THE WORLD’S FASTEST WOMEN OLYMPIC SPRINTERS

Way back in the 1960’s, I first became aware of the idea of world class sprinters in the likes of Wilma Rudolph, who was considered the fastest woman in the world. She had a remarkable story that came from the most unlikely of physical backgrounds. She was a true champion and a remarkable woman.

Born on June 23, 1940 prematurely at 4.5 lbs., the 20th of 22 children; Rudolph contracted infantile paralysis (caused by the polio virus) at age four, recovered, but wore a brace on her left leg and foot (which had become twisted as a result) until she was nine requiring her to wear an orthopaedic shoe for support on her foot for two years. Rudolph also had bouts with chicken pox, measles, scarlet fever and whopping cough!

In spite of her early beginnings, she entered the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and won three Gold Medals in track and field! From this remarkable feat she was known as the “Tornado”, the fastest woman on earth. At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome she won three Olympic titles: the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 x 100 m relay. In spite of the temperature climbing toward 110 degrees, 80,000 spectators jammed Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, where Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in an unbelievable 11 seconds flat. The time was not credited as a world record, being it was wind-aided. She won the 200-meter dash in 23.2 seconds, a new Olympic record also. On September 11, 1960, she teamed with Tennessee State teammates Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams and Barbara Jones to win the 400-meter relay in 44.5 seconds, setting a new world’s record.

Below are the now considered best sprinters ever.

---

Sprinters - Women’s 100 Metres (World Record: 10.49 by Griffith-Joyner at the ’88 Olympic Trials)

1. Florence Griffith-Joyner (United States) – Fastest Time: 10.49 seconds
The 100m Olympic record (10.62) was set by Flo Jo at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul.

2. Carmelita Jeter (United States) – Fastest Time: 10.64 seconds
Jeter ran a 10.67 at the 2009 World Athletics Final and a 10.64 at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

3. Marion Jones (United States) – Fastest Time: 10.65 seconds
Jones won the 100 metre at the 1998 IAAF World Cup in South Africa with a time of 10.65.

4. Shelly-Ann Fraser (Jamaica) – Fastest Time: 10.73 seconds
Fraser, along with her Jamaican teammates, dominated the women’s 100m at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

5. Christine Arron (France) – Fastest Time: 10.73 seconds
Arron placed third in the 100m and 200m sprints at the 2005 World Championships in Paris.

6. Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) – Fastest Time: 10.74 seconds
Ottey has won more World Championships medals (14) than any other female sprinter in history.

7. Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) – Fastest Time: 10.75 seconds
Stewart won the silver medal in the women’s 100m at the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2009 Worlds.

8. Evelyn Ashford (United States) – Fastest Time: 10.76 seconds
A U.S. Track Hall of Fame athlete, Ashford set a later broken Olympic record at the 1984 Olympics.

9. Irina Privalova (Russia) – Fastest Time: 10.77 seconds
Privalova is a World Champion in numerous indoor events, and holds the indoor records for the 50m and 60m sprints.

10. Ivet Lalova (Bulgaria) – Fastest Time: 10.77 seconds
Lalova’s best 100 metre time was set in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 2004 when she ran a 10.77.

That’s all I wrote, folks!