Olympic Games: Battle of the best times in Men’s 100 metres

The title of the world fastest athlete for the Paris Olympics 100-metres race will be a close battle between athletes from Jamaica, Kenya, the USA and South Africa.

Coming into the Olympics with the fastest time is 23-year-old Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson, who clocked a time of 9.77 seconds at the 2024 Jamaican National Championships.

Thompson’s time is the fastest of any man this year and the world’s fastest 100 metres time in two years. Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala has the second fastest time with 9.79 seconds, while Noah Lyles of the USA has the third fastest time with 9.81 seconds. Other runners that could compete with the top three fastest times at the Olympics are Jamaica's Oblique Seville (9.82 seconds), USA's Christian Coleman (9.86 seconds), and South Africa's Benjamin Richardson (9.86 seconds) and Akani Simbine (9.86 seconds).

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt holds the world record for the 100-metres race with a time of 9.58 seconds, which he set in Berlin, Germany in 2009. The Olympics men’s 100-metres race will start off with the preliminary round at 8.35pm tomorrow, followed by Round 1 at 9.55pm tomorrow. The semi finals will be at 6.05am Monday and the final at 7.50am on the same day.

Coming up tonight, the Men’s Volleyball is at 7, followed by the Women’s 3x3 basketball at 7.30pm, the Women’s 100 metres race at 8.35pm, Round 1 at 9.50pm, the semi finals are at 5.50am Sunday and the final is at 7.20am Sunday.

Meanwhile, China leads the medal tally with 11 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze, the USA is second with 9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze, host France is third with 8 gold, 11 silver and 8 bronze while Australia is fourth with 8 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze.