Usain Bolt has recently been the undeniable dominant force in the sprinting world. You can find the Jamaican sprinter dominating the sprint division alone in any record book. Whether it be one for world records or greatest achievements at prestigious sports events like the Olympic Games or the World Championships. What is the record of Usain Bolt in 100m? Find out the answer right below!
The record of Usain Bolt in 100m
The record of Usain Bolt in 100m
The 16th of August 2009 has unique significance in the history of World Athletics. On this day in 2013, Usain Bolt broke his own world mark by running the 100 meters in 9.58 seconds. It was the event of in the World Athletics Championship final.
By easily beating his previous best of 9.69 seconds, which he had recorded at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Jamaican surprised the Berlin audience.
Tyson Gay of the United States and Asafa Powell of Jamaica came in second and third, respectively. Their hopes of beating Bolt were swiftly impossible as the Olympic champion just destroyed the opposition.
Bolt had jogged to victory in the semifinals the day before, supposedly to save energy for a great showing. If that was his strategy, it came out nicely. Even there, he committed a mistake that resulted in immediate disqualification for everyone else who made a similar error going forward.
Tyrone Edgar, an English sprinter, was the unfortunate one and he expressed regret for losing out. Bolt ignored the wait and started the race, but he soon slowed down and finished in 9.89 seconds.
In the start of the final, Bolt sprinted ahead and took the lead after just 30 meters. This indicates that a sensational finish to the race would be in store. Bolt would eventually break the record; it was only a matter of time.
Bolt would eventually break the record
The record of Usain Bolt in 100m – The development of the world record
It took nine years after Lipincott set the first official world record in 1912 for the record to be beaten. Then, American Charley Paddock ran in 10.4 seconds in 1921, shaving off a whole two-tenths of a second. Until Percy Williams of Canada set a new record in 1930 by, nine more years had passed.
Six more men would match the record of 10.3 seconds before 1936, when the great Jesse Owens reduced the bar to 10.2. However, hand-timed records are only accurate to a tenth of a second.
Only one year earlier, at the Big Ten Championships in Michigan, USA, Owens accomplished what has been labeled “the greatest 45 minutes in sport” by setting world records in the 100-yard sprint (9.4), long jump (8.13 meters), 200-yard dash (20.3), and 200-yard low hurdles (22.6).
The record of Usain Bolt in 100m – The development of the world record
Nevertheless, just two months before the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens stunned the world with a remarkable performance of 10.2 in the NCAA Track and Field Championships. That shattered the official 100-meter world record.
He then won four gold medals in Berlin in 1936, when he delivered a historic performance. While his 100-meter record was matched ten times, it took 20 years for anybody to surpass it.
Another American, Willie Williams, won the title of “World’s Fastest Man” in 1956 after setting the record with 10.01 seconds.
Once West German Armin Hary broke the 10-second barrier in 1960, the focus shifted to the first to do it.
