1. Usain Bolt
Maximum recorded speed: 9.58 s / 100 m = 37.6 km/h
Date of birth: August 21, 1986
Place of birth: Sherwood Contente, Diocese of Trelawney, Jamaica
Nationality: Jamaica
2. John Black
Maximum recorded speed: 9.69 s /100 m = 37.2 km/h
Date of birth: December 26, 1989
Place of Birth: Parish of St. James, Jamaica (city unknown)
Nationality: Jamaica
Just like the fastest person on the planet, the second fastest person is also a Jamaican. Yohan Blake was born in 1989 in a small town in the parish of St. James, western Jamaica. Like Usain Bolt, Blake initially wanted to become a professional cricketer, but changed his focus after the school's principal urged him to try sprinting after realizing how fast Blake was. When Usain Bolt was asked who could really challenge him, his answer was Yohan Blake. Blake ran the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds at a track event in Lausanne, Switzerland, and he was indeed close.
3. Tyson Gay
Maximum recorded speed: 9.69 s /100 m = 37.2 km/h
Date of birth: August 9, 1982
Place of Birth: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Nationality: American
Tyson Gay is the third-fastest human and non-Jamaican in history. The American professional sprinter was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1982. His physical speed is almost genetically determined, as his sprinter genes may have been inherited from his grandmother and/or his mother, who sprinted for Eastern Kentucky University, and/or his mother who also ran in high school. So it's no surprise that Guy followed in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother and became a professional sprinter. He soon began to break one national record after another. In 2009, during a track and field competition in Shanghai, China, Guy ran 100 meters in 9.69 seconds, so he was almost as fast as Yohan Blake. He was only behind Blake in the rankings because Guy's sprint was wind-assisted.
4. Asafa Powell
Maximum recorded speed: 9.72 s /100m = 37.04 km/h
Date of birth: 23 November 1982
Place of birth: Spanish Town, Parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica
Nationality: Jamaica
Asafa Powell is another Jamaican who belongs to the group of fastest runners in history. Powell was born in Spain, Jamaica in 1982, the youngest of six sons of two Christian pastors. All of his brothers showed great physical fitness and speed from a very young age, and his eldest brother, Donovan Powell, later became a sprinter as well. Eventually, however, the youngest sibling proved to be the fastest: Asafa Powell ran the 100 meters in 9.72 seconds during a track and field race in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2008. He is now ranked as the fourth fastest human in history.
5. Justin Gatlin
Maximum recording speed: 9.74 seconds/100m = 36.96 km/h
Date of birth: 10 February 1982
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Nationality: American
Justin Gatlin is among the top 5 fastest runners in history. Gatlin was born in New York City in 1982 but grew up primarily in Pensacola, Florida. The American made his debut in American football in high school, but eventually switched to athletics. Unfortunately, his career as a professional sprinter came to an almost abrupt end in 2006, when he was banned for four years for testing positive for a doping containing testosterone. Gatlin then tried to return to American football, but failed to make it to the NFL rosters of the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buchals. Instead, Gatlin returned to racing in 2010 and proved that it was still possible to be a successful sprinter in his 30s. In 2015, at the age of 33, Gatlin ran a personal best (9.74 seconds in the 100 meters) at an athletics event in Doha, Qatar. In 2019, at the age of 37, he also became the oldest sprinter in history to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.
6. Christian Coleman
Maximum recording speed: 9.76 seconds/100m = 36.89 km/h
Date of birth: March 6, 1996
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Nationality: American
7. Nesta Carter
Maximum recording speed: 9.78 seconds/100m = 36.81 km/h
Date of birth: 11 October 1985
Place of birth: Banana Field, Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica
Nationality: Jamaica
8. Maurice Green
Fastest recorded speed: 9.79 seconds/100m = 36.77 km/h
Date of birth: July 23, 1974
Place of Birth: Kansas City, Kansas, USA
Nationality: American
9. Steve Mullins
Maximum recording speed: 9.80 seconds/100m = 36.73 km/h
Date of birth: 28 November 1982
Place of Birth: Diocese of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica (City Unknown) Nationality: Jamaica
10. Richard Thompson
Maximum recorded speed: 9.82 seconds/100m = 36.66 km/h
Date of birth: June 7, 1985
Place of birth: Cascat, Diego Martin Region, Trinidad and Tobago