Torri Edwards leads her 100 metres heat at the 2007 World Championships

The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 (1928 for women). The reigning 100 m Olympic champion is often named "the fastest man/woman in the world".

On an outdoor 400 metres running track, the 100 m is run on the home straight, with the start sometimes being set on an extension to make it a straight-line race. Runners begin in the starting blocks and the race begins when an official fires the starter's pistol. Sprinters typically reach top speed after somewhere between 50–60 m. Their speed then slows progressively towards the finish line.

The 10-second barrier has historically been a barometer of fast men's performances, while the best female sprinters take eleven seconds or less to complete the race. The current men's world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt while American Florence Griffith-Joyner holds the women's world record of 10.49 seconds.

The 100 m emerged from the metrication of the 100 yards (91.4 m), a now defunct distance originally contested in English-speaking countries. The event is largely held outdoors as few indoor facilities have a 100 m straight.

Race dynamics[link]

Runners lining up to start the race in Osaka

Start[link]

At the start, some athletes play psychological games such as trying to be last to the starting blocks.

The time between the gun and first kick against the starting block is measured electronically, via sensors built in the gun and the blocks. A reaction time less than 0.1 s 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 reach the runners' ears, and the time it takes to react to it.

Male sprinters await the starter's instructions

For many years a sprinter was disqualified if responsible for two false starts individually. However, this rule allowed some major races to be restarted so many times that the sprinters started to lose focus. The next iteration of the rule, introduced in February 2003, meant that one false start was allowed between the field, but anyone responsible for a subsequent false start was disqualified.

This rule led to some sprinters deliberately false-starting to gain a psychological advantage: an individual with a slower reaction time might false-start, forcing the faster starters to wait and be sure of hearing the gun for the subsequent start, thereby losing some of their advantage. To avoid such abuse and to improve spectator enjoyment, the IAAF implemented a further change in the 2010 season – a false starting athlete now receives immediate disqualification.^[1] This proposal was met with objections when first raised in 2005, on the grounds that it would not leave any room for innocent mistakes. Justin Gatlin commented, "Just a flinch or a leg cramp could cost you a year's worth of work.".^[2] The rule had a dramatic impact at the 2011 world championships, when current world record holder Usain Bolt was disqualified.^[3][4]

Mid-race[link]

Runners typically reach their top speed just past the halfway point of the race and they progressively decelerate in the latter stages of the race. Maintaining that top speed for as long as possible is a primary focus of training for the 100 m.^[5] Pacing and running tactics do not play a significant role in the 100 m, as success in the event depends more on pure athletic qualities and technique.

Finish[link]

The winner, by IAAF Competition Rules, is determined by the first athlete with his or her torso (not including limbs, head, or neck) over the nearer edge of the finish line.^[6] When the placing of the athletes is not obvious, a photo finish is used to distinguish which runner was first to cross the line.

Climatic conditions[link]

Previous world record holder Asafa Powell leading a race.

Climatic conditions, in particular air resistance, can affect performances in the 100 m. 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 eligible for records, or "wind legal".

Furthermore, sprint athletes perform better at high altitudes because of the thinner air, which provides less air resistance. In theory, the thinner air would also make breathing slightly more difficult (due to the partial pressure of oxygen being lower), but this difference is negligible for sprint distances where all the oxygen needed for the short dash is already in the muscles and bloodstream when the race starts. While there are no limitations on altitude, performances made at altitudes greater than 1000 m above sea level are marked with an "A".^[7]

Record performances[link]

Major 100 m races, such as at the Olympic Games, attract much attention, particularly when the world record is thought to be within reach.

Usain Bolt breaking the world and Olympic records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

The men's world record has been improved upon twelve times since the introduction of electronic timing in 1968.^[8] The current men's world record of 9.58 s is held by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships final on 16 August 2009, breaking his own previous world record by 0.11 s.^[9] The current women's world record of 10.49 s was set by Florence Griffith-Joyner of the USA, in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 16 July 1988.^[10]

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.

Jim Hines was the first man to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m, recording the first sub-10 second, electronically timed run to win the 100 metres at the 1968 Olympics.

