100 Metre Male Champions Trivia Quiz

The First World Championships in Athletics, held by the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in Helsinki during August 1983. They saw Carl Lewis crowned as the first champion in both the 100 metres and the long jump. Carl Lewis won the 100m event in 10.07 seconds, with Calvin Smith second in 10.21 seconds, and Emmit King third in 10.24 seconds. Carl Lewis retained his title of 100m world champion in 1987 and 1991. These three teamed with Willie Gault to give the United States victory in the 4x100m relay in a world record time of 37.86 sec (breaking their won world record of 38.03 sec set six years earlier in September 1977).

These championships were held in the middle of the era when Carl Lewis dominated track and field events, in a career that went from 1979 until 1996. In that time, he won nine Olympic gold medals, including four consecutive long jump medals (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996). Those victories were part of a string on 65 consecutive long jump wins in international competition, one of the longest undefeated streaks in athletics. In 1984, he won Olympic gold in the 100m, 200m and long jump, along with a team gold in the 4x100m relay.

The fourth World Athletics Championships saw a new winner in the 100m event. Great Britain's Linford Christie won in 9.87 seconds, with Andre Cason and Dennis Mitchell, both of the United States, finishing in 9.92 seconds and 9.99 seconds respectively.

Linford Christie was born in Jamaica, moving to England when he was seven. He had placed third in the 1987 championships, after finishing fourth and being promoted when Ben Johnson was disqualified. His victory in Stuttgart made him the first man ever to simultaneously hold the European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic titles for the 100m.

Donovan Bailey's time of 9.97 seconds saw him finish ahead of fellow Canadian Bruny Surin and Trinidad's Ato Boldon, both of whom posted times of 10.03 seconds.

Bailey was born in Jamaica before moving to Canada at the age of twelve. 1995 was his breakthrough year in athletics, seeing him break the 10-second barrier for the first time in April. He arrived in Gothenburg as the favorite, after posting a time of 9.91 seconds at the Canadian national championships, and duly won the title - as well as anchoring Canada to a win in the 4x100m relay. The following year he repeated the double in the Olympics. He won the 100m in a world record time of 9.84 seconds, and became the second man after Carl Lewis to hold all four major titles at the same time.

The 1997 championships saw defending title holder Donovan Bailey relegated to second place in a time of 9.91 seconds, with Tim Montgomery third in 9.94 seconds, and Maurice Greene winning the first of three consecutive titles in a time of 9.86 seconds.

This was Maurice Greene's first significant 100m victory, following elimination in the heats of the 1995 titles. In the 1999 titles he won the 100m and 200m events, the first to hold both of these at the same time, as well as the 4x100m relay. He went on to win Olympic gold in 2000 for both the 100m and the 100m relay.

The 2003 championships saw Caribbean nations start to become prominent in sprinting events, with Kim Collins (from Saint Kitts and Nevis) and Darrel Brown (from Trinidad and Tobago) take the top two places with respective times of 10.07 seconds and 10.08 seconds. Great Britain's Darren Campbell was third, also in 10.08 seconds.

Kim Collins participated in the World Championships ten times between 1995 and 2015, winning five medals, with this being the only gold. It made him the first Kittitian to become a world champion in athletics. He also represented Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Olympics five times between 1996 and 2016, and was the first athlete from his country to make a final at the Olympics, which he did at Beijing in 2008.

Justin Gatlin's time of 9.88 seconds in Helsinki saw him beat Michael Frater (10.05 seconds) and defending champion Kim Collins (10.05 seconds) in the 100m final. Gatlin entered the 2005 championships as the reigning Olympic medalist in the 100m. He won both the 100m and 200m events (the second person to win the double, following Maurice Greene); in 2017 he repeated his 100m victory.

His 200m win at Helsinki was part of an American clean sweep of the top four places, with Wallace Spearman, John Capel and Tyson Gay following.

In 2007, Tyson Gay of the United States came first in 9.85 seconds, with Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas second in 9.91 seconds and Asafa Powell (then the world record holder) third in 9.96 seconds. The 200m saw Gay win, with Usain Bolt in second place. His third gold medal of the championships came from the 4x100m relay team.

The early years of Tyson Gay's professional running career saw him concentrating on the 200m (in which he came fourth in the 2005 championships) before adding the 100m to become a duel sprint competitor. He was one of the favorites for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but an injury sustained during the Olympic Trials led to disappointment. In the 2009 championships, he finished second to Usain Bolt, despite setting a US record of 9.71 seconds in the race.

The 2009 championships saw Usain Bolt win his first 100m title, with his world record time of 9.58 seconds putting Tyson Gay (9.71 seconds) and Asafa Powell (9.84 seconds) into second and third place. He was to go on to win again in 2013 and 2015, with a false start in 2011 putting the only blemish on his success.

Usain Bolt is held by many to be the best sprinter of all time - and those who disagree concede that he is definitely one of the greats. At the World Championships of 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 he won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay events every time, except for the 2011 100m disqualification for a false start. Meanwhile, he managed Olympic gold medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Both of the wins in 2008 set world record times.

Once Usain Bolt was eliminated for a false start, the 2011 100m title was up for grabs. The winner was his fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake (9.92 seconds), with American Walter Dix in second (10.08 seconds) and 2003 title holder Kim Collins in third (10.09 seconds).

Yohan Blake's victory at the age of 21 made him the youngest 100m champion to that time, just edging out Carl Lewis who was about two months older when he had his first win in 1983. He was also part of the victorious Jamaican 4x100m relay team, a success that was to be repeated at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. In the 2012 Olympics, he also ran second to Usain Bolt in the 100m and 200m events.

The 2019 World Championships were held in Doha, somewhat controversially due to the heat and humidity not being conducive to good performances. Christian Coleman's time of 9.76 in the 100m was the best time of the year, and good enough to place him ahead of defending title holder Justin Gatlin (9.89 seconds) and Canadian Andre De Grasse (9.90 seconds).

In 2017 Coleman had come second to Gatlin as well as being part of the silver-medalist 4x100m relay team. His time in the 2019 100m event made him the sixth fastest man (to that time) - the winner of the 100m event usually being dubbed the fastest man in the world. He missed the 2020 Olympics due to a suspension for having missed drug tests on several occasions.