Items27The creator’s order
  1. 1Jesse OwensJesse OwensBorn 12 Sept 1913Owens raced from hand-dug holes in cinder tracks, without starting blocks, and still looks modern on film. Watch his upright, relaxed upper body and the light, quick contacts that made him so efficient: the same economy that let him win four golds in Berlin in 1936 across the 100m, 200m, long jump…0i
  2. 2Wilma RudolphWilma RudolphBorn 23 Jun 1940Rudolph wore a leg brace as a child after polio and went on to win the 100m, 200m and relay at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Her running was long, graceful and remarkably relaxed for the era, and the Rome 100m footage shows a sprinter pulling away with a smooth stride rather than force. She was the first…0i
  3. 3Bob HayesBob HayesBorn 20 Dec 1942Hayes broke every textbook rule. He ran pigeon-toed, with a rolling, almost brawling action, yet he won the 1964 Olympic 100m in Tokyo from lane one on a cinder track churned up by earlier races. His anchor leg in the relay is still talked about as one of the fastest ever timed by hand, and he went…0i
  4. 4Carl LewisCarl LewisLewis was rarely first out of the blocks, and that is the point. His races were built on holding top speed longer than anyone, so rivals appeared to come back to him in the last 30 metres when in fact they were slowing. The 1991 Tokyo world final, where he ran a then world record of 9.86, is the…0i
  5. 5Florence Griffith JoynerFlorence Griffith JoynerBorn 21 Dec 1959FloJo's 1988 season produced the 100m and 200m world records that still stand: 10.49 at the US trials and 21.34 at the Seoul Olympics. The 100m mark is debated because of the wind reading at the time, and her sudden improvement drew suspicion, though she never failed a test. Technically, watch her…0i
  6. 6Merlene OtteyMerlene OtteyBorn 10 May 1960Ottey's smooth, economical bend running made her one of the great 200m runners, and that economy is the likeliest explanation for a career that never seemed to end. She won Olympic medals across five Games from 1980 to 2000, nine in total, and was still racing for Slovenia in her fifties. Her…0i
  7. 7Linford ChristieLinford ChristieBorn 2 Apr 1960Christie was a late developer who won Olympic 100m gold in Barcelona in 1992 at 32, then the 1993 world title in Stuttgart. His races are a study in tunnel vision: a powerful, upright drive and a fierce focus on his own lane. The record has two caveats worth knowing. He was disqualified for two…0i
  8. 8Michael Johnson (sprinter)Michael Johnson (sprinter)The bolt-upright posture and short, rapid stride looked wrong to many coaches, and Johnson used it to win the Atlanta 1996 200m and 400m double. His 19.32 in that 200m final took a huge chunk off the world record and stood for 12 years. The lesson is in frequency: rather than reaching out, he kept…0i
  9. 9Marie-José PérecMarie-José PérecBorn 9 May 1968Pérec is the long-levered counterpoint to Michael Johnson, who completed the same 200m and 400m double at Atlanta 1996. Tall and rangy, she covered ground with a flowing, long stride that looked unhurried even at full speed, especially down the back straight of the 400m. Three Olympic golds, the…0i
  10. 10Maurice Greene (sprinter)Maurice Greene (sprinter)Greene was the great drive-phase sprinter of the late 1990s. Thickly muscled and low out of the blocks, he stayed down through his acceleration and attacked the track with piston-like arms, a contrast to Lewis's gradual unfolding. His 9.79 world record in Athens in 1999, three world 100m titles and…0i