Gold medal times in the 100m sprint at the Summer Olympics, 1896-2020
sixteen victories in the men's race and nine in the women's, although Jamaica has emerged as a sprinting superpower since the millennium. Despite having a population of less than three million people, Jamaica has dominated this event since 2008, claiming 14 of the 24 medals on offer. While measurements were not as accurate in earlier years, the men's time has fallen from 12 seconds in 1896, to 9.6 seconds in 2012, while the women's has fallen from 12.2 seconds in 1928 to 10.61 in 2020. Since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the gold medal times have remained below ten seconds for men, and eleven seconds for women (although altitude allowed for many new records to be set at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, which is 2.2km above sea level).
Throughout modern Olympic history, the 100 meter sprint is generally regarded as the most high profile and popular event of each Summer Games. The men's event has been included in every Olympics, while the women's event has been included since 1928. Athletes from the United States have won both events more than any other nation, with