Sprint Races
Sprint races are among the most popular and exciting races to watch - whether you are watching at a local or Olympic level. These races are designed to test the speed of an athlete over a relatively short distance and include:
- The 100m
- The 110m hurdles
- The 200m
- The 4 x 100 sprint relay (where four athletes run a relay of 100m runs each).
Famous Sprinters
Winners of sprint races at events are often lauded as the best athletes and these races are high profile and popular with the general public. Over the years there have been many famous (and infamous!) sprinters. The most popular and well-known sprinters in recent years include:
- Jesse Owens was an exceptional all round athlete who competed in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 400m relay in the 1936 Olympics where he won four gold medals.
- Carl Lewis is held by many people to be the greatest athlete of modern times. His medal tally includes 20 gold medals in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 100m relays.
- Gail Devers is one of the best known female sprinters with two Olympic gold medals in the 100m in the 1990s and a 100m relay medal.
- Michael Johnson excelled in the 200m, 400m and 100m relay winning two gold medals in the 1996 Olympics.
- Alan Wells became the first UK sprinter in 56 years to win Olympic gold in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
- Linford Christie became probably the UK’s most famous modern sprinter when he won the prestigious 100m race in the 1992 Olympics.