Yea, I really think the injury in 2008 is what hindered him. Imagine he didn't get injured before the Olympics, not only does he maybe win a medal in Beijing, but then he also possible runs faster than the 9.71 and 9.69 we saw in 2009. Also in 2009, he didnt run the 200m at worlds because he was injured, so maybe he goes faster there as well. But then with the ban in 2013, that just ended all hopes of a true return and possibility of a medal
Top 5 Carl, Maurice, Jesse, Gaitlin, Noah. But the most impressive will always be Bob Hayes, superbowl champion & 100m gold medalist!!! Something we’ll never see again
for number 8 you cant say tyson would have been dominating if not for Bolt. Tyson didnt beat Yohan, Gatlin or medal at any worlds or Olympics after 2009. That has nothing to do with Bolt.
Thats a fair point. I think the narrative in general is that anyone who competed in the Bolt era would have been dominating if Bolt wasn't there. But that ignores the fact that, all the other guys were there so everyone cant dominate. Its was a very competitive era that is overshadowed by Bolt's presence.
@@TheFinalLeg I have been trying to contact you. I want to do a live collab debate about why the Athlos meet was horrible and other issues. How can I contact you?
Another amazing list, very consistent and I think placements are very fair. I understand and agree with the points made for Coleman, Gay and Kerley and why they were placed there.Tyson Gay was in such an unique era of sprinting with so many incredible times with legendary names in the mix but didn't have as many accolades. Coleman has probably been the one of the most unlucky athletes in track and field history not to win a single olympic medal yet given his 100m PB and his other accolades. Kerley made a big move from dropping from the 400m into the 100m and I think it's worked and he may have more accolades down the line. Noah being 6th is a really good call and I suspect if he continues to win medals of any colour at the Worlds, Olympics and even the new Ultimate World Championships for years, his ranking as one of the greatest 100m runners in the USA but also in the World will increase. Plus given his accolades as a junior world champion to a senior world champion, he's really creating a solid profile of overall sprinting achievements in track and field. It's kinda tough to predict if the American Record of 9.69 by Tyson Gay will fall soon. There's potential with guys like Christian Miller who are young and are getting faster. Maybe Noah Lyles, he might get faster, maybe down to low 9.7 if he continues to stay consistent and healthy (which is looking very legitimate after his 100m Olympic Gold title win). I don't know, the American Record is a bit far away but things can change rapidly in track and field so we'll see.
Thanks for that, in general I tried to be fair, but its impossible really considering the different generations (Like I honestly should have Bob Hayes higher maybe?). And yea if Noah keeps winning medals, he will go farther up the list for sure. Same with Kerley to be honest who is not even 30 yet. I don't think we'll see Tyson's 9.69 broken soon, but it wouldn't shock me if it was. The thing is, I'm not sure there is a huge incentive, or a pulling force for the rest of the field to run as fast. I truly believe that Bolt pulled others (mentally and physically) to faster times because they realized this is what was necessary to get on the podium. Powell runs 9.72 in Lausanne right after Bolt's 9.69 in 2008 Tyson gets silver running runs 9.71 behind Bolt's 9.58 in Berlin, and then a 9.69 a few weeks later Yohan runs 9.69 in Lausanne after getting 2nd to Bolt's 9.63 in 2012 I think it was just a matter of "we have no choice but to run fast" for all the guys in that era
Cant believe I made that mistake! Yes 1988 Bronze not 1984. For whatever reason, because I was ignoring Ben Johnson, I was assuming he also got his 1984 bronze stripped and then I confused Calvin with that bronze. Thanks for that correction!
@@nsxperformanceI believe it was the IAAF decided to null and void his performances from 1987 to 1988, including his gold and world record at the World Indoors Championships at 60m in 1987. They didn’t voided his performances prior to 1987 even though he admitted that he was using PED from 1981.
Only thing I'd change is Gatlin at no.2 and Maurice for no.3. Gatlin's longevity, plethora of medals and the fact he carried US sprinting on his back from 2012-2017 puts him ahead of Greene for me.
Yea I can make an argument for Justin at no.2 as well. I agree that his longevity is insane and was consistently on the podium for years. I really gave Greene the edge because he won the 4 consecutive gold medals and had the world record. but I'm not mad at Gatlin no.2 at all
@@TheFinalLeg Very fair points you bring up, I really don't think you can go wrong with either of them at no.3/no.2, just what you value more in each individuals eye test
Im in agreed with the list ... If it wasn't for Justin gatlins drug ban maybe he would have surpassed Tyson gays 9.69 perhaps... Please do an all time top 15 for all of the 100m sprinters that would be interesting to see.
Good point on Justin, but its impossible to know. Granted we he did run that 9.77 in 2006, it was taken off the books, so hard to say he would have had a consistent trajectory down. But the way he got so consistent down to 9.74 in the 2nd half of his career is hard to ignore. top 15 100m sprinters in world history? That will be hard. After Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis, the list gets very tricky! But Maybe I'll do that soon!
Nice list. I think Bobby Morrow could be considered. He was dominant in the 50's, and a bit like Hayes and Hines - whereby their peak period of domination was relatively short lived. Speaking of Hayes - he was something else, and a definite top 5 in my view.
