100m world record time: What is Usain Bolt's fastest ever time? When is the men's 100m Tokyo Olympics final?

ByDan Gibbs

Updated 02/08/2021 at 02:29 GMT

Usain Bolt will not be present in Tokyo meaning a new 100m Olympic champion will be crowned with the gold-medal winner taking the title of 'the fastest man on Earth'. The 100m final is usually one of the highlights of the athletics schedule and luckily for UK fans it won't be an early start. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+

Usain Bolt is widely regarded as one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time and Tokyo 2020 will be quieter without his presence.

But that does mean we will have a new Olympic sprint champion and another name who can proudly boast that he really is the fastest man on the planet.

Trayvon Bromell is among the favourites to take Bolt's crown and has clocked the fastest time of 2021 with a personal best time of 9.77seconds.

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South African star Akani Simbine also poses a threat having set the fastest time for an African competitor in history, clocking in at 9.84 seconds, while Rio 2016 bronze medallist Andre de Grasse is also a contender.

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When is the men's 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics? (all times BST)

The men’s 100m prelims start on Saturday, July 31 at 03:35 with the first round taking place later on that day in the evening session at 12:17.

The semi-finals and final get underway on Sunday, August 1 in the evening session with semis beginning at 11:15 and with the final due to start at 13:50.

A sensational run of 9.79 from Lamont Marcell Jacobs saw him become the first Italian to ever win the 100m on August 1.

'The Olympic Stadium is stunned!' - Jacobs 'comes from nowhere' to win 100m gold

Is Usain Bolt running at Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

Sadly not.

Having made a clean sweep of the 100m and 200m events at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, Bolt called time on his career shortly after.

The Jamaican sprinter last competed at the 2017 World Championships, when he finished third in his last solo 100m race, opted out of the 200m, and pulled up in the 4x100m relay final with a hamstring injury.

Usain Bolt set his world record time at the 2009 World Championships

Image credit: Getty Images

What is Usain Bolt's 100m world record time?

Bolt ran the fastest ever 100m in 9.58 seconds at the World Championships in 2009.

No other track athlete has ever come within one-tenth of a second of that record with Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake both recording times of 9.69.

Bolt also holds the Olympic record with nobody yet to beat the 9.63 time he set at London 2012.

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