Fastest 100 metres runners[link]

Men[link]

Updated 8 September 2011^[11]

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Country	Date	Location
1	9.58	+0.9	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	16 August 2009	Berlin
2	9.69	+2.0	Tyson Gay	United States	20 September 2009	Shanghai
3	9.72	+0.2	Asafa Powell	Jamaica	2 September 2008	Lausanne
4	9.78	+0.9	Nesta Carter	Jamaica	29 August 2010	Rieti
5	9.79	+0.1	Maurice Greene	United States	16 June 1999	Athens
6	9.80	+1.3	Steve Mullings	Jamaica	4 June 2011	Eugene
7	9.82	+0.0	Yohan Blake	Jamaica	8 September 2011	Zurich
8	9.84	+0.7	Donovan Bailey	Canada	27 July 1996	Atlanta
		+0.2	Bruny Surin	Canada	22 August 1999	Seville
10	9.85	+1.2	Leroy Burrell	United States	6 July 1994	Lausanne
		+0.6	Justin Gatlin	United States	22 August 2004	Athens
		+1.7	Olusoji Fasuba	Nigeria	12 May 2006	Doha
		+1.3	Mike Rodgers	United States	4 June 2011	Eugene
		+1.0	Richard Thompson	Trinidad and Tobago	13 August 2011	Port of Spain

Notes[link]

Women[link]

Christine Arron (left) wins the 100 m at the Weltklasse meeting.

Updated 31 May 2011

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1	10.49	0.0	Florence Griffith-Joyner	United States	16 July 1988	Indianapolis
2	10.64	+1.2	Carmelita Jeter	United States	20 September 2009	Shanghai
3	10.65 [A]	+1.1	Marion Jones	United States	12 September 1998	Johannesburg
4	10.73	+0.1	Shelly-Ann Fraser	Jamaica	17 August 2009	Berlin
		+2.0	Christine Arron	France	19 August 1998	Budapest
6	10.74	+1.3	Merlene Ottey	Jamaica	7 September 1996	Milan
7	10.75	+0.4	Kerron Stewart	Jamaica	10 July 2009	Rome
8	10.76	+1.7	Evelyn Ashford	United States	22 August 1984	Zürich
		+1.1	Veronica Campbell-Brown	Jamaica	31 May 2011	Ostrava
10	10.77	+0.9	Irina Privalova	Russia	6 July 1994	Lausanne
		+0.7	Ivet Lalova	Bulgaria	19 June 2004	Plovdiv

Notes[link]

• Florence Griffith-Joyner's World Record has been the subject of a controversy due to strong suspicion of a defective anemometer measuring a tailwind lower than actually present; since 1997 the International Athletics Annual of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians has listed this performance as "probably strongly wind assisted, but recognized as a world record".^[13]

Area records[link]

Updated 6 September 2011.^[14]

Area	Men's			Women's
	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation
Africa (records)	9.85	Olusoji Fasuba	Nigeria	10.90	Glory Alozie	Nigeria
Asia (records)	9.99	Samuel Francis	Qatar	10.79	Li Xuemei	China
Europe (records)	9.86	Francis Obikwelu	Portugal	10.73	Christine Arron	France
North, Central America and Caribbean (records)	9.58 WR	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	10.49 WR	Florence Griffith-Joyner	United States
Oceania (records)	9.93	Patrick Johnson	Australia	11.12[A]	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	Australia
South America (records)	10.00[A]	Robson da Silva	Brazil	11.15	Ana Cláudia Silva	Brazil

Notes[link]

• ^A Represents a time set at a high altitude.^[15]
• ^WR World Record

Fastest 100 metres junior runners[link]

Men[link]

Updated 5 May 2012^[update][16]

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Country	Date	Location
1	10.01	+0.0	Darrel Brown	Trinidad and Tobago	24 August 2003	Paris
		+1.6	Jeff Demps	United States	28 Juni 2008	Eugene
3	10.03	+0.7	Marcus Rowland	United States	31 July 2009	Port of Spain
4	10.04	+1.7	D'Angelo Cherry	United States	10 June 2009	Fayetteville
		+0.2	Christophe Lemaitre	France	24 July 2009	Novi Sad
6	10.06	+2.0	Dwain Chambers	Great Britain	25 July 1997	Ljubljana
		+1.5	Walter Dix	United States	27 May 2005	New York
8	10.07	+2.0	Stanley Floyd	United States	24 May 1980	Austin
		+1.1	DaBryan Blanton	United States	30 May 2003	Lincoln
		+0.2	Tamunosiki Atorudibo	Nigeria	8 July 2004	Abuja
		+0.3	Jimmy Vicaut	France	22 July 2011	Tallinn

