100-meter run at the Olympic Games

The 100-meter run at the Olympic Games is the shortest sprint distance in this international sporting event. Traditionally, the respective Olympic champions in this discipline are considered to be the fastest people in the world. However, the World Athletics Championships that have been held since 1983 sometimes undercut these records.

Men

Usain Bolt set the Olympic record in 2012

time	athlete	nation	year	round	date
12.2	Francis Lane	United States	1896	Forward 1	0April 6, 1896
12.2	Thomas Curtis	United States	1896	Forward 2	0April 6, 1896
11.8	Tom Burke	United States	1896	Forward 3	0April 6, 1896
11.4	Arthur Duffey	United States	1900	Forward 1	June 14, 1900
11.4	Walter Tewksbury	United States	1900	Forward 2	June 14, 1900
10.8 WR	Frank Jarvis	United States	1900	Forward 3	June 14, 1900
10.8 WR	Walter Tewksbury	United States	1900	Semi-final 2	June 14, 1900
10.8	James Rector	United States	1908	Forward 15	July 20, 1908
10.8	Reggie Walker	South Africa	1908	Semi-final 1	July 20, 1908
10.8	James Rector	United States	1908	Semi-final 3	July 20, 1908
10.8	Reggie Walker	South Africa	1908	final	July 20, 1908
10.8	David Jacobs	United Kingdom	1912	Forward 10	0July 6, 1912
10.6	Donald Lippincott	United States	1912	Forward 16	0July 6, 1912
10.6	Harold Abrahams	United Kingdom	1924	Quarter Finals 4	0July 6, 1924
10.6	Harold Abrahams	United Kingdom	1924	Semi-final 2	0July 7, 1924
10.6	Harold Abrahams	United Kingdom	1924	final	0July 7, 1924
10.6	Percy Williams	Canada	1928	Quarter Finals 4	July 29, 1928
10.6	Robert McAllister	United States	1928	Semi-final 1	July 30, 1928
10.6	Jack London	United States	1928	Semi-final 2	July 30, 1928
10.6	Arthur Jonath	Germany	1932	Forward 3	July 31, 1932
10.4	Eddie Tolan	United States	1932	Quarter finals 1	July 31, 1932
10.3 WR	Eddie Tolan	United States	1932	final	0August 1, 1932
10.3	Jesse Owens	United States	1936	Forward 1	0August 2, 1936
10.3	Harrison Dillard	United States	1948	final	July 31, 1948
10.3	Bobby Joe Morrow	United States	1956	Quarter finals 1	November 23, 1956
10.3	Ira Murchison	United States	1956	Quarter finals 2	November 23, 1956
10.3	Bobby Joe Morrow	United States	1956	Semi-final 2	November 24, 1956
10.2	Armin Hary	BR Germany	1960	Quarter finals 2	August 31, 1960
10.2	Armin Hary	BR Germany	1960	final	August 31, 1960
10.0 WR	Bob Hayes	United States	1964	final	October 15, 1964
10.0 A	Hermes Ramirez	Cuba	1968	Quarter finals 2	October 13, 1968
10.0 A	Charlie Greene	United States	1968	Quarter Finals 4	October 13, 1968
10.0 A	Jim Hines	United States	1968	Semi-final 1	October 14, 1968
9.9 A, WR	Jim Hines	United States	1968	final	October 14, 1968
9.92 *	Carl Lewis	United States	1988	final	September 24, 1988
9.84	Donovan Bailey	Canada	1996	final	July 27, 1996
9.69 WR	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	2008	final	August 16, 2008
9.63	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	2012	final	05th August 2012

• Carl Lewis was actually only second in 1988 with 9.92 seconds, but Ben Johnson was disqualified.

Women

Florence Griffith-Joyner set the previous Olympic record in 1988 and has not been beaten since then

time	Athlete	nation	year	round	date
13.0	Anni Holdmann	Germany	1928	Forward 1	July 30, 1928
12.8	Erna Steinberg	Germany	1928	Forward 2	July 30, 1928
12.8	Kinue Hitomi	Japan	1928	Forward 3	July 30, 1928
12.8	Leni Junker	Germany	1928	Forward 4	July 30, 1928
12.8	Leni Schmidt	Germany	1928	Forward 6	July 30, 1928
12.6	Fanny Rosenfeld	Canada	1928	Forward 7	July 30, 1928
12.6	Ethel Smith	Canada	1928	Forward 9	July 30, 1928
12.4	Fanny Rosenfeld	Canada	1928	Semi-final 1	July 30, 1928
12.4	Betty Robinson	United States	1928	Semi-final 2	July 30, 1928
12.2 WR	Betty Robinson	United States	1928	final	July 31, 1928
12.2	Marie Dollinger	Germany	1932	Forward 1	0August 1, 1932
11.9 WR	Stanisława Walasiewicz	Poland	1932	Forward 2	0August 1, 1932
11.9 WR	Stanisława Walasiewicz	Poland	1932	Semi-final 2	0August 1, 1932
11.9 WR	Stanisława Walasiewicz	Poland	1932	final	0August 2, 1932
11.9	Fanny Blankers-Koen	Netherlands	1948	final	0August 2, 1948
11.9	Catherine Hardy	United States	1952	Forward 7	July 21, 1952
11.6	Marjorie Jackson	Australia	1952	Forward 8	July 21, 1952
11.6	Marjorie Jackson	Australia	1952	Quarter finals 1	July 21, 1952
11.5 WR	Marjorie Jackson	Australia	1952	Quarter finals 1	July 22, 1952
11.5	Marlene Mathews	Australia	1956	Forward 2	November 24, 1956
11.4	Betty Cuthbert	Australia	1956	Forward 3	November 24, 1956
11.3 WR	Wilma Rudolph	United States	1960	Semi-final 1	02nd September 1960
11.2 WR	Wyomia Tyus	United States	1964	Quarter finals 1	October 15, 1964
11.2 A	Wyomia Tyus	United States	1968	Forward 1	October 14, 1968
11.2 A	Margaret Bailes	United States	1968	Forward 2	October 14, 1968
11.2 A	Barbara Ferrell	United States	1968	Forward 6	October 14, 1968
11.1 A, WR	Barbara Ferrell	United States	1968	Quarter finals 1	October 14, 1968
11.1 A, WR	Irena Szewińska	Poland	1968	Quarter Finals 4	October 14, 1968
11.0 A, WR	Wyomia Tyus	United States	1968	final	15th October 1968
07/11 WR	Renate Stecher	German Democratic Republic	1972	Quarter finals 1	01st September 1972
05/11	Annegret Richter	BR Germany	1976	Quarter finals 1	July 24, 1976
11.01 WR	Annegret Richter	BR Germany	1976	Semi-final 1	July 25, 1976
10.97	Evelyn Ashford	United States	1984	final	05th August 1984
10.88	Florence Griffith Joyner	United States	1988	Forward 7	September 24, 1988
10.88	Evelyn Ashford	United States	1988	Quarter finals 2	September 24, 1988
10.62	Florence Griffith Joyner	United States	1988	Quarter finals 3	September 24, 1988

WR = world record