The 100 metres at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. It is the second most prestigious 100 m title after the 100 metres at the Olympics. The competition format typically has two or three qualifying rounds leading to a final between eight athletes. Since 2011 a preliminary round has been held, where athletes who have not achieved the qualifying standard time compete to enter the first round proper.

The championship records for the event are 9.58 seconds for men, set by Usain Bolt in 2009, and 10.61 seconds for women, set by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in 2025. The men's world record has been broken or equalled at the competition three times: by Carl Lewis in 1987 and 1991, and by Usain Bolt in 2009.IAAF World Championships: IAAF Statistics Handbook Daegu 2011, pp. 595–6 (archived). IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-07-06. Ben Johnson beat Lewis in the 1987 final, but his win and record were subsequently rescinded after his admission to long-term steroid use.Thomsen, Ian (1997-08-09). Kipketer Glides to Victory. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2015-07-06. Lewis's mark, which equalled the standing record at the time, was never officially ratified by the IAAF as a world record. The women's world record has not yet been beaten at the championships.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the most successful athlete of the event as the only person, male or female to win five titles, she also has the most medals with six. Carl Lewis, Maurice Greene and Usain Bolt are the most successful male athletes of the event, having each won three titles. Justin Gatlin has the most medals for a male with 5, 2 gold and 3 silver. Merlene Ottey and Carmelita Jeter are the only other athletes to have claimed four medals in the history of the World Championships event.

The United States is the most successful nation in the discipline, having won fifteen gold medals. Jamaica are a clear second with six gold medals. East Germany, with two, is the only other nation to have won multiple titles.

Age records

All information from World Athletics.

DistinctionMaleFemaleAthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDateYoungest champion21 years, 245 days28 Aug 201121 years, 278 days27 Aug 1991Youngest medalist18 years, 318 days25 Aug 200321 years, 27 days13 sept 2025Youngest finalist18 years, 318 days25 Aug 200319 years, 72 days16 Aug 1993Youngest participant15 years, 153 days5 Aug 199514 years, 5 days26 Aug 1991Oldest champion5 Aug 201717 Aug 2022Oldest medalist28 Sep 201920 Aug 2023Oldest finalist28 Sep 201914 Sep 2025Oldest participant39 years, 218 days22 Aug 201547 years, 108 days26 Aug 2007

Doping Canada's Ben Johnson and Angella Taylor-Issajenko were both disqualified from the 1987 World Championships in Athletics for doping. Johnson was stripped of his 100 m gold, elevating Carl Lewis to world champion, while Taylor-Issajenko finished fifth in the women's 100 m final.

At the following edition in 1991, Irina Slyusar of the Soviet Union (a women's semi-finalist) was disqualified for doping. Eight years passed without incident in the 100 m before the double Nigerian doping disqualification of Innocent Asonze and Davidson Ezinwa in 1999.

Tim Montgomery became the 100 m second medalist to be disqualified, losing his silver medal from the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. From the same event, Marion Jones later lost her silver medal for doping infractions, becoming the first female medalist to be stripped of a 100 m medal. Venolyn Clarke and Kelli White (a women's finalist) were also disqualified that year. The results of Dwain Chambers and Montgomery, fourth and fifth in 2003, were removed for doping. Two women's medalists were stripped of their honours for doping Kelli White lost the world title while Zhanna Block had her bronze medal removed. Block's times from the 2005 edition were also annulled. These disqualifications were a result of the BALCO scandal, which included many 100 m runners.

No doping offences were recorded at the 2007 World Championships 100 metres, but bans shortly returned, with Ruqaya Al-Ghasra being banned from the 2009 edition and a female trio of Inna Eftimova, Semoy Hackett and Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaludin being disqualified in 2011. The 2013 World Championships saw one elimination in Masoud Azizi.More than 1900 blood samples collected – Moscow 2013. IAAF (2013-09-20). Retrieved on 2015-07-06.

Among the men's world champions, only Donovan Bailey, Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville have not been implicated in doping during their careers; three-time champion Maurice Greene never failed a drug test, but admitted purchasing drugs on other athletes behalf. I.A.A.F. Seeks an Explanation From Greene About Drug Allegations. The New York Times (2008-04-17). Retrieved on 2015-07-07.

Medalists Men

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation ChampionshipsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 2009–2017 3 0 1 4 2 1983–1991 3 0 0 3 1997–2001 3 0 0 3 4 2005–2019 2 3 0 5 5 2017–2019 1 1 0 2 1995–1997 1 1 0 2 2007–2009 1 1 0 2 8 2003–2011 1 0 2 3 9 1987–1993 1 0 1 2 2023–2025 1 0 1 2 11 1995–1999 0 2 0 2 12 1991–1993 0 0 2 2 1995–2001 0 0 2 2 2007–2009 0 0 2 2 2015–2019 0 0 2 2 2015-2022 0 0 2 2