Notes[link]

• British sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis recorded a time of 9.97 seconds on 4 August 2001 (aged 18 years, 334 days) but the wind gauge malfunctioned, invalidating the run.
• Nigerian sprinters Davidson Ezinwa and Sunday Emmanuel ran 10.05 (4 January 1990) and 10.06 (26 April 1997), respectively, but without wind gauge.

Women[link]

Updated 5 May 2012^[update]

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1	10.88	+2.0	Marlies Göhr	East Germany	1 July 1977	Dresden
2	10.89	+1.8	Katrin Krabbe	East Germany	20 July 1988	Berlin
3	11.03	+1.7	Silke Gladisch-Möller	East Germany	8 June 1983	Berlin
		+0.6	English Gardner	United States	14 May 2011	Tucson
5	11.04	+1.4	Angela Williams	United States	5 June 1999	Boise
6	11.07	+0.7	Bianca Knight	United States	27 June 2008	Eugene
7	11.08	+2.0	Brenda Morehead	United States	21 June 1976	Eugene
8	11.11	+0.2	Shakedia Jones	United States	2 May 1998	Westwood
		+1.1	Joan Uduak Ekah	Nigeria	2 July 1999	Lausanne
10	11.12	+2.0	Veronica Campbell-Brown	Jamaica	18 October 2000	Santiago
		+1.2	Alexandria Anderson	United States	22 June 2006	Indianapolis
		+1.1	Aurieyall Scott	United States	24 June 2011	Eugene

Fastest 100 metres Youth runners[link]

Boys[link]

Updated 5 May 2012^[update]

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Country	Date	Location
1	10.23	+0.8	Tamunosiki Atorudibo	Nigeria	23 March 2002	Enugu
		+1.2	Rynell Parson	United States	21 June 2007	Indianapolis
3	10.24	+0.0	Darrel Brown	Trinidad and Tobago	14 April 2001	Bridgetown
5	10.25	+1.5	J-Mee Samuels	United States	11 July 2004	Knoxville
		+1.6	Jeff Demps	United States	1 August 2007	Knoxville
7	10.26	+1.2	Deworski Odom	United States	21 July 1994	Lisboa
		−0.1	Sunday Emmanuel	Nigeria	18 March 1995	Bauchi
9	10.27	+0.2	Henry Thomas	United States	19 May 1984	Norwalk
		+1.6	Curtis Johnson	United States	30 June 1990	Fresno
		+1.0	Ivory Williams	United States	8 June 2002	Sacramento
		−0.2	Jazeel Murphy	Jamaica	23 April 2011	Montego Bay

Girls[link]

Updated 5 May 2012^[update]

Rank	Fastest time (s)	Wind (m/s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1	11.13	2.0	Chandra Cheeseborough	United States	21 June 1976	Eugene
2	11.14	+1.7	Marion Jones	United States	6 June 1992	Norwalk
		−0.5	Angela Williams	United States	21 June 1997	Edwardsville
4	11.16	+1.2	Gabrielle Mayo	United States	22 June 2006	Indianapolis
5	11.17 A	+0.6	Wendy Vereen	United States	3 July 1983	Colorado Springs
6	11.20 A	+1.2	Raelene Boyle	Australia	15 June 1968	Mexico City
7	11.24	+1.2	Jeneba Tarmoh	United States	22 June 2006	Indianapolis
		+0.8	Jodie Williams	Great Britain	31 May 2010	Bedford
9	11.26	+1.4	Grit Breuer	East Germany	30 June 1989	Dresden
		+1.2	Bianca Knight	United States	22 June 2006	Indianapolis

World Championship medalists[link]

Men[link]

