Rome (Italy),
the majority of the European continent benefited from live broadcasts of the
competitions. For the United States, Canada and Japan, a tape was flown out
every day, which meant that the competitions could be screened with just a few
hours’ delay. With a couple of weeks’ delay, the images were transferred onto
A long journey − For the 1932
Games in Los Angeles, European
athletes first had to travel to New
York by boat. They then crossed
the American continent by train
to Los Angeles (a total travel time
of three weeks!). They returned
the same way.
Some competitors had to save
up their holiday entitlement for
three years in order to have the
10 weeks’ leave they needed for
the Olympic adventure!
© The Olympic Museum
19 The Modern Olympic Games The Games and their era
film and sent to Asia, Africa, Oceania and South America. The Olympic audience
ended up being far larger than just the spectators present in the stadium.
Since the 1964 Games in Tokyo (Japan), satellites have transmitted images
with just a few seconds’ delay. Today, viewers all over the world can follow
the champions’ achievements live. In 1968, the Olympic Winter Games in
Grenoble (France) were the first to be broadcast live on colour television.
Thanks to further technological developments, picture quality has improved
enormously and has reached a high level of perfection. Slow motion shots mean
that an athlete’s movements can be seen in great detail and underwater cameras
even take the audience into the swimming pool with the competitors.
Television networks buy broadcasting rights for the Games, thus providing
approximately half of the Olympic Movement’s income. The IOC nonenetheless
enables less well-off broadcasters to show coverage of the Olympic Games.
This means that sports lovers all over the world can follow the performances
of the champions.
This has helped the Olympic Games to become one of the most watched
sporting events in the world!
Political and diplomatic exploitation of the Games
Being at the forefront of the international stage, the Olympic Games have
the potential to be used as a propaganda tool and an instrument
of political interests.
Here are some of the better-known examples
› 1936 in Berlin (Germany): the Nazi regime appropriated the Games. In the years
leading up to 1936, several governments and sports organisations expressed
their concerns about the regime and its policies. The threat of a boycott hung
over the Games. In the end, it was more individual convictions that prevented
certain athletes from attending.
› 1956 in Melbourne (Australia): the Suez crisis and Soviet oppression
in Hungary provoked a strong reaction from some countries, which refused
to send their athletes to the Games.
› 1968 in Mexico City (Mexico): American athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos
demonstrated against the racism in the USA. As they stood on the podium
to receive their medals for the 200m, they raised black-gloved fists and bowed
their heads when the American flag was raised. This gesture was their way
of showing their support for the “Black Power” movement which was fighting
the discrimination against black people in the USA. As a result, they were
disqualified.
› 1972 in Munich (Germany): Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage.
What is a boycott? −
It is the voluntary severing
of relations with a person,
country or other group
in order to exert pressure.
Boycotts at the Olympic Games
occur when a government
refuses to allow its athletes
to attend the Games.
1
1. OG London 2012,
Photographers at the Women
Triathlon
© 2012 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC) / FURLONG,
Christopher
© The Olympic Museum
20 The Modern Olympic Games The Games and their era
The event ended in tragedy, with nine hostages executed and the death
of a policeman and two other members of the Israeli delegation. The terrorists
were killed by the police.
› 1976 in Montreal (Canada): 22 countries (mostly African) boycotted the Games
to protest against a recent tour of South Africa, which imposed apartheid,
by the New Zealand rugby team.
› 1980 in Moscow (Soviet Union): the United States called for a global boycott
in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American athletes were
forbidden to take part in the Games under threat of having their passports
confiscated. Other countries followed the US example and stayed away
from Moscow.
› 1984 in Los Angeles (USA): in response to the American boycott of 1980,
the Soviet Union refused to attend the Games. The official reasons given
were the commercialisation of the Games and insufficient guarantees
of athletes’ safety.
The diplomatic role of the Games
If the Games are used for political ends, the Olympic ideal is placed under threat.
Nevertheless, the Olympic Games can be used to improve relations between
countries and communities.
› Since the 1950s, the Olympic Games have provided an opportunity for
newly created countries to show the world they exist. Their appearance
at the Games has often led to more widespread international recognition
(e.g. certain African countries, republics of the former Soviet Union).
It has even been the case that the participation of certain athletes in the Games
has preceded the political creation of their country (e.g. Timor Leste, a small
country located next to Indonesia, which has been independent since 2002).
› The end of the apartheid regime allowed South Africa to participate again
in the Olympic Games at the 1992 Games in Barcelona (Spain). The victory lap,
hand-in-hand, of Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu, who won the women’s 10,000 metres,
and her South African rival Elana Meyer symbolised this change and became
one of the highlights of these Games.
› At the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Games in Sydney (Australia), South
Korea and North Korea paraded together under a single flag. This act was
unprecedented since the breakdown in diplomatic relations between
the two countries after the Korean War (1950-1953).
› Also in Sydney, the status of the Aborigines was front page news, and several
events were organised to make their claims known. The final stage of the torch
relay was entrusted to Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman, and the culture
of the Aboriginal people was a highlight of the Opening Ceremony.
