Ranking the 9 Fastest Male 100m Athletes of All Time Featuring Bolt and Omanyala
- Noah Lyles became the new men's 100m Olympic champion after winning a close race on Sunday evening
- The American runner beat Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by the tightest of margins, which took time to decide the winner
- YEN.com.gh has compiled a list of the fastest 100m male athletes ever to grace the sport, which includes Jamaican icon Usain Bolt
Noah Lyles has earned the title of 'World's Fastest Man' after a thrilling photo finish in the men’s 100m race on Sunday.
The American sprinter set a new personal best with a time of 9.79 seconds.
Initially, it appeared that Jamaica's Kishane Thompson had narrowly edged out Lyles, but a review revealed that the margin between them was just five thousandths of a second.
Source: Getty Images
According to World Athletics, there have been 199 instances of male sprinters completing the 100m in under 10 seconds.
The Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius"—Faster, Higher, Stronger—captures the essence of the 100m event, which has evolved from cinder tracks to modern synthetic surfaces.
The men's 100m race epitomises this motto, showcasing the evolution of sprinting excellence.
Usain Bolt, the Jamaican legend, stands out as one of the greatest sprinters in the event's history, amassing numerous accolades.
However, he faced fierce competition from other elite sprinters.
YEN.com.gh has compiled a list of the fastest 100m male athletes ever to grace the sport.
9. Ferdinand Omanyala
Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, known for his remarkable speed in a region traditionally strong in middle and long-distance running, almost broke the 10-second barrier.
He set an African record with a time of 9.77 seconds at a meet in Nairobi and aims to excel further at Paris 2024, per the BBC.
8. Fred Kerley
Fred Kerley came close to historic glory at the Tokyo Olympics with a 9.84-second run, earning a silver medal.
He later won gold at the 2022 World Championships.
7. Trayvon Bromell
Trayvon Bromell is one of the few to surpass the 9.8-second mark, recording 9.76 seconds at a 2021 Nairobi meet.
Unfortunately, he missed the Tokyo Olympics finals.
6. Christian Coleman
Christian Coleman, who clocked 9.76 seconds and won the World Championship gold, was a strong Olympic contender.
However, a missed drug test led to an 18-month ban, causing him to miss the Tokyo Games.
5. Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin faced a major setback with a doping accusation, resulting in a lifetime ban.
After serving a four-year suspension, he returned to win bronze at the London Olympics and silver at Rio.
His personal best of 9.74 seconds came in Doha in 2015.
Gatlin's crowning achievement was defeating Bolt by 0.03 seconds to win the 2017 World Championship.
4. Asafa Powell
Imagine being one of the fastest sprinters ever, yet never coming close to winning an individual Olympic medal.
That’s the story of Asafa Powell. Despite breaking the world record twice, Powell never secured an individual Olympic medal.
3. Yohan Blake
In 2011, Yohan Blake won the World Championships 100m gold after Bolt's disqualification.
Blake shares the second-fastest time with Tyson Gay, having clocked 9.69 seconds in Lausanne in 2012.
2. Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay, who won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the 2007 World Championships, was a major sprinting talent.
Despite a personal best of 9.69 seconds in 2009, he never secured an Olympic medal.
1. Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt, who surprised the world with his performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics, is considered one of the greatest sprinters ever.
Over his illustrious career, Bolt won eight Olympic gold medals and set the 100m world record at 9.58 seconds, per Diario AS.
Fans claim 100m final was rigged in favour of Lyles
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the tight finish and the subsequent wait for the result sparked controversy among fans, with some alleging the race was rigged in favour of the American.
The American sprinter won with a time of 9.79 seconds in a photo finish to clinch track and field’s marquee sprint event
However, a section of fans on social media reckon that the 100m dash was 'rigged' in favour of the 27-year-old.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