Women

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation ChampionshipsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 2009–2023 5 0 1 6 2 1997–1999 2 0 0 2 3 2005–2011 1 2 0 3 4 1991–1995 1 1 1 3 5 1997–2001 1 1 0 2 2005–2007 1 1 0 2 7 2007–2013 1 0 3 4 8 2015–2017 1 0 1 2 9 1987–1995 0 2 2 4 10 2022–2023 0 2 0 2 11 1999–2003 0 1 2 3 12 2001–2003 0 1 1 2 2015–2017 0 1 1 2 2017–2019 0 1 1 2

Championship record progression Men + Men's 100 metres World Championships record progressionMain > Men, 100 m > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2015-07-07.TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate 10.64 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.38 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.34 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.31 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.30 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.24 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 10.20 1983 Quarter-finals 1983-08-07 10.07 1983 Final 1983-08-08 10.03 1987 Semi-finals 1987-08-30 9.83 1987 Final 1987-08-30 9.93 = 1987 Final 1987-08-30 9.93 1991 Semi-finals 1991-08-25 9.86 1991 Final 1991-08-25 9.86 1997 Final 1997-08-03 9.80 1999 Final 1999-08-22 9.58 2009 Final 2009-08-16 Ben Johnson's winning time of 9.83 broke the championship record and was a new world record, but it was retrospectively annulled due to doping.

Women + Women's 100 metres World Championships record progressionMain > Women, 100 m > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2015-07-07.TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate 11.26 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 11.24 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 11.23 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 11.15 1983 Heats 1983-08-07 11.11 1983 Quarter-finals 1983-08-07 11.05 1983 Semi-finals 1983-08-08 10.99 1983 Semi-finals 1983-08-08 10.97 1983 Final 1983-08-08 10.95 1987 Semi-finals 1987-08-30 10.90 1987 Semi-finals 1987-08-30 10.87 1993 Semi-finals 1993-08-16 10.87 1993 Semi-finals 1993-08-16 10.82 1993 Final 1993-08-16 10.82 1993 Final 1993-08-16 10.76 1999 Quarter-finals 1999-08-21 10.70 1999 Final 1999-08-22 10.67 2022 Final 2022-07-17 10.65 2023 Final 2023-08-21 10.61 2025 Final 2025-09-14

Finishing times Top ten fastest World Championship times

+ Fastest men's times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)AthleteNationGamesDate 1 9.58 Usain Bolt 2009 2009-08-16 2 9.71 Tyson Gay 2009 2009-08-16 3 9.76 Christian Coleman 2019 2019-09-2849.77 Usain Bolt 2013 2013-08-11 Justin Gatlin 2015SF 2015-08-23 Oblique Seville 2025 2025-09-147 9.79 Usain Bolt 2015 2015-08-23 Fred Kerley 2022H 2022-07-1599.80 Maurice Greene 1999 1999-08-22 Justin Gatlin 2015 2015-08-23

+ Fastest women's times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)AthleteNationGamesDate 1 10.61 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 2025 2025-09-14 2 10.65 Sha'Carri Richardson 2023 2023-08-21 3 10.67 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 2022 2022-07-17 4 10.70 Marion Jones 1999 1999-08-22510.71 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 2013 2013-08-12 2019 2019-09-29 7 10.72 Shericka Jackson 2023 2023-08-21810.73 Shelly-Ann Fraser 2009 2009-08-17 Shericka Jackson 2022 2022-07-17 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 2025SF 2025-09-14

H – time recorded in the heats QF – time recorded in the quarter-finals SF – time recorded in the semi-finals

Best time for place

+ Fastest Men's times for place in a World Championship finalPlaceTimeAthleteNationGamesDate 1 9.58 Usain Bolt 2009 2009-08-16 2 9.71 Tyson Gay 2009 2009-08-16 3 9.84 Asafa Powell 2009 2009-08-16 4 9.88 Oblique Seville 2023 2023-08-20 5 9.92 Christian Coleman 2023 2023-08-20 6 9.96 Raymond Stewart 1991 1991-08-25 7= 10.00 Marc Burns 2009 2009-08-16 7= 10.00 Asafa Powell 2015 2015-08-23 8 10.00 Jimmy Vicaut 2015 2015-08-23 9 10.06 Su Bingtian 2015 2015-08-23

+ Fastest women's times for place in a World Championship finalPlaceTimeAthleteNationGamesDate 1 10.61 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 2025 2025-09-14 2 10.72 Shericka Jackson 2023 2023-08-21 3 10.77 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 2023 2023-08-21 4 10.81 Marie-Josee Ta Lou 2023 2023-08-21 5 10.91 Mujinga Kambundji 2022 2022-07-17 6 10.92 Aleia Hobbs 2022 2022-07-17 7 10.93 Marie Josée Ta Lou 2022 2022-07-17 8 11.00 Dina Asher-Smith Great Britain & N.I. 2023 2023-08-21 9 11.03 Tamari Davis 2023 2023-08-21

References 11.R S D Unnithan's kerala India's nobel prize work 2002–16;2016–20;2021-22-92:8092 ad Personal profiled DATAS at Guinness world records from online nobel org/www.mednobel.ki.se/www.olympics.org

Bibliography

External links Official IAAF website