'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. Illegal drug use has been seen by some people 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.
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 11 times since the introduction of electronic timing in 1968, and never by more than 0.05 seconds. The current world record of 9.74 seconds is held by
Asafa Powell of
Jamaica, set on
September 9th,
2007. 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 two 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 disqualified if they were responsible for two false starts. However, this rule was allowing some major races to be 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 by the slower starters in the field.
Climatic conditions
Climatic conditions are a crucial factor for good performances in the 100 m. Air resistance is the primary climatic factor in sprint performances. 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 wind legal and to be eligible for records. Furthermore, sprint athletes perform better at high altitudes because of the thinner air, which provides less air resistance. While there are no limitations on altitude, performances made at altitudes greater than 1000 m above sea level are marked with an "A".
[100 metres IAAF]
For example, on the 13th of April 1996
Obadele Thompson of
Barbados ran the fastest 100 m race ever. He was clocked at 9.69 s. However, it was achieved with a tail wind in excess of 5 m/s, well over the IAAF legal limit of 2.0 m/s, and the mark was not officially recognized.
Fastest 100 metres runners
Top twelve all-time athletes — men
Updated
9 September,
2007
Notes
# Although Justin Gatlin's record has been ratified, it is pending disqualification by the
IAAF for doping charges brought against him. He is currently serving an eight year ban. The decision whether to disqualify his result will be made in 2007.
# Donovan Bailey's time is currently the
Olympic record.
★ Ben Johnson's times (9.79 at Seoul on
24 September 1988 and 9.83 at Rome on
30 August 1987) were invalidated in 1988, following an admission of extended drug use. His time of 9.83 had been ratified as a world record; his time of 9.79 never was.
★
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. The time had stood as the world record until Asafa Powell first ran 9.77.
Top ten all-time athletes — women
Updated by
July 27,
2005
See also
★
World Record progression 100 m men
★
World Record progression 100 m women
References
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