100 Meters
Is it all about speed? Running as a discipline between past and present
Running is one of the oldest disciplines in sports. From its inception in the earliest Greek competitions to the modern Olympic Games, running has fascinated athletes and fans around the world with its various competitions.
Running was a key part of athletic games in ancient Greece.
In 776 B.C., the first running competition called “stadion,” a 192-meter race, was held, marking the beginning of the tradition of fast running.
In modern times, and thanks to the introduction of various rules, racing takes place on an athletic field that follows these characteristics:
– The races take place on an athletic track, the first lane of which measures 400 meters.
– Each lane should be 1.22 meters wide so that athletes can run freely without getting in each other’s way.
The 100-meter flat race is both a men’s and women’s specialty and is the ultimate sprint race. It is a pure speed discipline and has been part of the Olympic program since the first edition in 1896, and since 1928 as far as women are concerned.
Athletes prepare for years to perform a run that can last less than 10 seconds.
In fact, it is the shortest outdoor track and field race in the Olympic program; it is run on a straight track along a distance of 100 meters: competitors stand on the so-called starting blocks, then the starter first gives the vocal signal of imminence from the start and subsequently fires a shot. Competitors get up from the blocks with lightning-fast reaction times and race to the finish line.
Knowing the winner is not always so straightforward, and it is often necessary to view the so-called “photo finish”: the instrument that records the time at the exact moment the torso crosses the finish line.
In the 100 meters, the men’s world record belongs to Jamaican Usain Bolt with a time of 9″58 hundredths, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
The women’s record, on the other hand, is by U.S. Florence Griffith-Joyner achieved in Indianapolis with 10″49 hundredths, a time set at the 1988 U.S. Trials.
Marcell Jacobs has held the European 100-meter record since Aug. 1, 2021, when he ran 9”80 to win the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While France’s Christine Arron is the European record holder in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10”73 achieved in Budapest in 1998.
In addition to its historical evolution, there are many interesting facts associated with the race:
Speed: Running is an extraordinary demonstration of human power and speed, in fact, Olympic athletes can cover the 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, touching a top speed of nearly 45 km/h.
The start: in the 100-meter race, the start is crucial. Athletes must sprint from the blocks and try to achieve maximum acceleration in the first few steps.
False start: an athlete is disqualified when he/she has a reaction time to the shot of less than 0.1 seconds.
Is it all about speed? Running as a discipline between past and present
Running is one of the oldest disciplines in sports. From its inception in the earliest Greek competitions to the modern Olympic Games, running has fascinated athletes and fans around the world with its various competitions.
Running was a key part of athletic games in ancient Greece.
In 776 B.C. the first running competition called “stadion,” a 192-meter race, was held, marking the beginning of the tradition of fast running.
In modern times, and thanks to the introduction of various rules, racing takes place on an athletic field that follows these characteristics:
– The races take place on an athletic track, the first lane of which measures 400 meters.
– Each lane should be 1.22 meters wide so that athletes can run freely without getting in each other’s way.
The 100-meter flat race is both a men’s and women’s specialty and is the ultimate sprint race. It is a pure speed discipline and has been part of the Olympic program since the first edition in 1896, and since 1928 as far as women are concerned.
Athletes prepare for years to perform a run that can last less than 10 seconds. In fact, it is the shortest outdoor track and field race in the Olympic program; it is run on a straight track along a distance of 100 meters: competitors stand on the so-called starting blocks, then the starter first gives the vocal signal of imminence from the start and subsequently fires a shot. Competitors get up from the blocks with lightning-fast reaction times and race to the finish line.
Knowing the winner is not always so straightforward, and it is often necessary to view the so-called “photo finish”: the instrument that records the time at the exact moment the torso crosses the finish line.
In the 100 meters, the men’s world record belongs to Jamaican Usain Bolt with a time of 9″58 hundredths, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
The women’s record, on the other hand, is by U.S. Florence Griffith-Joyner achieved in Indianapolis with 10″49 hundredths, a time set at the 1988 U.S. Trials.
Marcell Jacobs has held the European 100-meter record since Aug. 1, 2021, when he ran 9”80 to win the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While France’s Christine Arron is the European record holder in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10”73 achieved in Budapest in 1998.
In addition to its historical evolution, there are many interesting facts associated with the race:
Speed: Running is an extraordinary demonstration of human power and speed, in fact, Olympic athletes can cover the 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, touching a top speed of nearly 45 km/h.
The start: in the 100-meter race, the start is crucial. Athletes must sprint from the blocks and try to achieve maximum acceleration in the first few steps.
False start: an athlete is disqualified when he/she has a reaction time to the shot of less than 0.1 seconds.