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Carl Lewis (USA)	Calvin Smith (USA)	Emmit King (USA)
1987 Rome	Carl Lewis (USA)	Raymond Stewart (JAM)	Linford Christie (GBR)
1991 Tokyo	Carl Lewis (USA)	Leroy Burrell (USA)	Dennis Mitchell (USA)
1993 Stuttgart	Linford Christie (GBR)	Andre Cason (USA)	Dennis Mitchell (USA)
1995 Gothenburg	Donovan Bailey (CAN)	Bruny Surin (CAN)	Ato Boldon (TRI)
1997 Athens	Maurice Greene (USA)	Donovan Bailey (CAN)	Tim Montgomery (USA)
1999 Seville	Maurice Greene (USA)	Bruny Surin (CAN)	Dwain Chambers  (GBR)
2001 Edmonton	Maurice Greene (USA)	Bernard Williams (USA)	Ato Boldon (TRI)
2003 Paris	Kim Collins (SKN)	Darrel Brown (TRI)	Darren Campbell (GBR)
2005 Helsinki	Justin Gatlin (USA)	Michael Frater (JAM)	Kim Collins (SKN)
2007 Osaka	Tyson Gay (USA)	Derrick Atkins (BAH)	Asafa Powell (JAM)
2009 Berlin	Usain Bolt (JAM)	Tyson Gay (USA)	Asafa Powell (JAM)
2011 Daegu	Yohan Blake (JAM)	Walter Dix (USA)	Kim Collins (SKN)

Women[link]

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Marlies Oelsner-Göhr (GDR)	Marita Koch (GDR)	Diane Williams (USA)
1987 Rome	Silke Gladisch-Möller  (GDR)	Heike Daute-Drechsler (GDR)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1991 Tokyo	Katrin Krabbe (GER)	Gwen Torrence (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1993 Stuttgart	Gail Devers (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)	Gwen Torrence (USA)
1995 Gothenburg	Gwen Torrence (USA)	Merlene Ottey (JAM)	Irina Privalova (RUS)
1997 Athens	Marion Jones (USA)	Zhanna Pintusevich (UKR)	Savatheda Fynes (BAH)
1999 Seville	Marion Jones (USA)	Inger Miller (USA)	Ekaterini Thanou (GRE)
2001 Edmonton	Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (UKR)	Ekaterini Thanou (GRE)	Chandra Sturrup (BAH)
2003 Paris	Torri Edwards (USA)	Zhanna Block (UKR)	Chandra Sturrup (BAH)
2005 Helsinki	Lauryn Williams (USA)	Veronica Campbell (JAM)	Christine Arron (FRA)
2007 Osaka	Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)	Lauryn Williams (USA)	Carmelita Jeter (USA)
2009 Berlin	Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM)	Kerron Stewart (JAM)	Carmelita Jeter (USA)
2011 Daegu	Carmelita Jeter (USA)	Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM)	Kelly-Ann Baptiste (TRI)

See also[link]

• 100-yard dash
• National champions 100 metres (men)
• World record progression 100 metres men
• World record progression 100 metres women

References[link]

1. ^ "IAAF keeps one false-start rule". BBC. 3 August 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4433815.stm. Retrieved 15 August 2008. 
2. ^ "Gatlin queries false start change". BBC News. 6 May 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4521963.stm. Retrieved 15 August 2008. 
3. ^ Christopher Clarey (28 August 2011). "Who Can Beat Bolt in the 100? Himself". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/sports/bolt-is-disqualified-in-100-at-worlds-blake-wins.html. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
4. ^ "The disqualification of Usain Bolt". IAAF. 28 August 2011. http://daegu2011.iaaf.org//newslistdetail.aspx?id=61468. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
5. ^ http://speedendurance.com/2008/08/22/usain-bolt-100m-10-meter-splits-and-speed-endurance/
6. ^ Sandre-Tom. "IAAF Competition Rules 2009, Rule 164". IAAF. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. http://www.goldenleague.net/mm/Document/Competitions/TechnicalArea/04/95/59/20090303014358_httppostedfile_CompetitionRules2009_printed_8986.pdf. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
7. ^ 100 metres IAAF
8. ^ Press, Associated. "Progression of 100 meters world record". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2442751. Retrieved 28 June 2011. 
9. ^ "100 Metres Results". IAAF. 16 August 2009. http://berlin.iaaf.org/documents/pdf/3658/AT-100-M-f--1--.RS1.pdf. Retrieved 31 May 2011. 
10. ^ 100 Metres All Time. IAAF (9 March 2009). Retrieved on 6 May 2009. Archived 2009-05-08.
11. ^ "Top List – 100m". IAAF. http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=n/season=0/sex=M/all=y/legal=A/disc=100/detail.html. Retrieved 31 May 2011. 
12. ^ Zinser, Lynn (30 June 2008), "Shattering Limits on the Track, and in the Pool" The New York Times
13. ^ Linthorne, Nick (March 2003). "Wind Assistance". Brunel University. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~spstnpl/BiomechanicsAthletics/WindAssistance.htm. Retrieved 25 August 2008. 
14. ^ 100 metres records. IAAF (6 September 2011). Retrieved on 2011-06-09. Archived 6 September 2011.
15. ^ 60 Metres Records. IAAF (4 April 2009). Retrieved on 2009-04-04.
16. ^ "Top List – 100m". IAAF. http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=j/season=0/sex=M/all=y/legal=A/disc=100/detail.html. Retrieved 4 May 2012. 

