10-second barrier


The 10-second barrier is the physical and psychological barrier of completing the 100 metres sprint in under ten seconds. The achievement is traditionally regarded as the hallmark of a world-class male sprinter. Its significance has become less important since the late 1990s, as an increasing number of runners have surpassed the ten seconds mark. The current men's world record holder is Usain Bolt, who ran a 9.58 seconds at the [2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres#Final|2009 IAAF World Championship final].
Jim Hines was the first person to ever officially run the 100 metres under 10 seconds at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The fastest non-winning sub-10 performance was by Tyson Gay who clocked 9.71 in 2009 as a runner-up. The only quadragenarian to have run a sub-10 is Kim Collins who ran his personal best time of 9.93 in 2016 at 40 years old, earning him the nickname Ageless Wonder. Justin Gatlin chronologically held the longest streak of sub-10 performances in history, having a sub-10 career in a time-span of 18 years, from his first sub-10 clocking in 2003, to the final one in 2021.

History

For sprints, World Athletics maintains that world records and other recognised performances require: a wind assistance of not more than two metres per second in the direction of travel; fully automatic timing to one hundredth of a second; and no use of performance-enhancing substances. Wind gauge malfunctions or infractions may invalidate a sprinter's time.

Hand timing

Prior to 1977, FAT was not required for IAAF official timings. Times were recorded manually to one tenth of a second; three official timers with stopwatches noted when the starting gun flashed and when the runner crossed the finish line, and their median recorded time was the official mark. Some races also had an unofficial FAT, or semi-automatic time, often in conjunction with photo finish equipment. The first person timed at under ten seconds was Bob Hayes, who ran 9.9 seconds at the Mt. SAC Relays in April 1963, but with a tailwind of. Hayes clocked another illegal 9.9 in the semi-final of the 1964 Olympic 100 metres, with the first sub-10 FAT of 9.91 seconds. In the final, Hayes' official tenths time of 10.0 seconds was calculated by rounding down the FAT of 10.06 seconds; the backup hand-timers recorded 9.8, 9.9, and 9.9, which would have given 9.9 as the official time if the FAT had malfunctioned.
At the 1968 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Charles C. Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California, three men ran legal hand-timed 9.9 seconds: Jim Hines first and Ronnie Ray Smith second in the first semi-final, and Charlie Greene first in the second semi-final. This was dubbed the "Night of Speed", and all three were recognised as world records by the IAAF. The IAAF lists their FATs as: Hines 10.03, Smith 10.14 and Greene 10.10; although Time magazine reported at the time that "an automatic Bulova Accutron Phototimer confirmed that all three had indeed broken ". Hines also had a wind-assisted 9.8 seconds in the heats. Hines went on to win the 1968 Olympic final in 9.9 seconds, rounded down from his FAT of 9.95, making it the first non-wind-assisted electronic sub-10-second performance. By 1976, six other men had equalled the 9.9 hand-timed record, though none of their performances had an FAT mark.

Automatic timing

After the 1977 rule change, Jim Hines' nine-year-old 9.95 was the only recognised sub-10-second race. That year the barrier was broken again, when Silvio Leonard ran 9.98 seconds on 11 August 1977. Both of these marks were recorded at a high altitude, which aids performance due to lower air resistance.
Carl Lewis was the first sprinter to break ten seconds at low altitude under electronic timing, with 9.97 seconds at the Modesto Relays on 14 May 1983. Calvin Smith recorded a world record of 9.93 seconds in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 3 July 1983, at altitude, and became the first sprinter to run under ten seconds twice, in August that year. In total, six sprinters legally broke the barrier during the 1980s. Another, Ben Johnson, had eclipsed both the 9.90 mark in 1987 and the 9.80 mark in 1988, respectively with 9.83 seconds and 9.79 seconds; however, both of these records were rescinded after he tested positive for, and later admitted to, using doping, namely steroids.
The 100 metres final at the 1991 World Championships represented a new zenith in the event: six athletes ran under ten seconds in the same race, and winner Carl Lewis lowered the world record to 9.86 seconds. In second place was Leroy Burrell who also broke the former world record, which had been his at 9.90 seconds. In third place, 0.01 seconds slower than the former world record, was Dennis Mitchell with a time of 9.91 seconds. In fourth place, breaking his own European record of 9.97 seconds, was Linford Christie with a time of 9.92 seconds.
Maurice Greene, in 1999, was the first athlete to run under 9.80. Usain Bolt surpassed 9.70 in 2008, and 9.60 in 2009.
The men's 100 metres final at the 2012 Summer Olympics saw a new Olympic record and seven out of eight finalists running under 10 seconds. However Tyson Gay, was later disqualified from this race. Prior to his disqualification, he had been in fourth place with a time of 9.80 seconds, the fastest fourth place in history.
On 29 May 2016, former World Champion Kim Collins improved his personal best by running 9.93 seconds in Bottrop as a 40-year-old. He improved his own standing as the oldest man to break the 10-second barrier, the first over the age of 40. Omar McLeod, a sprint hurdles specialist, became the first hurdling athlete to break ten seconds in April 2016.
On 4 August 2024, the final of the men's 100 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics marked the first competitive race in history where the entire field finished in under 10 seconds, with last-place-finisher Oblique Seville recording a time of 9.91 seconds.
No woman has recorded an official sub-10 second time yet. The female 100-metre world record is 10.49 seconds, set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

