The Greatest Most Shocking World 100m Records Ever

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1

Yeah the 100m world record the most notorious record proberly in any sport, everytime its broken its a landmark in history whereno man has been befor. Just seeing a world record can lift you, excite you, maybe even imspire.

But what are the mosts shocking 100m world record runs, most unexspected, most impact, THE GREATEST.

Asafa Powells 9.77sec is the fastest out of all of the 100m world records, but its not the greatest. It terms of when it was ran, where it was ran, the comptition, occasion.

If i had to pick one moment in time, one race, that i saw, experienced live.

I will never forget Tim Montgommerrys 9.78sec. MOST SHOCKING

I can recall it like it was yesterday. Ive only seen 1996 atlanta Donovan Bailey, 1991 world champs Carl Lewis live. (I was very young at can’t really remember but i was watching.

Tim Montgomerry’s World Record

I was just standing by the fire, drinking coffee. The world record did’nt even step into my mind, not that day, nore that season. I was’nt even nervous, like befor the 2004 olympic final i was pacing up and down like Maurice Greene (stressfull times). I was just chatting to my dad, about Dwain Chambers, sipping coffee.

My dad got up, and walked into the back kitchen, he was’nt really bothered about this race ethier.

The race started, i was still sipping my coffee watching the screene. Suddenly at 40meters, i stopped sipping my coffee. I just watched the race, with no thoughts in my mind.

Montgomery crossed the line, 9.78sec, all i could hear was the commontator saying NINE, POINT, SEVEN, EIGHT, repeating it, OH MY WORD.

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=1384946&cdi=0

It totaly caught me off gaurd, it was shock to the system.

“****ING HELL THE WORLD RECORDS GONE” “THE WORLD RECORDS GONE” i shouted, i neally dropped my mug of coffee.

My dad came running well aleast his kenyan old legs tried, big fat man.

Then i was ****ed up in the head for awhile, and ive still got it on tape, something made me tape that race.

GREATEST WORLD RECORD.

Between

Carl Lewis 1991

Donovan Bailey 1996

Ben Johnson 1988= the impact, i heard over 1billion people watch this race, its proberly one of few track performances that transendered the sport.

2

Ah, here we go again, Mr. Cool

For pure shock value, not necessarily the greatest, but the race that made our jaws drop:

Ben Johnson–9.79 in 1988. Even though this record was erased, it gets my vote for the shock value it gave me. I remember this race like it happened yesterday, vivid as the day it happened. Part of this was because of all the hype and build up to the big showdown with Carl Lewis. His start out of the blocks was just stone-cold crazy! Ben cruised across the line and looked over at Carl and had a look on his face that was like, “I came here to win this here race, I layed the smack-down on you, Carl, and you will like it!”

I suppose it was shocking to see a time that was sub-9.80, it just looked strange to see 9.79 and to think someone could actually move that fast. I was on the edge of my couch with my VCR set to record. After the race, Carl was a total wreck, and his interview showed it. Then, later on, Ben was busted, but many suspected that. After all, a 9.79 in 1988 just seemed a little too crazy for most of us back then.

3

For me it was actually Ben’s 9.83. Everyone was all Carl Carl Carl and how he was going to set the WR, crush Ben, etc. then seemingly out of nowhere 9.83. Like if Buster Douglas’ KO of Tyson was also a WR.

4

I kinda have to agree with Cool on this one. It was a complete shock. With Ben,Asafa and Mo they were dominating so much that it was kind of enevitable that they’d drop a time. Especially with Asafa. Something said to me that he was gonna WR in Athens. I rushed home from work to tape history. With Ben, from reading about what he was dropping in training you knew he was going to get on the line in Seoul and drop it like its hot! But with Tim’s race that was complete shock. Ok I knew he was in shape…but not WR shape especially in a race that didn’t have Maurice (his main rival).

What sort of times was Tim dropping before the WR? Were they as impressive as Asafa’s?

5

I was fed up with track after a long season and it being the Grand Prix Final - something I always have had a hard time being excited about - I had decided to skip the broadcast. Instead I went to the playground with my daughter. When we got back, I thought “naahh - let’s see what’s happening”. The first image I saw was Monty getting set in the block :smiley:

6

I’d agree with Cool - it was probably the most unexpected.
Partly because it was the perfect race, perfect circumstances (2.0 tailwind,…).

We should not forget that in that same race Dwain equalized ER in 9.87…and it was generally very fast.