External links[link]

• All-time men's 100 m list
• All-time women's 100 m list
• World Rankings Masters

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Usain Bolt

Bolt at Berlin World Championships 2009
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Lightning Bolt
Nationality	Jamaican
Born	(1986-08-21) 21 August 1986 (age 25)[1] Trelawny, Jamaica[2]
Residence	Kingston, Jamaica
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[3]
Weight	92 kg (200 lb)[3]
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprints
Club	Racers Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 9.58 WR (Berlin 2009)[4] 150 m: 14.35 WB[5] (Manchester 2009)[6] 200 m: 19.19 WR (Berlin 2009)[7] 400 m: 45.28 (Kingston 2007)[1]
Medal record Men's athletics Competitor for  Jamaica Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m relay World Championships Gold 2011 Daegu 200 m Gold 2011 Daegu 4×100 m relay Gold 2009 Berlin 100 m Gold 2009 Berlin 200 m Gold 2009 Berlin 4×100 m relay Silver 2007 Osaka 200 m Silver 2007 Osaka 4×100 m relay World Athletics Final Gold 2009 Thessaloniki 200 m CAC Championships Gold 2005 Nassau 200 m World Junior Championships Gold 2002 Kingston Silver 2002 Kingston 4×100 m relay Silver 2002 Kingston 4×400 m relay Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2003 Bridgetown 200 m Silver 2003 Bridgetown 4×100 m relay CARIFTA Games (Junior) Gold 2004 Hamilton 200 m Gold 2004 Hamilton 4×100 m relay Gold 2004 Hamilton 4×400 m relay Gold 2003 Port of Spain 200 m Gold 2003 Port of Spain 400 m Gold 2003 Port of Spain 4×100 m relay Gold 2003 Port of Spain 4×400 m relay World Youth Championships Gold 2003 Sherbrooke 200 m CAC Junior Championships (Youth) Gold 2002 Bridgetown 200 m Gold 2002 Bridgetown 400 m Gold 2002 Bridgetown 4×100 m relay Gold 2002 Bridgetown 4×400 m relay CARIFTA Games (Youth) Gold 2002 Nassau 200 m Gold 2002 Nassau 400 m Gold 2002 Nassau 4×400 m relay Silver 2001 Bridgetown 200m Silver 2001 Bridgetown 400m Competitor for the Americas World Cup Silver 2006 Athens 200 m

The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. ( /ˈjuːseɪn/;^[8] born 21 August 1986), is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and (along with his teammates) the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, and is one of only seven athletes (along with Valerie Adams, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jacques Freitag, Yelena Isinbayeva, Jana Pittman, Dani Samuels) to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level of an athletic event.

Bolt won a 200 m gold medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, making him the competition's youngest-ever gold medalist at the time (since surpassed by Jacko Gill). In 2004, at the CARIFTA Games, he became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in less than 20 seconds with a time of 19.93 s,^[9] breaking the previous world junior record held by Roy Martin by two-tenths of a second. He turned professional in 2004, and although he competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he missed most of the next two seasons due to injuries. In 2007, he broke Don Quarrie's 200 m Jamaican record with a run of 19.75 s.

