The World's Fastest Runners: Who's the Champion?

Speed is a crucial element in the sport of running, determining victory. In the Olympics, the 100-meter race is one of the most prestigious athletic events. Winners of the 100-meter category are often hailed as the fastest humans in the world due to their exceptional sprint speed in a short time.

According to sportsunfold, here are the 5 fastest runners in the world.

1. Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is known as the fastest man in the world. This Jamaican runner holds the 100-meter record at 9.58 seconds. Throughout his career, Bolt won numerous medals. Bolt set a record such that no sprinter has been able to break it for decades.

In the 2009 World Championships, he set a record that made him famous, completing the 100-meter race in 9.58 seconds and the 200m in 19.19 seconds. He is the only runner to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100, 150, and 200 meters.

2. Tyson Gay

This American athlete completed the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds. Gay also holds the 200-meter record at 19.58 seconds, making him the second-fastest runner in the world. Furthermore, Gay also completed the 400 meters in 45 seconds.

3. Yohan Blake

Similar to Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake also completed the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds. After the Swiss meet, he became the third-fastest runner.

At age 19, he became the youngest man to finish a race under 10 seconds. Throughout his career, he accumulated 14 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals. In 2020, his fans believed he would become the fastest runner in the world, but his age hindered this progress.

4. Asafa Powell

Asafa Powell has won a total of 4 world championship gold medals. For three years, between 2005 and 2008, Powell held the world record as the fastest runner to complete the 100-meter sprint in 9.77 seconds. In September 2008, he completed the 100 meters in 9.72 seconds.

5. Justin Gatlin

Justin completed the 100 meters in 9.74 seconds. In 2001, Gatlin was suspended from international athletics after testing positive for amphetamines.

This caused a hiatus in his career. Surprisingly, in 2012 he won the 2012 WIC in 60 meters and won bronze at the Summer Olympics.