Electronically timed marks

#DateAthleteTime
AgeNationalityContinentBest Doping caseRef
114 October 1968Jim Hines9.95 North America9.95
211 August 1977Silvio Leonard9.98 North America9.98
314 May 1983Carl Lewis9.97North America9.86
43 July 1983Calvin Smith9.93 North America9.93
55 May 1984Mel Lattany9.96North America9.96
69 July 1986Ben Johnson9.95North America9.95 Yes
724 September 1988Linford Christie9.97Europe9.87 Yes
820 May 19899.97North America9.96
916 June 1989Leroy Burrell9.94North America9.85
1025 August 1991Dennis Mitchell9.99North America9.91 Yes
1125 August 1991Frankie Fredericks9.95Africa9.86
1211 September 1991Andre Cason9.99North America9.92
134 April 1992Olapade Adeniken9.97Africa9.95
1418 April 1992Michael Marsh9.93North America9.93
1518 April 1992Davidson Ezinwa9.96Africa9.94 Yes
1621 May 1993Daniel Effiong9.99Africa9.98 Yes
1722 July 1994Jon Drummond9.99North America9.92
1822 April 1995Donovan Bailey9.99North America9.84
1915 July 1995Bruny Surin9.97North America9.84
2021 April 1996Ato Boldon9.93North America9.86
2112 June 1997Maurice Greene9.96North America9.79
2212 June 1997Kareem Streete-Thompson9.96North America9.96
2312 June 1997Tim Montgomery9.96North America9.92 Yes
2419 June 1997Percival Spencer9.98North America9.98
2513 July 1997Seun Ogunkoya9.97Africa9.92
269 August 1998Vincent Henderson9.95North America9.95
2711 September 1998Obadele Thompson9.87 North America9.87
285 June 1999Leonard Myles-Mills9.98Africa9.98
2913 June 1999Dwain Chambers9.99Europe9.97 Yes
302 July 1999Jason Gardener9.98Europe9.98
315 July 1999Tim Harden9.92North America9.92
322 June 2000Coby Miller9.98North America9.98
332 June 2000Bernard Williams9.99North America9.94 Yes
3421 June 2000Francis Obikwelu9.98Africa9.86
3512 April 2002Shawn Crawford9.99 North America9.88 Yes
3621 April 2002Joshua J. Johnson9.95North America9.95
374 May 2002Brian Lewis9.99North America9.99
3827 July 2002Kim Collins9.98North America9.93
395 May 2003Patrick Johnson9.93Oceania9.93
4019 July 2003Deji Aliu9.98Africa9.95
4115 August 2003John Capel9.97North America9.95 Yes
4215 August 2003Justin Gatlin9.97North America9.74 Yes
4315 August 2003Mickey Grimes9.99North America9.99 Yes
4412 October 2003Uchenna Emedolu9.97Africa9.97
4512 June 2004Asafa Powell9.99North America9.72 Yes
4614 June 2005Aziz Zakari9.99Africa9.99 Yes
4725 June 2005Marc Burns9.96North America9.96
4825 June 2005Darrel Brown9.99North America9.99
495 July 2005Ronald Pognon9.99Europe9.99
5022 July 2005Leonard Scott9.94North America9.91
5112 May 2006Olusoji Fasuba9.93Africa9.85
5225 July 2006Tyson Gay9.97North America9.69 Yes
5318 August 2006Marcus Brunson9.99North America9.99
5428 April 2007Derrick Atkins9.98North America9.91
558 June 2007Walter Dix9.93North America9.88
5626 July 2007Samuel Francis9.99Asia9.99
5728 September 2007Wallace Spearmon9.96North America9.96
583 May 2008Usain Bolt9.76North America9.58
5910 May 2008Travis Padgett9.96North America9.89
6018 May 2008Richard Thompson9.93North America9.82
6128 June 2008Rodney Martin9.95North America9.95
6228 June 2008Mark Jelks9.99North America9.99 Yes
6328 June 2008Darvis Patton9.89North America9.89
6428 June 2008Ivory Williams9.94North America9.93 Yes
6522 July 2008Nesta Carter9.98North America9.78 Yes
6615 August 2008Churandy Martina9.99North America9.91
6716 August 2008Michael Frater9.97North America9.88
6824 May 2009Daniel Bailey9.99North America9.91