His 2008 season began with his first world record performance—a 100 m world record of 9.72 s—and culminated in world and Olympic records in both the 100 m and 200 m events at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He ran 9.69 s for the 100 m and 19.30 s in the 200 m, and also set a 4×100 m relay record of 37.10 s with the Jamaican team. This made him the first man to win three sprinting events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the first man to set world records in all three at a single Olympics. The following year he further lowered his own 100 m and 200 m world records to 9.58 s and 19.19 s respectively at the 2009 World Championships.^[10] This made him the first man to hold both the 100 and 200 m world and Olympic titles at the same time.

His 2009 record breaking margin over 100 m is the highest since the start of digital time measurements.^[11] His achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt",^[12] and awards including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus Sportsman of the Year.

Early years[link]

Bolt was born on 21 August 1986 in Sherwood Content,^[13] a small town in Trelawny, Jamaica, and grew up with his parents, Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt, his brother Sadeeki,^[14] and his sister Sherine.^[2][15] His parents ran the local grocery store in the rural area, and Bolt spent his time playing cricket and football in the street with his brother,^[16] later saying, "When I was young, I didn’t really think about anything other than sports".^[17]

As a child, he attended Waldensia Primary and All-age School, and it was here that he first began to show his sprinting potential, running in the annual national primary-schools' meeting for his parish.^[12] By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance.^[18]

Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events.^[19] Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete,^[20] and Dwayne Barrett coached Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of success in athletics with past students, including sprinter Michael Green.^[12] Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, taking the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds.^[12] McNeil soon became his primary coach, and the two enjoyed a positive partnership, although McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt's lack of dedication to his training and his predisposition to practical jokes.^[20]

Early competitions[link]

Performing for Jamaica in his first Caribbean regional event, Bolt clocked a personal best of 48.28 s in the 400 metres in the 2001 CARIFTA Games, winning a silver medal. The 200 m also yielded a silver as Bolt finished in 21.81 s.^[21]

He made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Running in the 200 m event, he failed to qualify for the finals, but he still set a new personal best of 21.73 s.^[22] Bolt still did not take athletics or himself too seriously, however, and he took his mischievousness to new heights by hiding in the back of a van when he was supposed to be preparing for the 200 m finals at the CARIFTA Trials. He was detained by the police for his practical joke, and there was an outcry from the local community, which blamed coach McNeil for the incident.^[20] However, the controversy subsided, and both McNeil and Bolt went to the CARIFTA Games, where Bolt set championship records in the 200 m and 400 m with times of 21.12 s and 47.33 s, respectively.^[21] He continued to set records with 20.61 s and 47.12 s finishes at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships.^[23]

Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson recognised Bolt's talent and arranged for him to move to Kingston, along with Jermaine Gonzales, so he could train with the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) at the University of Technology, Jamaica.^[20]

Rise to prominence[link]

The 2002 World Junior Championships before a home crowd in Kingston, Jamaica, gave Bolt a chance to prove his credentials on the world stage. By the age of 15, he had grown to 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in) tall, and he physically stood out amongst his peers.^[12] He won the 200 m, in a time of 20.61 s,^[24] 0.03 seconds slower than his personal best of 20.58 s set in the 1st round.^[25] Bolt's 200 m win made him the youngest world-junior gold medalist ever.^[26] The expectation from the home crowd had made him so nervous that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet. However, it turned out to be a revelatory experience for Bolt as he vowed never again to let himself be affected by pre-race nerves.^[27] As a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team, he also took two silver medals and set national junior records in the 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres relay, running times of 39.15 s and 3:04.06 minutes respectively.^[28][29]

The flow of medals continued as he won four gold medals at the 2003 CARIFTA Games, and was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the games.^[30][31][32] He won another gold at the 2003 World Youth Championships. He set a new championship record in the 200 m with a time of 20.40 s, despite a 1.1 m/s head wind.^[33] Michael Johnson, the 200 m world-record holder, took note of Bolt's potential but worried that the young sprinter might be over-pressured, stating, "It's all about what he does three, four, five years down the line".^[34] Bolt had also impressed the athletics hierarchy, and he received the IAAF Rising Star Award for 2002.^[35]

