100 metres

Encyclopedia : 1 : 10 : 100 : 100 metres

For other uses of 100 metres, see 1 E2 m.

100 m (one hundred metres) is the classic sprints race distance. The reigning 100 m Olympic champion is often named "the fastest man/woman in the world". A distance of 100 yards (91 m) was often run in the past, but this is now obsolete. Indoors, events are normally held over 60 m (sometimes 50 m or 55 m) as few facilities have a 100 m indoor straight.

On an outdoor 400 m running track, the 100 m is run on the home straight: the start being set on an extension to make it a straight line race. Many top level 60 m runners fail to excel at the 100 m. Competitive runners complete the event without breathing, and so it is an example of anaerobic exercise. Illegal drug use has been seen by some as a means to gain a competitive edge; in particular, the scandal at the 1988 Summer Olympics when the winner Ben Johnson was stripped of his medal.

Contents

1 Record performances
2 Start
3 Fastest 100 metre runners

3.1 Top ten all-time athletes — men
3.2 Top ten all-time athletes — women

4 See also

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 record has been lowered 10 times since the introduction of electronic timing in 1968, and never by more than 0.05 seconds. The current world record of 9.77 seconds is held jointly between the reigning Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the United States and Asafa Powell of Jamaica. Gatlin was reported as having run a time of 9.76 seconds in Doha on May 12, 2006, but five days later he was denied the out-right record after Tissot admitted an error in not rounding 9.766 to 9.77.

In the women's competition the world record belongs to Florence Griffith Joyner who ran a time of 10.49 seconds in Indianapolis on 16 July, 1988.

Start

At the start, some athletes play psychological games such as trying to be last to the starting blocks, although direct intimidation would be considered unsporting. The starter will keep the sprinters in the set position for an unpredictable time of around 2 seconds and then fire the starting gun.

The time between the gun and first kick against the starting block is measured electronically, via sensors built in the gun and the blocks. Anything less than a 0.1 second reaction time is considered a false start. The 0.1 second interval accounts for the sum of the time it takes for the sound of the starter's pistol to propagate through the air and reach the runners' ears, and the time it takes for a human to process the auditory stimulus and react to it.

For many years a sprinter was only disqualified if they were responsible for two false starts. However, this rule was causing some major races being restarted so many times that the sprinters started to lose focus. The new rule is that after one false start, anyone responsible for a subsequent false start is disqualified immediately, though this rule has led to some sprinters deliberately false starting to gain a psychological advantage especially if they're one of the slower starters in the field.

Fastest 100 metre runners

Top ten all-time athletes — men

Updated June 11, 2006

Rank Time Wind (m/s) Athlete Nation Date Location
1. 9.77 +1.5
+1.6 Asafa Powell 11 June 2006
14 June 2005 Gateshead
Athens
1. 9.77 +1.7 Justin Gatlin 12 May 2006 Doha
3. 9.79 +0.1 Maurice Greene 16 June 1999 Athens
4. 9.84 +0.7 Donovan Bailey 27 July 1996 Atlanta
4. 9.84 +0.2 Bruny Surin 22 August 1999 Seville
6. 9.85 +1.2 Leroy Burrell 6 July 1994 Lausanne
6. 9.85 +1.7 Olusoji Fasuba #redirect 12 May 2006 Doha
8. 9.86 +1.2 Carl Lewis 25 August 1991 Tokyo
8. 9.86 −0.4 Frank Fredericks 3 July 1996 Lausanne
8. 9.86 +1.8 Ato Boldon 19 April 1998 Walnut
8. 9.86 +0.6 Francis Obikwelu 22 August 2004 Athens

Rank	Time	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1.	9.77	+1.5 +1.6	Asafa Powell		11 June 2006 14 June 2005	Gateshead Athens
1.	9.77	+1.7	Justin Gatlin		12 May 2006	Doha
3.	9.79	+0.1	Maurice Greene		16 June 1999	Athens
4.	9.84	+0.7	Donovan Bailey		27 July 1996	Atlanta
4.	9.84	+0.2	Bruny Surin		22 August 1999	Seville
6.	9.85	+1.2	Leroy Burrell		6 July 1994	Lausanne
6.	9.85	+1.7	Olusoji Fasuba	#redirect	12 May 2006	Doha
8.	9.86	+1.2	Carl Lewis		25 August 1991	Tokyo
8.	9.86	−0.4	Frank Fredericks		3 July 1996	Lausanne
8.	9.86	+1.8	Ato Boldon		19 April 1998	Walnut
8.	9.86	+0.6	Francis Obikwelu		22 August 2004	Athens

Ben Johnson's times (9.79 at Seoul on 24 September 1988 and 9.83 at Rome on 30 August 1987) were invalidated following an admission of extended drug use in 1988.

Tim Montgomery's time (9.78 at Paris on 14 September 2002) was invalidated following indictment in the BALCO scandal on drug use and drug trafficking charges.

Donovan Bailey's time is currently the Olympic record.

Justin Gatlin briefly held the out-right world record of 9.76 from 12 May 2006 until 17 May 2006, when the IAAF corrected his time of 9.766, in order to round it up to 9.77, in accordance with IAAF rules. [link]

Asafa Powell equalled his best time ever, 9.77, with a wind speed of +1.5m/s on 11 June 2006.

Top ten all-time athletes — women

Updated by July 27, 2005

Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Location
1. 10.49 Florence Griffith Joyner 16 July 1988 Indianapolis
2. 10.65 Marion Jones 12 September 1998 Johannesburg
3. 10.73 Christine Arron 19 August 1998 Budapest
4. 10.74 Merlene Ottey 7 September 1996 Milan
5. 10.76 Evelyn Ashford 22 August 1984 Zürich
6. 10.77 Irina Privalova 6 July 1994 Lausanne
6. 10.77 Ivet Lalova 19 June 2004 Plovdiv
8. 10.78 Dawn Sowell 3 June 1989 Provo
9. 10.79 Li Xuemei 18 October 1997 Shanghai
9. 10.79 Inger Miller 22 August 1999 Seville