Top 10 Fastest Humans Ever Recorded (Athletics)

American Tyson Gay ran 9.69 seconds in Shanghai in 2009 — equalling the then-world record — and became the first man to legally break 9.70 seconds in the US. His personal best makes him the second-fastest human in history despite later serving a one-year doping ban that led to the disqualification of his 4x100m relay medal.

Jamaican Yohan Blake matched Gay's 9.69 seconds at the 2012 Jamaican Trials, making him the second-fastest sprinter in history at age 22 and the joint-second-fastest ever. Silver medals behind Bolt at London 2012 in both the 100m and 200m confirmed that Blake was only ever a fraction behind the greatest ever — just an unfortunate era to inhabit.

Jamaican Asafa Powell held the world record twice (9.77s in 2005, then 9.74s in 2007) before Bolt arrived and set the current mark. Powell ran sub-9.80 seconds 97 times in his career — the most of any athlete in history — demonstrating extraordinary consistency at the elite level over more than a decade of competition.

Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs stunned the world by winning the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 100m gold in 9.80 seconds — the only Italian to ever win a senior world or Olympic 100m title. His rapid improvement from 10.20s in 2019 to Olympic champion in 2021 was the most dramatic sprint progression since Maurice Greene, and he backed it up with European championship gold.

American Noah Lyles won the Paris 2024 Olympic 100m gold in 9.784 seconds — the sixth-fastest time in legal conditions — by five thousandths of a second over Kishane Thompson. Lyles had run 9.83 seconds legally but his Olympic performance and his 9.77 wind-aided run confirm him as the fastest active sprinter and rightful heir to Bolt's showman crown.

Jamaican Kishane Thompson ran 9.77 seconds in June 2024 — the fastest time of the year before the Paris Olympics — and narrowly lost the Olympic gold by the thickness of a fingernail to Noah Lyles. His 9.784 official Olympic time ranks joint-sixth all time, and Thompson, at 23, looks set to be the dominant force in sprinting through the late 2020s.

American Maurice Greene set the 100m world record of 9.79 seconds in Athens in 1999 — a mark that stood for six years and was the first sub-9.80 performance by a non-Jamaican. The 2000 Olympic champion and 1997 and 1999 World champion was the most dominant sprinter of his era and mentored a generation of US track talent as a coach.

Canadian Donovan Bailey's 9.84 seconds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics set a new world record at the time and won him gold in one of the most electrifying 100m finals ever staged. His split time of 27mph (11.9 seconds over 10 metres between 60m and 70m) remains one of the fastest maximum velocity readings ever recorded in a sprint race.

American Carl Lewis's wind-legal 9.86 seconds set a world record at the 1991 Tokyo World Championships at age 30 — an extraordinary achievement for a sprinter at that stage of a career. Lewis won four consecutive Olympic long jump gold medals (1984-1996), nine Olympic gold medals in total, and is widely regarded as the greatest track and field athlete in history.

American Tyson Gay ran 9.69 seconds in Shanghai in 2009 — equalling the then-world record — and became the first man to legally break 9.70 seconds in the US. His personal best makes him the second-fastest human in history despite later serving a one-year doping ban that led to the disqualification of his 4x100m relay medal.

Jamaican Yohan Blake matched Gay's 9.69 seconds at the 2012 Jamaican Trials, making him the second-fastest sprinter in history at age 22 and the joint-second-fastest ever. Silver medals behind Bolt at London 2012 in both the 100m and 200m confirmed that Blake was only ever a fraction behind the greatest ever — just an unfortunate era to inhabit.

Jamaican Asafa Powell held the world record twice (9.77s in 2005, then 9.74s in 2007) before Bolt arrived and set the current mark. Powell ran sub-9.80 seconds 97 times in his career — the most of any athlete in history — demonstrating extraordinary consistency at the elite level over more than a decade of competition.

Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs stunned the world by winning the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 100m gold in 9.80 seconds — the only Italian to ever win a senior world or Olympic 100m title. His rapid improvement from 10.20s in 2019 to Olympic champion in 2021 was the most dramatic sprint progression since Maurice Greene, and he backed it up with European championship gold.

American Noah Lyles won the Paris 2024 Olympic 100m gold in 9.784 seconds — the sixth-fastest time in legal conditions — by five thousandths of a second over Kishane Thompson. Lyles had run 9.83 seconds legally but his Olympic performance and his 9.77 wind-aided run confirm him as the fastest active sprinter and rightful heir to Bolt's showman crown.

Jamaican Kishane Thompson ran 9.77 seconds in June 2024 — the fastest time of the year before the Paris Olympics — and narrowly lost the Olympic gold by the thickness of a fingernail to Noah Lyles. His 9.784 official Olympic time ranks joint-sixth all time, and Thompson, at 23, looks set to be the dominant force in sprinting through the late 2020s.

American Maurice Greene set the 100m world record of 9.79 seconds in Athens in 1999 — a mark that stood for six years and was the first sub-9.80 performance by a non-Jamaican. The 2000 Olympic champion and 1997 and 1999 World champion was the most dominant sprinter of his era and mentored a generation of US track talent as a coach.

Canadian Donovan Bailey's 9.84 seconds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics set a new world record at the time and won him gold in one of the most electrifying 100m finals ever staged. His split time of 27mph (11.9 seconds over 10 metres between 60m and 70m) remains one of the fastest maximum velocity readings ever recorded in a sprint race.

American Carl Lewis's wind-legal 9.86 seconds set a world record at the 1991 Tokyo World Championships at age 30 — an extraordinary achievement for a sprinter at that stage of a career. Lewis won four consecutive Olympic long jump gold medals (1984-1996), nine Olympic gold medals in total, and is widely regarded as the greatest track and field athlete in history.