Bolt turned his main focus to the 200 m and equalled Roy Martin's world junior record of 20.13 s at the Pan-American Junior Championships.^[12][36] This performance attracted interest from the press, and his times in the 200 m and 400 m led to him being touted as a possible successor to Johnson. Indeed, at sixteen years old, Bolt had reached times that Johnson did not register until he was twenty, and Bolt's 200 m time was superior to Maurice Greene's season's best that year.^[34]

In his final Jamaican High School Championships in 2003, he broke both the 200 m and 400 m records with times of 20.25 s and 45.30 s, respectively. Bolt's runs were a significant improvement upon the previous records, beating the 200 m best by more than half a second and the 400 m record by almost a second.^[12]

Bolt was growing more popular in his homeland. Howard Hamilton, who was given the task of Public Defender by the government, urged the JAAA to nurture him and prevent burnout, calling Bolt "the most phenomenal sprinter ever produced by this island".^[34] His popularity and the attractions of the capital city were beginning to be a burden to the young sprinter. Bolt was increasingly unfocused on his athletic career and preferred to eat fast food, play basketball, and party in Kingston's club scene. In the absence of a disciplined lifestyle, he became ever-more reliant on his natural ability to beat his competitors on the track.^[37]

As the reigning 200 m champion at both the World Youth and World Junior championships, Bolt hoped to take a clean sweep of the world 200 m championships in the Senior World Championships in Paris.^[12] Bolt beat all comers at the 200 m in the World Championship trials, but he was pragmatic about his chances and noted that, even if he did not make the final, he would consider setting a personal best a success.^[34][38] However, he suffered a bout of conjunctivitis before the event, and it ruined his training schedule.^[12] Realising he would not be in peak condition, the JAAA refused to let him participate in the finals on the grounds that he was too young and inexperienced. Bolt was dismayed at missing out on the opportunity, but focused on getting himself in shape to gain a place on the Jamaican Olympic team instead.^[38] Even though he missed the World Championships, Bolt was awarded the IAAF Rising Star Award for the 2003 season on the strength of his junior record-equalling run.^[35]

Professional athletics career[link]

Early Professional Career (2004 – 2007)[link]

Under the guidance of new coach Fitz Coleman, Bolt turned professional in 2004, beginning with the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda.^[12] He became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in under twenty seconds, taking the world junior record outright with a time of 19.93 s.^[12][26] For the second time in the role, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 2004 CARIFTA Games.^[39][30][31] A hamstring injury in May ruined Bolt's chances of competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships, but he was still chosen for the Jamaican Olympic squad.^[40] Bolt headed to the 2004 Athens Olympics with confidence and a new record on his side. However, he was hampered by a leg injury and was eliminated in the first round of the 200 metres with a disappointing time of 21.05 s.^[1][41] American colleges offered Bolt track scholarships on the strength of his performances, but the teenager from Trelawny refused them all, stating that he was content to stay in his homeland of Jamaica.^[15] Bolt instead chose the surroundings of the University of Technology, Jamaica, as his professional training ground, staying with the university's primitive track and weight room that had served him well in his amateur years.^[42]

Bolt at the Crystal Palace Meeting in 2007

The year 2005 signalled a fresh start for Bolt in the form of a new coach, Glen Mills, and a new attitude to athletics. Mills recognised Bolt's potential and aimed to cease the sprinter's unprofessional approach to the sport.^[41] Bolt began training with Mills in preparation for the upcoming athletics season, partnering with more-seasoned sprinters such as Kim Collins and Dwain Chambers.^[43] The year began well, and in July he knocked more than a third of a second off the 200 m CAC Championship record with a run of 20.03 s,^[44] then registered his 200 m season's best at London's Crystal Palace, running in 19.99 s.^[1] Misfortune awaited Bolt at the next major event, the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Bolt felt that both his work ethic and athleticism had much improved since the 2004 Olympics, and he saw the World Championships as a way to live up to expectations, stating, "I really want to make up for what happened in Athens. Hopefully, everything will fall into place".^[45] Bolt qualified with runs under 21 s, but he suffered an injury in the final, finishing in last place with a time of 26.27 s.^[41][46] Injuries were preventing him from completing a full professional athletics season, and the eighteen-year-old Bolt still had not proven his mettle in the major world-athletics competitions.^[47] Bolt was involved in a car accident in November, and although he suffered only minor facial lacerations, his training schedule was further upset.^[48][49] His manager, Norman Peart, made Bolt's training less intensive, and he had fully recuperated the following week.^[48] Bolt had continued to improve his performances, and he reached the world top-5 rankings in 2005 and 2006.^[12] Peart and Mills stated their intentions to push Bolt to do longer sprinting distances with the aim of making the 400 m event his primary event by 2007 or 2008. Bolt was less enthusiastic, and demanded that he feel comfortable in his sprinting.^[48][50] He suffered another hamstring injury in March 2006, forcing him to withdraw from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and he did not return to track events until May.^[51] After his recovery, Bolt was given new training exercises to improve flexibility, and the plans to move him up to the 400 m event were put on hold.^[47]

