Daily Archives: August 2, 2012
Florence Griffith-Joyner and the Top 20 Fastest Women in History (and the Top 20 100 Meter Dash Times)
Posted by Vin Getz
The late great Florence Griffith-Joyner is the fastest woman in history. Her 10.49 in Indianapolis in 1988 is the fastest clocked time of any woman in the 100 meter dash – and by a lot, too. Carmelita Jeter, the fastest woman alive (and second ever), is .15 seconds off Flo-Jo’s top time. That’s a relative eternity on a list where placement is usually determined in increments of .01 seconds.
The most recent fastest time was scored by Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who just a few weeks ago put up a 10.70. Both Jeter and Fraser-Pryce will be running in the 2012 London Olympics.
Today’s first list actually looks at the 21 (and ties) fastest women ever. The extra athletes are to account for Marion Jones‘ possibly drug-aided performances. After lying to a grand jury about it, a defiance that would eventually win her a six-month spell in prison, in 2007 Jones finally copped to using PEDs. She was forced to return the five medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and her racing results were vacated from September, 2000 onward. But Jones was suspected of drug use long before that, and so even her 10.65 in 1998 is clouded in suspicion.
The second list looks at the fastest women’s times in the 100 meters. 1988 was a huge year for Griffith-Joyner as she etched the top three fastest times ever. The top 20 times are covered by seven sprinters, from the USA, Jamaica and France.
Marion Jones officially (pre-2000) owns eight of the top 20 times ever. But if you strike her times from the records (today’s third list), six other sprinters can call themselves some of the fastest women ever.
What about the fastest men in history? Sports List of the Day has you covered: Usain Bolt and the Top 20 Fastest Men in History.
Thanks to the International Association of Athletics Federations at iaaf.org.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
TOP 20 FASTEST WOMEN
| TIME | ATHLETE | FROM | RACE LOCATION | DATE | |
| 1. | 10.49 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 16, 1988 |
| 2. | 10.64 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Shanghai | September 20, 2009 |
| 3. | 10.65 | Marion Jones* | USA | Johannesburg | September 12, 1998 |
| 4. | 10.70 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Kingston (NS), JAM | June 29, 2012 |
| 5. | 10.73 | Christine Arron | France | Budapest | August 19, 1998 |
| 6. | 10.74 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica | Milano | September 7, 1996 |
| 7. | 10.75 | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | Roma | July 10, 2009 |
| 8. | 10.76 | Evelyn Ashford | USA | Zürich | August 22, 1984 |
| 8. | 10.76 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica | Ostrava | May 31, 2011 |
| 10. | 10.77 | Irina Privalova | Russia | Lausanne | July 6, 1994 |
| 10. | 10.77 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | June 19, 2004 |
| 12. | 10.78 | Dawn Sowell | USA | Provo, UT | June 3, 1989 |
| 12. | 10.78 | Torri Edwards | USA | Eugene, OR | June 28, 2008 |
| 14. | 10.79 | Xuemei Li | China | Shanghai | October 18, 1997 |
| 14. | 10.79 | Inger Miller | USA | Sevilla | August 22, 1999 |
| 16. | 10.81 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany | Berlin | June 8, 1983 |
| 17. | 10.82 | Gail Devers | USA | Barcelona | August 1, 1992 |
| 17. | 10.82 | Gwen Torrence | USA | Paris | September 3, 1994 |
| 17. | 10.82 | Zhanna Block | Ukraine | Edmonton | August 6, 2001 |
| 17. | 10.82 | Sherone Simpson | Jamaica | Kingston (NS), JAM | June 24, 2006 |
| 21. | 10.83 | Marita Koch | East Germany | Berlin | June 8, 1983 |
| 21. | 10.83 | Sheila Echols | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 16, 1988 |
| 21. | 10.83 | Juliet Cuthbert | Jamaica | Barcelona | August 1, 1992 |
| 21. | 10.83 | Ekateríni Thánou | Greece | Sevilla | August 22, 1999 |
TOP 20 FASTEST 100m TIMES
| TIME | ATHLETE | FROM | RACE LOCATION | DATE | |
| 1. | 10.49 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 16, 1988 |
