Ten-Speed! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Trinidad and Tobago

Richard Thompson is from Cascade on the Islands of Trinidad and Tobago. His nickname is the "Torpedo," on account of his powerful speed. Arguably, his grandest accomplishment was the silver medal earned in the 100m dash at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where his time of 9.89 was second only to the extraordinary Usain Bolt. Thompson also aided his countrymen to a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Olympics.

A year later, the Trinidadian quartet captured the silver medal at the Berlin World Championships riding the Torpedo's blistering speed.

Answer: Missouri

As a previous Head Coach of Lindenwood University, I am proud to say that Mike Rodgers is the fastest man to step on a track in the State of Missouri. He attended Berkeley High School in St. Louis and was a Lindenwood Lion before going on to attend Oklahoma Baptist University.

His real specialty is the ability to blitz from the starting blocks. At the NAIA level he won ten National Championships and still holds the NAIA record in the 60m dash. In 2010, in Doha, Mike won his first major international medal on the world stage earning silver in the 60m dash with a time of 6.53 seconds.

Answer: Athens

Former University of Tennessee athlete, Justin Gatlin became one of the most respected sprinters in the history of athletics when he captured gold in the 100m and 4x100m at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He also won a surprise bronze in the 200m event at the same Olympic Games.

A year later, he made history in winning both the 100m and 200m events at the 2005 Helsinki World Championships. Then on 12th May 2006, Gatlin shattered the then world record of 9.78 sec with a 9.77 run in Doha. This time was later rescinded from the record books when he failed an in-competition drugs test. Gatlin received a four-year ban for taking testosterone supplements.

He has always protested his innocence and in 2011 returned to active competition with participation at the Daegu World Championships where he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100m dash.

Answer: Nigeria

Olusoji Fasuba was born in Sapele, Nigeria, but has a significant Jamaican connection. His mother was a successful Jamaican sprinter in her younger years and is the cousin of Don Quarrie, the Olympic Gold medalist from 1976 in the 200m dash. Fasuba's greatest accomplishments beyond setting a new African and National record in the 100m dash was a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games, and a gold medal in the 60m dash at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia.

At this point I should note that Leroy Burrell of the U.S.A., also has run a legal 9.85 in Lausanne back on 6th July 1994. Canadians Donovan Bailey (27th July 1996 -- Atlanta) and Bruny Surin (22nd August 1999 -- Seville) have recorded times of 9.84 seconds over 100m. These are outside our 2001-2011 decade so are not included in the "Ten-Speed" list (the 100m Top 10 List for 2001-2011).

Answer: 21

Yohan Blake was a part of the gold medal winning 4x100m relay team at the 2006 Beijing World Junior Championships. At the same competition he earned a bronze medal in the 100m dash. Yohan is from St. James, Jamaica and holds the distinction of being the youngest sprinter ever to break the 10-second barrier (19 years and 197 days) - when he ran 9.96 at the 2009 Grand Prix event in New York city. Yohan Blake is a training partner of Usain Bolt and surprised the world in winning the 2011 World Championships in Daegu over 100m.

At the same competition, he partnered with Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter, and Asafa Powell in destroying the existing 4x100m relay world record.

Answer: Received a life-time ban from the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association in November of 2011

Steve Mullings ran the lead-off leg for the Jamaican relay team that captured gold at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. He was also a part of the silver medal winning relay team at the 2007 Osaka World Championships. Unfortunately, Steve Mullings has had a career tainted with failed drug tests.

At the 2004 Jamaican National Championships he won Gold in the 200m and earned a place on the Olympic team for the 100m and the 200m dash. However, his sample at the trials came back positive and he was removed from consideration for the team and given a two-year ban.

He returned to competition in 2006 and, in 2007, earned back a spot on the Jamaican National relay team. In 2011, Mullings broke the 10 second barrier seven times and was touted to be a contender for the 2011 World Championships. Sadly, on August 11th, reports emerged that Mullings had tested positive for Furosemide, a masking agent for another illegal substance.

In November of 2011, the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association voted unanimously in giving him a lifetime ban from athletics.

Answer: 1st Leg

Nesta Carter is well known for his explosive starts and excellent bend running. Consequently, he has been entrusted with the lead-off leg for many big championships where Jamaica has competed. One notable exception was at the World Championships in Osaka in 2007 where he ran the 3rd leg. Nesta Carter is part of a very auspicious club - sprinters who have run a sun 9.80 sec 100m.

The sub 9.80 seconds club also includes Maurice Greene, the 2000 Sydney Olympics Gold medalist over 100m (he ran a 9.79 in Athens on 16th June 1999).

Answer: Two 5th place finishes at Olympic Games - Two Bronze medals at World Championships

Asafa Powell did not win an individual Olympic medal of any color during the decade 2001-2011. However, in 2008 Beijing he helped Jamaica win the gold medal in the 4x100m relay. At the 2011 World Championships he was also a part of the winning quartet to add to the relay silver he won in Osaka in 2007. From June 2005 until August 2008, Powell held the world record with 9.77 (June 2005) and then 9.74 (September 2007) and then 9.72 (May 2008). Usain Bolt broke his record in August 2008 with a run of 9.69 sec.

Answer: University of Arkansas

Tyson Gay attended Barton Community College in Kansas before enrolling at the University of Arkansas. Lance Brauman was his coach at the Community College and then went on to coach sprints at Arkansas. Tyson Gay helped the University win two National titles and became Arkansas's first ever NCAA 100m Champion with a time of 10.06.

His coach Lance Brauman was indicted on charges of obtaining money and grades illegally for athletes. Because of Tyson Gay's involvement, the University of Arkansas was forced to return their two national titles and all of Gay's times were annulled. Tyson Gay's career has been riddled with injuries but he still will go down in history as one of the greatest American sprinters that has ever lived. On 16th May 2010, in Manchester England, Tyson Gay set a new world record of 19.41 for the rarely run 200m straightaway race.

Answer: Lightning

Usain "Lightning" Bolt was the Olympic Champion in the 100m dash, the 200m dash, and the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Bolt is one of the rare athletes to have won Gold medals at the World Youth Championships, the World Junior Championships, and the World Athletic Championships.

In Osaka in 2007 he earned silver medals in the 200m and the 4x100m relay. In Berlin in 2009 he earned three gold medals in all three short sprint events. Then in 2011, he once more struck gold in the 200m dash and the 4x100m relay. Usain Bolt is a very fast human being.

His 100m speed has been calculated to be over 38km/h or almost 24mph. In 2009 and 2010, Usain Bolt was awarded the coveted Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award, reserved for the world's greatest performing athlete.