50 metres
Encyclopedia
50 metres is a sprint
event in track and field
. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres
runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. It is an alternative to the 60 metres
running event.
Records and personal bests in the 50 metres are frequently achieved in February and March as these dates coincide with the indoor athletics season.
Represents a time set at a high altitude.Ben Johnson of ran 5.55 at Ottawa, Canada on 31 January 1987, but this time was rescinded after Johnson admitted to using steroids between 1981 and 1988.
Represents a time set at a high altitude.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
event in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. It is an alternative to the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
running event.
Records and personal bests in the 50 metres are frequently achieved in February and March as these dates coincide with the indoor athletics season.
Top all-time athletes – 50 metres – men
Indoor results only. Updated April 2010.| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5.56 | Donovan Bailey Donovan Bailey Donovan Bailey is a retired Canadian sprinter, who once held the world record for the 100 metres race following his gold medal performance in the 1996 Olympic Games. He was the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m... |
9 February 1996 | Reno Reno, Nevada Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area... |
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| Maurice Greene Maurice Greene (athlete) Maurice Greene is a retired American track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is a former 100 m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds. During the height of his career he won four Olympic medals and was a five-time World Champion... |
13 February 1999 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
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| 3. | 5.58 | Leonard Scott Leonard Scott Leonard Scott is an American sprinter mainly competing in the 100 meters event. Scott attended the University of Tennessee on a track scholarship and turned professional in 2002. In 2005 he joined the exclusive list of sprinters to run the 100 in less than 10 seconds. A month later he finished... |
26 February 2005 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| 4 | 5.61 | Manfred Kokot Manfred Kokot Manfred Kokot was an East German athlete, who won the silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada... |
4 February 1973 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
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| James Sanford James Sanford James Sanford, born , is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States, best known for setting the 1981 world's best year performance in the men's 200 metres... |
20 February 1981 | San Diego | |||
| Michael Green | 16 February 1997 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| Deji Aliu Deji Aliu Deji Aliu is a Nigerian sprinter. He won the 100 metres event at the 2003 All-Africa Games. He also took fourth place in the event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.... |
21 February 1999 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| Jason Gardener Jason Gardener Jason Carl Gardener is a retired British sprint athlete, and former World Indoor Champion. Gardener was educated at Beechen Cliff School and the City of Bath College, and went on to graduate from Bath Spa University.-Athletics career:Gardener started his career at the World Junior Championships in... |
16 February 2000 | Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
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| Freddy Mayola Freddy Mayola Freddy Santiago Mayola Fernández is a Cuban sprinter who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Sydney 2000... |
16 February 2000 | Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
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| 10 | 5.62 | Emmit King Emmit King Emmit King is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States, who twice was a member of the American Relay Team for the Summer Olympics but he didn't compete. He is best known for winning the bronze medal at the inaugural 1983 World Championships in the men's 100 metres... |
5 March 1986 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... |
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| Andre Cason Andre Cason Andre Cason is an American former sprinter. He was a member of the US 4 x 100 meters relay team that won the gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo with a world record time of 37.50 seconds... |
15 February 1992 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
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| Eric Nkansah Eric Nkansah Eric Nkansah Appiah is a Ghanaian athlete specializing in the 100 metres.He is one of the current national record holders in 4 x 100 m relay with 38,12 seconds, achieved at the 1997 World Championships in Athens where the Ghanaian team finished fifth in the final.Participating in the 2004 Summer... |
21 February 1999 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| Morne Nagel Morne Nagel Morné Nagel is a South African sprinter. Together with Corne Du Plessis, Lee-Roy Newton and Matthew Quinn he won a gold medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics.... |
24 February 2002 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
Represents a time set at a high altitude.Ben Johnson of ran 5.55 at Ottawa, Canada on 31 January 1987, but this time was rescinded after Johnson admitted to using steroids between 1981 and 1988.
Top all-time athletes – 50 metres – women
Indoor results only. Updated April 2010.| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5.96 | Irina Privalova Irina Privalova Irina Anatoljewna Privalova is a Russian athlete.She first competed in the sprint events, winning two Olympic medals in the 100 m and 200 m in 1992 whilst representing the Unified Team. Irina Privalova had been a formidable competitor during most of the 1990s but had not yet won an... |
9 February 1995 | Madrid, Spain | |
| 2. | 6.00 | Merlene Ottey Merlene Ottey Merlene Joyce Ottey , is a Jamaican-born Slovenian track athlete. Ottey began her career representing Jamaica, but since 2002, has represented Slovenia, where she now resides... |
4 February 1994 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
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| 3. | 6.02 | Gail Devers Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team. Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up near National City, California and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984... |
21 February 1999 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| 4. | 6.04 | Chioma Ajunwa Chioma Ajunwa Chioma Ajunwa , is a former athlete from Nigeria, who previously played football for the Nigerian women's team. She is the first Nigerian to win an Olympic gold medal as well as the first African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event... |
22 February 1998 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| 5. | 6.05 | Savatheda Fynes | 13 February 2000 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| Philomena Mensah Philomena Mensah Philomena Mensah is a Canadian sprinter. Born in Accra, she previously represented Ghana, but emigrated to Canada following the 1994 Commonwealth Games... |
13 February 2000 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| 7. | 6.07 | Gwen Torrence Gwen Torrence Gwen Torrence is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, GA. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia.... |
9 February 1996 | Reno Reno Reno is the fourth most populous city in Nevada, US.Reno may also refer to:-Places:Italy*The Reno River, in Northern ItalyCanada*Reno No... , NV |
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| 8. | 6.08 | Christy Opara-Thompson | 16 February 1997 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| 9. | 6.09 | Zhanna Block | 2 February 1993 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
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| 10 | 6.11 | Marita Koch Marita Koch Marita Koch , is a former sprint track and field athlete... |
2 February 1980 | Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... |
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| Liliana Allen Liliana Allen Liliana Allen Doll is a Cuban track and field athlete, competing for Mexico. She previously represented Cuba.... |
13 February 2000 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
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| Christine Arron | 26 February 2006 | Aubière Aubière Aubière is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*... |
Represents a time set at a high altitude.