9.78 Tim Montgomery USA
9.87 Dwain Chambers GBR
9.97 Jon Drummond USA
9.98 Kim Collins SKN
10.03 Francis Obikwelu POR
10.05 Bernard Williams USA

It’s true that Tim did not show very much before 2002, but in 2002 he was No.1 throughout the whole season - it was the season of his life (as it was for Dwain - no further comments…):

9.78 2.0 Tim Montgomery USA 28 01 1975 1 Paris 14 09 2002
9.91 0.3 Tim Montgomery 1 Bruxelles 30 08 2002
9.93 1.6 Tim Montgomery 1h2 Zürich 16 08 2002
9.94 A 0.6 Tim Montgomery 1 Pretoria 12 04 2002
9.94 0.9 Tim Montgomery 2r1 Roma 12 07 2002
9.95 1.8 Tim Montgomery 2 Osaka 11 05 2002
9.98 -1.3 Tim Montgomery 1 Zürich 16 08 2002

7

Tim had two 9.84s and a 9.85 in 2001. if he hadn’t buggered his start in Edmonton, he would have had the record then and there.

8

my favorite race is still 1996 bailey. That race is what pretty much got me into track, he caught a shitty start then overtook everyone, that was awe inspiring.

and by the way where can i find the video of that, because it is NOWHERE to be found on the internet.

9

and by the way where can i find the video of that, because it is NOWHERE to be found on the internet.

I have that vid. Ill upload it on a server…un momento…

10

Damn net keeps on cutting off, argg, dont worry ill get it uploaded just now

11

awesome, thanks alot!

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Here it is: http://s62.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1SGFW9BH7PD0U1DD61M7XGJ826

Download it asap, only 25 downloads/7days.

13

crap, it says its unavaliable?

14

Shoots, I told you get it asap, seems like lots of ppl wanted it as well, whats ur email? Ill send it directly to you this time.

15

gaming_canada@hotmail.com thanks alot! i think thats my favorite race of all time.

16

Sorry, my memory fooled me - of course it was two seasons.

17

For me, the greatest most shocking race wasn’t a world record final. It was the heats ran at the 87 World Championships between Carl and Ben… Being a US citizen, King Carl was everything. And just like practically every teenage boy running track, I also sported the Lewis “flat top” hair style. He was THE MAN… Until I saw him on tv wearing a flesh-toned unitard with the section around the hips a lighter color that made them (relay team) look naked and wearing only bikini shorts. Yikes!

KING??

I was still a kid from the inner city and that wasn’t flying!

I remember Ben’s physique reminding me of comic books and his masculinity was more in line with the proper order of things LOL. My first memory of Ben was watching him run the rounds at the indoor championships, where he would break the record and flip over a barrier. I was hooked! Carl Who?.. Cut to the World Championships… Those heats were simply awsome! I remember the butterflies in my stomach. Sitting, then pacing the floor nervously thinking, “Big Ben’s gotta do it. Come on!” Then Carl runs 10.05… Then Ben 10.1 practically jogging. Then Carl again- Bam! 10.03… Chills up my neck! Then Ben explodes for 60 meters then sleepwalks to another low 10 seconds… I remember noticing that Ben’s runs looked a lot easier… But still, I was nervous… For me, those heats were greater than the world record final because It made you wonder just how fast were theses guys going to run when it counted most. All year you saw sprinters running balls out to 10.2’s and 3’s and here were the #1 and #2 sprinters flirting with sub 10’s with no effort. Unforgettable.

18

Eric, you and I must be around the same age. If you look in my training journal, I have a post (from about two days ago) where I talk about meeting Carl after the Seoul olympics and his showdown with Ben. Let’s just say that I had, um, kinda the same “concerns” about Carl that you did, lol. As a 16-17 year old boy who looked up to famous athletes, he wasn’t what I expected, to say the least.

19

Hey Heatwave… Yup. That opened my young eyes to many other “odd mannerisms” I saw displayed in men’s track and field. Oh well… Fortunetly guys like Ben, Dennis Mitchell and Linford were around in those days to right the ship, so to speak… My old high school track coach had a funny encounter with Lewis while riding an elevator… My coach was then a tall, honey-glazed skin toned and physically fit Japanese dude (NIIIIICE) LOL… He’d always mention it during practice- to the point where we got sick of hearing it.

20

Hey can you elaborate on this encounter? :smiley: