http://www.caribbeantracklife.com/current-features/2011/10/16/a-look-at-the-greatest-ever-mens-100m-fieldA Look at The 'Greatest-Ever' Men’s 100m Fieldby Neil O. Clayton, posted on 10/15/2011
At one point or another, sports fans are inundated by the question of ‘greatest ever’ or ‘best ever,’ when an analysis of outstanding athletes comes up for discussion. Muhammad Ali is said to be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Some say Sugar Ray Robinson is, hands down, the greatest boxer of all time. Is Tiger Woods the best golfer of his generation? These questions may never be answered satisfactorily, but they are worth probing.
Who is the greatest 100 meter runner of all time? That question cannot be answered adequately because eras, equipment, altitude, track condition, nutrition, and technology dictate how well each ‘greatest or best’ measures up against the competition.
In a series of analyses, I will succinctly review the achievements of some of the singular best athletes in a featured event and determine who the victor would be, if they competed in the same race, all things considered. One point of note is that a world record holder might or might not have claimed the top prize in a head-to-head contest against equals, considering the foregoing determinants.
Loaded with Superlative PerformersThe men’s 100m, arguably track’s premier event, has been historically loaded with superlative performers, some of the greatest sprint tacticians of all time. From world record holders to Olympic champions to World champions to world number-ones, we have been fortunate from time to time to have witnessed some classic encounters. Nonetheless I have narrowed this elite list to an eight-man field, which stands head and shoulders above all comers.
The dream field includes former World champion, Olympic champion and world record holder, Usain Bolt; Bolt’s compatriot, former world record holder and owner of a collection of the fastest races ever run, Asafa Powell; 1972 Olympic sprint double champion Valeriy Borzov from Russia; former American record holder and 2007 World sprint double champion Tyson Gay; former Olympic sprint double champion Carl Lewis; former Olympic and World champion Maurice Greene; former Olympic champion Bob Hayes; and disgraced, dethroned former Olympic champion Ben Johnson from Canada, complete the formidable field.
There is great respect and admiration for the achievements and accolades of other standouts, including the great 1936 Olympic sprint double champion, American Jesse Owens; the redoubtable Silvio Leonard from Cuba, who was unbeatable during his heyday in the 1970s and 80s. Also left out of consideration are Jamaicans Nesta Carter, number four fastest of all time and his team mate, Steve Mullings, rated among the top eight fastest men in history, former four-time European, Commonwealth and 1992 Olympic champion, Britains’s Linford Christie and former world record holder, the 1995 World champion and 1996 Olympic great, Canadian Donavan Bailey, who proved to be one of the most sensational sprinters of his time but he had a relatively short career at the top.
Who WinsAt his best, Bolt wins this tantalizing contest; he is tremendously powerful and towers over the field in every sense. His notoriously slow start would be no hindrance to victory as his nine-foot stride length would be telling in the closing stages of the race. Added to that, he is a big meet performer. Ben Johnson at his imperial best is, pound for pound, the class performer of this field. Built like a machine, he had a great start, and could match anyone with his immense top-end speed. As a result of the performance-enhancer convictions, he did not realize his full potential. He finishes just behind Bolt. I believe Bob Hayes would finish third here. Hayes’ win in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic final in 10.04secs must be one of the finest 100m races in history. With track improvements, a greater emphasis on his nutrition, in short, with the advancement in technology available today, Hayes’ time would probably not be considerably far off of the current world record of 9.58.
Maurice Greene finishes fourth, but only with a lifetime best effort. Asafa Powell takes his customary fifth place (as he did in the last two Olympic Games), with Tyson Gay finishing sixth. Carl Lewis and Valeriy Borzov bring up the rear. Both Lewis and Borzov were terrific athletes, but in a field which includes only the incredibly best, they do no better as Lewis was a notoriously slow starter and Borzov, though a terrific world beater, fares no better than eighth. Note that Borzov ran a PB of 10.00secs, an outstanding time which remains a fine performance today. Significantly, almost 40 years later, he would have taken the silver medal at the 2011 Worlds, losing the gold medal by a mere 2/25 of a second.