697 June 2009Mike Rodgers9.94North America9.85 Yes
7028 August 2009Lerone Clarke9.99North America9.99
718 July 2010Yohan Blake9.96North America9.69 Yes
729 July 2010Christophe Lemaitre9.98Europe9.92
7319 August 2010Trell Kimmons9.95North America9.95
7429 August 2010Ryan Bailey9.95North America9.88 Yes
7529 August 2010Mario Forsythe9.99North America9.95
7616 April 2011Steve Mullings9.90North America9.80 Yes
7723 April 2011Ngonidzashe Makusha9.97Africa9.89
784 June 2011Nickel Ashmeade9.96North America9.90
794 June 2011Keston Bledman9.93North America9.86
8010 June 2011Mookie Salaam9.97North America9.97
8130 June 2011Jaysuma Saidy Ndure9.99Europe9.99
826 June 2012Harry Adams9.96North America9.96
837 July 2012Kemar Hyman9.95North America9.95
847 September 2012Kemar Bailey-Cole9.97North America9.92
8523 May 2013Isiah Young9.99North America9.89
865 June 2013Dentarius Locke9.97North America9.96
878 June 2013Gabriel Mvumvure9.98Africa9.98
8821 June 2013Charles Silmon9.98North America9.98
8913 July 2013James Dasaolu9.91Europe9.91
9013 July 2013Jimmy Vicaut9.95Europe9.86
9112 April 2014Simon Magakwe9.98 Africa9.98 Yes
9217 May 2014Kemarley Brown9.93North America9.93
938 June 2014Chijindu Ujah9.96Europe9.96
9413 June 2014Trayvon Bromell9.97North America9.76
9528 September 2014Femi Ogunode9.93Asia9.91 Yes
968 May 2015Clayton Vaughn9.93North America9.93
9717 May 2015Andre De Grasse9.97North America9.89
9816 May 2015Bryce Robinson9.99North America9.99
9920 May 2015Marvin Bracy9.95North America9.85
10030 May 2015Su Bingtian9.99Asia9.83
1017 June 2015Adam Gemili9.97Europe9.97
10225 June 2015Diondre Batson9.94North America9.94
10325 June 2015Beejay Lee9.99North America9.99
10425 June 2015Quentin Butler9.96North America9.96
1051 July 2015Akani Simbine9.99Africa9.82
1065 July 2015Henricho Bruintjies9.97Africa9.97
10711 July 2015Andrew Fisher9.94North America9.94
10812 March 2016Wayde van Niekerk9.98 Africa9.94
10923 April 2016Omar McLeod9.99North America9.99
1102 June 2016Ameer Webb9.94North America9.94
1116 June 2016Ben Youssef Meïté9.99Africa9.96
1128 June 2016Senoj-Jay Givans9.96North America9.96
11311 June 2016Aaron Brown9.96North America9.96
11412 June 2016Jak Ali Harvey9.92Europe9.92
11524 June 2016Rondel Sorrillo9.99North America9.99
1163 July 2016Christian Coleman9.95North America9.76
11730 July 2016Joel Fearon9.96Europe9.96
11818 March 2017Thando Roto9.95 Africa9.95
11915 April 2017Ronnie Baker9.99North America9.83
12022 April 2017Odean Skeen9.98North America9.98
12113 May 2017Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake9.99Europe9.99
1227 June 2017Cameron Burrell9.93North America9.93
1237 June 2017Christopher Belcher9.93North America9.93
12423 June 2017Julian Forte9.99North America9.91
1256 July 2017Ramil Guliyev9.97Europe9.97
1269 September 2017Yoshihide Kiryū9.98Asia9.98
12713 May 2018Kendal Williams9.99North America9.93
12825 May 2018Jaylen Bacon9.97North America9.97
12925 May 2018Andre Ewers9.98North America9.98
1309 June 2018Zharnel Hughes9.91Europe9.83
1319 June 2018Noah Lyles9.93North America9.79
13216 June 2018Arthur Cissé9.94Africa9.93
13319 June 2018Xie Zhenye9.97Asia9.97
13422 June 2018Filippo Tortu9.99Europe9.99
1359 July 2018Barakat Al-Harthi9.97Asia9.97 Yes
13621 July 2018Tyquendo Tracey9.96North America9.96
1377 August 2018Reece Prescod9.96Europe9.93
13822 February 2019Roberto Skyers9.98North America9.98
13920 April 2019Divine Oduduru9.94Africa9.86 Yes
