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The 13 Greatest Olympic Sprinters of All Time

By YPB Team

Speed demons and record-breakers from across the decades — from iconic podium moments to sprinting legends who redefined what was possible. Who is the greatest?

  1. Usain Bolt — ranked #11
    Usain Bolt
    Jamaican sprinter who set world records in the 100m (9.58s) and 200m (19.19s), winning 8 Olympic gold medals across 2008, 2012, and 2016.
    1000pts
  2. Carl Lewis — ranked #22
    Carl Lewis
    American sprinter who won 9 Olympic gold medals including the 100m in 1984, widely considered one of the greatest track and field athletes ever.
    750pts
  3. Andre De Grasse — ranked #33
    Andre De Grasse
    Canadian sprinter who won the 200m gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming one of the sport's biggest stars.
    700pts
  4. Maurice Greene — ranked #44
    Maurice Greene
    American sprinter who won the 100m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was a dominant force in sprinting in the late 1990s.
    591pts
  5. Florence Griffith-Joyner — ranked #55
    Florence Griffith-Joyner
    Known as Flo-Jo, the American sprinter set 100m and 200m world records at the 1988 Seoul Olympics that still stand today.
    500pts
  6. Donovan Bailey — ranked #66
    Donovan Bailey
    Canadian sprinter who won the 100m gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and set a world record of 9.84 seconds, reclaiming the title from the USA.
    500pts
  7. Noah Lyles — ranked #77
    Noah Lyles
    American sprinter and reigning 100m Olympic champion from the 2024 Paris Olympics who recently broke the 150m world record in 2026.
    409pts
  8. Michael Johnson — ranked #88
    Michael Johnson
    American sprinter who won gold in both the 200m and 400m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, setting world records in iconic gold shoes.
    300pts
  9. Linford Christie — ranked #99
    Linford Christie
    British sprinter who won the 100m gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the oldest man to win the Olympic 100m at 32 years old.
    300pts
  10. Tommie Smith — ranked #1010
    Tommie Smith
    American sprinter who won the 200m gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and raised a black-gloved fist in one of the most iconic Olympic protests ever.
    300pts
  11. Jesse Owens — ranked #1111
    Jesse Owens
    American sprinter who famously won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defying Nazi racial ideology with his athletic dominance.
    0pts
  12. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce — ranked #1212
    Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
    Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m gold at four Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2024), the most decorated female sprinter in Olympic history.
    0pts
  13. Allyson Felix — ranked #1313
    Allyson Felix
    American sprinter who became the most decorated US track and field athlete in Olympic history with 11 medals across 200m, 400m, and relay events.
    0pts

#usa310#sports648#olympics26#classics482#legends375#all-time318

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