1
1. OG Barcelona 1992
Athletics. 10000m Women –
final, Derartu TULU (ETH) 1st
and Elana MEYER (RSA) 2nd.
© 1992 / IOPP / SASAHARA,
Koji
© The Olympic Museum
21 The Modern Olympic Games The Games and their era
The Geography of the Games
Games of the Olympiad (Summer Games)
Olympiad Year City Country Continent
I 1896 Athens Greece Europe
II 1900 Paris France Europe
III 1904 St Louis USA North America
IV 1908 London United Kingdom Europe
V 1912 Stockholm Sweden Europe
VI 1916 World War I: The Olympiad was not celebrated
VII 1920 Antwerp Belgium Europe
VIII 1924 Paris France Europe
IX 1928 Amsterdam The Netherlands Europe
X 1932 Los Angeles USA North America
XI 1936 Berlin Germany Europe
XII 1940 World War II: The Olympiad was not celebrated
XIII 1944 World War II: The Olympiad was not celebrated
XIV 1948 London United Kingdom Europe
XV 1952 Helsinki Finland Europe
XVI 1956 Melbourne
Stockholm (Equestrian Games
Australia
Sweden
Oceania
Europe
XVII 1960 Rome Italy Europe
XVIII 1964 Tokyo Japan Asia
XIX 1968 Mexico City Mexico Latin America
XX 1972 Munich Germany Europe
XXI 1976 Montreal Canada North America
XXII 1980 Moscow USSR Europe
XXIII 1984 Los Angeles USA North America
XXIV 1988 Seoul South Korea Asia
XXV 1992 Barcelona Spain Europe
XXVI 1996 Atlanta USA North America
XXVII 2000 Sydney Australia Oceania
XXVIII 2004 Athens Greece Europe
XXIX 2008 Beijing China Asia
XXX 2012 London United Kingdom Europe
XXXI 2016 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Latin America
1. OG Helsinki 1952
Men’s 10km walk: medal
ceremony
© 1952 / International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
1 © The Olympic Museum
22 The Modern Olympic Games The Games and their era
Winter Games
Number Year City Country Continent
1st 1924 Chamonix France Europe
2nd 1928 St Moritz Switzerland Europe
3rd 1932 Lake Placid USA North America
4th 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany Europe
1940 World War II: The Olympiad was not celebrated
1944 World War II: The Olympiad was not celebrated
5th 1948 St Moritz Switzerland Europe
6th 1952 Oslo Norway Europe
7th 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Italy Europe
8th 1960 Squaw Valley USA North America
9th 1964 Innsbruck Austria Europe
10th 1968 Grenoble France Europe
11th 1972 Sapporo Japan Asia
12th 1976 Innsbruck Austria Europe
13th 1980 Lake Placid USA North America
14th 1984 Sarajevo Yugoslavia Europe
15th 1988 Calgary Canada North America
16th 1992 Albertville France Europe
17th 1994 Lillehammer Norway Europe
18th 1998 Nagano Japan Asia
19th 2002 Salt Lake City USA North America
20th 2006 Turin Italy Europe
21th 2010 Vancouver Canada North America
22th 2014 Sotchi Russia Europe
23th 2018 PyeongChang South Korea Asia
1. OG Sydney 2000, Closing
Ceremony – Gathering
of athletes in the stadium.
© 2000 / Kishimoto / IOC /
NAGAYA, Yo
1
The Olympiads are counted even if the Games do not take place!
© The Olympic Museum
23 The Modern Olympic Games Activities - Selective Bibliography
Activities
Schools – subject area: human and social sciences
Look at a globe or a map of the world and locate the Olympic Games host cities.
Discuss the geographical distribution of the Summer and Winter Games.
Write an article on an athlete who has taken part in the Games but who did
not win a medal: describe his/her feelings, emotions and experience.
Find out about an Olympic sport. Pick a sport you don’t know from
the list of sports on the programme of the Summer or Winter Games. Do some research
and prepare a fact sheet on it, including the names of some athletes who practise
the sport.
Imagine some costumes that could be used at the opening ceremony
of the next Olympic Games. Choose a theme and sketch some designs.
Identify some other major events that bring people together like the Olympic
Games. Make a list of them and identify their similarities and differences.
Find some other examples of the interplay between the Olympic Games
and the historical, political or cultural situation of the time.
Selective Bibliography
Young readers
› The Olympic Museum. How well do you know the Olympic Games?
Lausanne: The Olympic Museum, 3rd edition, 2011
› Clive Gifford.Summer Olympics: the definitive guide to the world's greatest
sports celebration
Boston: Kingfisher, 2004
› David Fischer. The encyclopedia of the summer Olympics
New York [etc.]: Franklin Watts, 2003
› Middleton, Haydn. Modern Olympic Games
Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2000
© The Olympic Museum
24 The Modern Olympic Games
Teachers
› David Miller. The official history of the Olympic Games and the IOC: Athens
to London 1984-2012 / by David Miller
Edinburgh: Mainstream, 2012