Top 10 Greatest Olympic Sprinters of All Time

Lewis dominated sprinting and long jump for over a decade, winning 9 Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 1996. He is the only athlete to win the 100m gold at back-to-back Olympics (1984 and 1988, after Ben Johnson was disqualified), and was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC.

Flo-Jo set the women's 100m world record of 10.49s at the 1988 US Olympic Trials, a record that still stands 36 years later. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics she won three gold medals (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) and revolutionized the sport with her flamboyant style and unmatched speed.

Owens won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defying Adolf Hitler's Aryan supremacy ideology on the world stage. He set three world records in a single 45-minute span at the 1935 Big Ten Championships and remains one of the most iconic figures in the history of athletics.

Johnson set the 200m world record of 19.32s in his signature gold shoes at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning both the 200m and 400m golds at the same Games. His unique upright running style baffled experts but proved devastatingly effective, earning him 4 Olympic gold medals total.

Greene set the 100m world record of 9.79s in Athens in 1999, becoming the fastest man alive. He won the 100m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the dominant sprinter of his era, earning the nickname The Kansas Assassin.

Fraser-Pryce is the most decorated female sprinter in Olympic history, winning 100m gold in 2008 (aged just 18), 2012, and 2024. She clocked the world's fastest 100m time in 2023 (10.60s) and has won 5 Olympic gold medals in total, cementing her legacy across three decades of competition.

Bailey set the 100m world record of 9.84s while winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, clocking an astonishing top speed of 27.1 mph (43.6 km/h). He also anchored Canada to 4x100m relay gold and later beat Michael Johnson in a one-on-one 150m race to settle the debate over the world's fastest man.

Christie became the oldest man to win the Olympic 100m title at age 32 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Jamaican-born British sprinter dominated European sprinting throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning European, World, Commonwealth, and Olympic gold medals.

Hayes, nicknamed "The World's Fastest Human," won the 100m gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics running a remarkable 10.06s on a cinder track. After his athletics career he became an NFL wide receiver, winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys — the only person to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.

Lewis dominated sprinting and long jump for over a decade, winning 9 Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 1996. He is the only athlete to win the 100m gold at back-to-back Olympics (1984 and 1988, after Ben Johnson was disqualified), and was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC.

Flo-Jo set the women's 100m world record of 10.49s at the 1988 US Olympic Trials, a record that still stands 36 years later. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics she won three gold medals (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) and revolutionized the sport with her flamboyant style and unmatched speed.

Owens won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defying Adolf Hitler's Aryan supremacy ideology on the world stage. He set three world records in a single 45-minute span at the 1935 Big Ten Championships and remains one of the most iconic figures in the history of athletics.

Johnson set the 200m world record of 19.32s in his signature gold shoes at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning both the 200m and 400m golds at the same Games. His unique upright running style baffled experts but proved devastatingly effective, earning him 4 Olympic gold medals total.

Greene set the 100m world record of 9.79s in Athens in 1999, becoming the fastest man alive. He won the 100m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the dominant sprinter of his era, earning the nickname The Kansas Assassin.

Fraser-Pryce is the most decorated female sprinter in Olympic history, winning 100m gold in 2008 (aged just 18), 2012, and 2024. She clocked the world's fastest 100m time in 2023 (10.60s) and has won 5 Olympic gold medals in total, cementing her legacy across three decades of competition.

Bailey set the 100m world record of 9.84s while winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, clocking an astonishing top speed of 27.1 mph (43.6 km/h). He also anchored Canada to 4x100m relay gold and later beat Michael Johnson in a one-on-one 150m race to settle the debate over the world's fastest man.

Christie became the oldest man to win the Olympic 100m title at age 32 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Jamaican-born British sprinter dominated European sprinting throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning European, World, Commonwealth, and Olympic gold medals.

Hayes, nicknamed "The World's Fastest Human," won the 100m gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics running a remarkable 10.06s on a cinder track. After his athletics career he became an NFL wide receiver, winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys — the only person to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.