The 100m dash will be one of the most exciting events of the 2021 Olympics but what is the world record time in the event and who set that time?
There probably isn’t a more exciting sub-10 seconds of athletic competition than the men’s 100m dash. Whether it’s the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo or in previous and future events, every fan of sport is tuned in to watch the fastest men on the planet get off the blocks and speed down the track.
From Usain Bolt to Tyson Gay to Asafa Powell to Carl Lewis and many, many more, there’s something special about watching speed on the track that is unlike anything fans have ever seen before. And in that vein, everyone watching wants to see the world record get broken — which is also likely the ultimate goal for any sprinter as well.
So as the 2021 Olympics approach, what is the world record 100m dash time that the competitors will be looking to break in Tokyo?
Usain Bolt set the world record 100m dash time back in 2009
The 100m dash world record mark that every sprinter in the 2021 Olympics will be looking to break was set by Usain Bolt on Aug. 16, 2009 at the IAAF Track and Field World Championships in Berlin. Beating American Tyson Gay, the Jamaican blazed to a time of 9.58 seconds, surpassing the mark he set one year prior at the Beijing Olympics.
However, that mark set at Beijing is not the Olympic record that still stands. Bolt also bested that mark four years later in London when he ran a time of 9.63 seconds in the 100m dash. And for good measure, the all-time great sprinter also holds the Olympic and world records in the 200m event as well.
Because of how otherworldly dominant Usain Bolt was, it’s hard to fathom any athlete at the 2021 Olympics surpassing his world record mark. Yet, making history is always the goal and all eyes will be on Tokyo on Sunday, Aug. 1 when the 100m dash finals will take place.