Since the 2017 retirement of Jamaican track and field icon Usain Bolt, the throne for fastest sprinter in the world has been up for grabs. The field is more competitive than ever with a group of contenders who have been stuck in the shadows of legends like Bolt, Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and others for the last decade.
Up-and-comer Marcell Jacobs of Italy shocked the competition when he won the 100 meters in the 2021 Summer Olympics with a time of 9.80 seconds. However, he has only raced in two events, posting times of 10.04 and 10.12, posing concerns about his conditioning.
United States hopeful Fred Kerley has been off to a hot start this season, exclusively posting times that are sub-10 seconds. Kerley boasts the best time in the world this season with 9.76 seconds at the United States Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, securing a pivotal Diamond League gold medal.
Prior to Kerley’s recent victory, Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala posted a world best of 9.86 seconds in Nairobi. So Omanyala can’t be counted out, either.
However, several eyes will be on American veterans, 2019 world champion Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell. Coleman has been a polarizing athlete since he got suspended last season due to three missed drug tests.
After his one-year hiatus, Coleman has yet to return to the form he had when he secured the 2019 100m title in 9.76 seconds. Despite the rust, Coleman has posted a top-10 world time of 9.87 which he clocked at the outdoor championships this month before he scratched in the 100m final.
Bromell’s 9.81 has been the second-fastest world time this season, which has provided the U.S. with optimism after Bromell disappointed in the Tokyo Olympics when he failed to qualify for the 100m final. Despite a third place finish at the USATF championships, Bromell clinched a spot in the world championships next month.
The competitor who edged Bromell (9.88) in the outdoor championships was Marvin Bracy with a time of 9.85 seconds. Bracy turned pro in 2010, and he shouldn’t be overlooked given he’s as seasoned as they come. Bracy is currently ranked ninth in the men’s 100m.
Another familiar face in the track world is Andre De Grasse of Canada. Even though he placed third (9.89) at last year’s Olympics, he’s been overlooked in the event this season given his greater success in other events, like the 200m. American Erriyon Knighton, an 18- year- old phenomenon, is another sleeper pick for this race.
Knighton took the competition by storm at last summer’s U.S. trials when he ran a qualifying time of 19.84 in the 200 meters. He went on to be a finalist in the event at the Olympics, so spectators are interested to see how he performs in the 100m and 200m events next month.
Micah Williams, the fastest sprinter on the Ducks’ team, is a budding superstar himself. Williams failed to finish in the top three of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but he looked poised to contend at the world championships after he posted two sub-10 times at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Let’s see if Williams can use his home field advantage to secure his first title.
This field of contenders are 28 years and younger, so spectators should prepare for an intense competition. Tune into the World Athletics Championships that will take place at Hayward Field on July 15th to watch the preliminaries at 12 p.m. to see if anyone will join the likes of legends Bolt, Gay and Blake in the legendary sub-9.7 club.