| 2. | 10.61 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 17, 1988 |
| 3. | 10.62 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Seoul | September 24, 1988 |
| 4. | 10.64 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Shanghai | September 20, 2009 |
| 5. | 10.65 | Marion Jones | USA | Johannesburg | September 12, 1998 |
| 6. | 10.67 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Thessaloniki | September 13, 2009 |
| 7. | 10.70 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 17, 1988 |
| 7. | 10.70 | Marion Jones | USA | Sevilla | August 22, 1999 |
| 7. | 10.70 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Eugene, OR | June 4, 2011 |
| 7. | 10.70 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Kingston (NS), JAM | June 29, 2012 |
| 11. | 10.71 | Marion Jones | USA | Chengdu | May 12, 1998 |
| 11. | 10.71 | Marion Jones | USA | New Orleans, LA | June 19, 1998 |
| 13. | 10.72 | Marion Jones | USA | New Orleans, LA | June 20, 1998 |
| 13. | 10.72 | Marion Jones | USA | Monaco | August 8, 1998 |
| 13. | 10.72 | Marion Jones | USA | Lausanne | August 25, 1998 |
| 16. | 10.73 | Christine Arron | France | Budapest | August 19, 1998 |
| 16. | 10.73 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Berlin | August 17, 2009 |
| 18. | 10.74 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica | Milano | September 7, 1996 |
| 19. | 10.75 | Marion Jones | USA | Roma | July 14, 1998 |
| 19. | 10.75 | Marion Jones* | USA | Sydney | September 23, 2000 |
| 19. | 10.75 | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | Roma | July 10, 2009 |
| 19. | 10.75 | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | Berlin | August 17, 2009 |
TOP 20 FASTEST 100m TIMES EXCLUDING JONES
| TIME | ATHLETE | FROM | RACE LOCATION | DATE | |
| 1. | 10.49 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 16, 1988 |
| 2. | 10.61 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 17, 1988 |
| 3. | 10.62 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Seoul | September 24, 1988 |
| 4. | 10.64 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Shanghai | September 20, 2009 |
| 5. | 10.67 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Thessaloniki | September 13, 2009 |
| 6. | 10.70 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | Indianapolis, IN | July 17, 1988 |
| 6. | 10.70 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Eugene, OR | June 4, 2011 |
| 6. | 10.70 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Kingston (NS), JAM | June 29, 2012 |
| 9. | 10.73 | Christine Arron | France | Budapest | August 19, 1998 |
| 9. | 10.73 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Berlin | August 17, 2009 |
| 11. | 10.74 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica | Milano | September 7, 1996 |
| 12. | 10.75 | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | Roma | July 10, 2009 |
| 12. | 10.75 | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | Berlin | August 17, 2009 |
| 14. | 10.76 | Evelyn Ashford | USA | Zürich | August 22, 1984 |
| 14. | 10.76 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica | Ostrava | May 31, 2011 |
| 16. | 10.77 | Irina Privalova | Russia | Lausanne | July 6, 1994 |
| 16. | 10.77 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | June 19, 2004 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Dawn Sowell | USA | Provo, UT | June 3, 1989 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica | Sevilla | May 30, 1990 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica | Paris | September 3, 1994 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Torri Edwards | USA | Eugene, OR | June 28, 2008 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | Beijing (National Stadium) | August 17, 2008 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica | Eugene, OR | July 3, 2010 |
| 18. | 10.78 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | Bruxelles | September 16, 2011 |
Photo: adriansprints.com
Posted in Olympics, Track and Field
Tags: 100 meters, 100m, alive, dash, fastest, florence griffith-joyner, history, List, marion jones, times, top, track and field, woman, women