14011 May 2019Abdul Hakim Sani Brown9.99Asia9.96
14112 May 2019Cravon Gillespie9.97North America9.93
1425 June 2019Mario Burke9.98North America9.98
14320 July 2019Yuki Koike9.98Asia9.98
14427 August 2019Raymond Ekevwo9.96Africa9.96
14520 July 2020Michael Norman9.86North America9.86
14626 March 2021Benjamin Azamati9.97Africa9.90
14710 April 2021Kyree King9.97North America9.96
14817 April 2021Jo'Vaughn Martin9.94North America9.94
14924 April 2021Fred Kerley9.91North America9.76
15013 May 2021Marcell Jacobs9.95Europe9.80
15114 May 2021Gift Leotlela9.94 South Africaayd|1992|06|10|2021|06|06JAPayd|1998|10|14|2021|06|20USAayd|2001|11|12|2021|06|20USAayd|2000|03|08|2021|07|31NGRayd|1996|01|02|2021|08|14KENayd|2000|06|20|2022|04|16USAayd|2000|02|27|2022|04|16USAayd|1997|01|12|2022|04|23GHAayd|2003|06|07|2022|04|30BOTayd|2001|03|16|2022|05|21JAMayd|1998|01|02|2022|06|11USAayd|2002|01|21|2022|06|12JAMayd|1994|08|22|2022|06|24USAayd|1991|04|15|2022|06|24LBRayd|2002|04|28|2022|06|25NGRayd|1994|12|31|2022|07|3SRIayd|1996|11|21|2022|07|03CUBayd|1994|05|19|2022|07|03FRAayd|2004|02|16|2023|03|29JAMayd|2002|11|08|2023|04|15BAHref label|Note12|12|12ayd|2001|09|11|2023|04|15LBRref label|Note13|13|13ayd|2003|01|29|2023|05|26NGRayd|2000|09|19|2023|06|07USAayd|1999|03|05|2023|06|07USAayd|2003|05|27|2023|06|07NGRayd|2001|02|01|2023|06|07RSAayd|1998|11|18|2023|06|09USAayd|2001|12|21|2023|06|09USAayd|1992|06|22|2023|06|16GBR2ayd|1993|08|17|2023|07|02CMRayd|2002|04|29|2023|07|06JAMayd|1997|11|08|2023|07|06JAMayd|2001|07|17|2023|07|06JAMayd|2001|05|23|2023|07|06JAMAyd|2004|12|29|2023|07|28SURAyd|2000|03|03|2023|07|28BRAAyd|2004|06|30|2023|07|28COLAyd|1998|10|08|2023|09|09BRAAyd|2006|05|16|2024|04|20USAAyd|2004|05|20|2024|04|20USAAyd|1999|04|02|2024|04|27USAAyd|2001|05|15|2024|05|25GBR2Ayd|2002|04|08|2024|06|01CUBAyd|2003|02|01|2024|06|01CUBAyd|2002|07|18|2024|06|07GBR2Ayd|1997|03|26|2024|06|18COLAyd|1999|04|06|2024|06|18ITAayd|2003|12|23|2024|06|28JAMAyd|2000|11|28|2024|06|29GERAyd|2003|12|19|2024|07|14RSAAyd|1996|09|18|2024|07|14GAMAyd|2004|03|08|2024|07|19FRAAthAbbr|AAyd|2006|02|09|2025|03|15RSAAyd|2004|09|14|2025|04|19NGRAyd|2004|06|29|2025|04|19USAAyd|2006|11|26|2025|04|23USAAyd|2007|09|26|2025|05|03USAAyd|2003|05|07|2025|05|24PURAyd|1997|10|06|2025|05|30GHAAyd|2001|10|13|2025|05|30USAAthAbbr|AAyd|2003|11|04|2025|05|31AUSAyd|1995|08|18|2025|06|21CANAyd|2002|06|30|2025|06|22USAAyd|2000|02|27|2025|07|23RSAAyd|2005|10|28|2025|08|19CAYAyd|2006|1|13|2025|12|11THA

Totals

YearNo. of new athletesTotal legal sub-10sRef
196811
197711
198323
198414
198501
198611
198701
198819
198922
199002
1991314
199236
199318
1994116
199525
1996124
1997538
1998234
1999426
2000315
2001016
2002416
200369
2004133
2005516
2006324
2007418
20081053
2009345
2010536
2011657
2012361
2013658
2014532
20151291
20161060
2017948
20181160
2019750
202016
20211182
20221378
202320102
20241496
20251499

NationNo. of athletes
78
28
15
13
10
6
6
5
5
5
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

ContinentNo. of athletes
Africa41
Asia11
Europe25
North America133
Oceania2
South America5

Hand timed marks

Prior to 1977, FAT was not required for IAAF official timings. The following sprinters all received a hand-timed mark of 9.9 seconds. All the runners held the world record simultaneously. However, the timing may not have been precise.
Date first brokenAthleteNationalityNo. of times broken
2
1
1
4
1
1
1
2
1