Upon his return to competition, the 200 m remained his primary event, and he beat Justin Gatlin's meet record in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Bolt had aspired to run under twenty seconds to claim a season's best but, despite the fact that bad weather had impaired his run, he was happy to end the meeting with just the victory.^[52] However, a sub-20-second finish was soon his, as he set a new personal best of 19.88 s at the 2006 Athletissima Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland, finishing behind Xavier Carter and Tyson Gay to earn a bronze medal.^[53] Bolt had focused his athletics aims, stating that 2006 was a year to gain experience. Also, he was more keen on competing over longer distances, setting his sights on running regularly in both 200 m and 400 m events within the next two years.^[52] Bolt claimed his first major world medal two months later at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany. He passed the finishing post with a time of 20.10 s, gaining a bronze medal in the process.^[1] The IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece, yielded Bolt's first senior international silver medal.^[1] Wallace Spearmon from the United States won gold with a championship record time of 19.87 s, beating Bolt's respectable time of 19.96 s.^[54] Further 200 m honours on both the regional and international stages awaited Bolt in 2007. The young Jamaican yearned to run in the 100 metres, but coach Mills diverted his attention, stating that he could run the shorter distance if he broke the 200 m national record.^[41] In the Jamaican Championships, he ran 19.75 s in the 200 m, breaking the 36-year-old Jamaican record held by Don Quarrie by 0.11 s.^[12][15]

Mills complied with Bolt's demand to run in the 100 m, and he was entered to run the event at the 23rd Vardinoyiannia meeting in Rethymno, Crete. In his debut tournament run, he set a personal best of 10.03 s, winning the gold medal and feeding his enthusiasm for the event.^[15][55]

Bolt (second from left) behind Gay in the closing stages of the 200 m race

Bolt (left) on the podium with his silver medal from the 200 m race in Osaka (2007)

He built on this achievement at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, winning a silver medal.^[1] Bolt recorded 19.91 s with a headwind of 0.8 m/s but this paled in comparison with Tyson Gay's time of 19.76 s, which set a new championship record.^[56]

The Jamaican national record fell when Bolt partnered with Asafa Powell, Marvin Anderson, and Nesta Carter in the 4×100 metres relay. However, their finish in 37.89 s was not enough to beat the Americans' time of 37.78 s.^[57] Bolt did not win any gold medals at the major tournaments in 2007, but Mills felt that Bolt's technique was much improved, pinpointing improvements in Bolt's balance at the turns over 200 m and an increase in his stride frequency, giving him more driving power on the track.^[41]

World-record breaker[link]

The silver medals from the 2007 Osaka World Championships boosted Bolt's desire to run, and he took a more serious, more mature stance towards his career.^[19] Bolt continued to develop in the 100 m, and he entered to run in the event at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston. On 3 May 2008, Bolt ran a time of 9.76 s, aided by a tail wind of 1.8 m/s, considerably improving upon his previous personal best of 10.03 s.^[58] This was the second-fastest legal performance in the history of the event; second only to compatriot Asafa Powell's 9.74 s record set the previous year in Rieti, Italy.^[59] Rival Tyson Gay lauded the performance, praising Bolt's form and technique especially.^[60] Michael Johnson, who was observing the race, said that he was shocked at how quickly he had improved over the 100 m distance.^[61] The Jamaican surprised even himself with the time, but coach Glen Mills remained confident that there was more to come.^[60]