100% should have included Bobby Morrow and I didnt think about it until after the fact! He was very dominant in the 1950s including multiple world records and his Olympic Gold. I respect Bob Hayes being in the top 5. He is a legend for sure!
Difficult to combine all eras when Olympics, Universiade, and a few dual meets (USA, USSR, GB) were only international competition for much of the 20th Century. I'd legit say to have a pre-1983 and 1983+ ranking
You mentioned this at 4:22.. just reiterating. And no, not ALL of us have recency bias at all. Any serious Athletics historian looks at everything uniformly
@@nsxperformance Yea is basically impossible. Like if the sport was professional and athletes were making money, then you would probably see more athletes in the early-mid 20th century have longer careers. Plus, as you noted, there were very few big meets outside of the Olympics. Nothing comparable to the world championships. And even in the 1980s, it gets hard to compare since there was no world champs every 2 years. Hard to say certain athletes in 1981, 1985 and 1989 wouldn't have been more successful. And yea your right that not ALL people have recency bias, but I think MOST track fans do, and I even admitted it here. Looking back, I actually should rank Ralph Metcalfe higher up the list. And side note, I really think I should have included Bobby Morrow here
@@TheFinalLegMorrow should be there, I think Hayes is higher than Owens. Paddock honourable mention. It can get too deep as 20th century was long and we're only a quarter of the way into this century. It'd have to be pre-WCH era and then post
@@TheFinalLegAgree with what you say about if Worlds were biennial versus quadrennial in their infancy, that history would be different. Lewis probably would have 1985 Gold in 100m. 1981 he lost World Cup and gave up and certainly wasn't dominant yet. 1985 I think Ben would've beaten him (10.00, -0.4 at World Cup and Zurich win) and it would've stood if it followed the trend of all his performances up until end of 1986 standing. 1989 Ray Stewart was probably World Number 1 (WLer and NCAA Champ I believe) although Linford won WCup in awful conditions so Carl winning there is difficult to envision. Perhaps he'd have prepared differently in those years if championships were present. Interesting talking point
Fraudster Lewis swindled his way to the top of this list with foul play. Three of those medals need to be revoked, 1987, 88 and 91 belong to someone else. He has two legitimate medals, the rest are won with politics.
I think times and performances generally matter to an extent, but it isn't as important as performing your best when it counts and getting the medal. Tyson Gay got unfortunate with his 9.71(2nd to the Lightning) and 9.80(4th in Olympic final) then getting a suspension later. However, he is still a world champion and is number 2 in history. Just isn't as successful as guys like Gatlin, Lewis, Greene or even Noah, but I think he's somewhat up there with the likes of Fred. World records are definitely important, whether we want to admit it or not. Gold is what an athlete wants, but world record is something that they would desire to have and it's a good bonus so it definitely has value. That's why some people may argue Asafa Powell is an all time great in the 100 because of his performances and records in arguably the toughest 100m era.
Yea thats generally why I ranked the list as I did here. For example, Jim Hines didnt only set a world record (twice actually) but he did it on the biggest stage while winning a gold medal at the Olympics against the best guys in the world. He time of 9.95 we can look at as "slow" today, but it was the longest standing 100m world record until just this year, so imagine how people reacted back then to a time they once thought was not possible for a long time. Gold medals last forever, but world records are icing on the cake. The problem with world records is that they don't last forever. One day, even it it takes a long time, someone will break that record.
@@Pumpxkin Ive actually made 2 separate videos about Shelly being the 100m GOAT (one after 2019 and another one after 2022). Bolt is the sprint GOAT and its not even close as well.
I think this man is on Noah Lyles payroll. Or maybe he is just his number one fan. Tyson has 7 medals, Noah only has 3 medals at the senior level. Thats over double the accomplishments. Tyson has made more championship finals than Noah. He has made more US teams than Noah. Tyson has the American record. Tyson has better times overall.
I’m very happy to see my favourite athlete of all time, Carl Lewis, at number 1. While all of the stats are technically accurate, having experienced most of his prime years (1984 to 1991) live, it’s hard for me to erase the memory of what happened in Rome in 1987 and Seoul in 1988 and the impact that had, even though it is absolutely right to do so. I think ranking him with 4 world records, again, while fair, is hard because he finished runner up in two of those races - Rome in ‘87 (9.93 to Johnson’s 9.83) and Seoul in ‘88 (9.92 to Johnson’s 9.79). The other ones he finished first in but the Zurich ‘88 run which is now retrospectively a record-equalling run as was his Rome run from the year before equalled Calvin Smith’s altitude record but both were at sea-level. Ultimately, the 9.86 was the first one he broke outright and came after the Johnson era. I think it’s also the one Carl is most proud of.
That's a fair take for sure and I hear that. The times are tough to retroactively award as a record since the time has already been surpassed (specifically his 9.93's since those were never ratified) But the 9.92 was ratified once Ben was banned. But the way I think of times is very similar to medals. If someone is banned and loses their medal, it then goes to the next placer. If someone is banned and loses their record, it goes to the next fastest person. But I hear you for sure, that's for watching!
@@TheFinalLeg Good list, I was expecting you to put Lyles to be lower but Im good with where hes at lol . Surprised with Tyson but It makes sense based on your explanation . I learned a couple of new(old) people along the way
Me personally I would rate Tyson gay as better then Noah Lyles as Lyles has only started taking the 100m seriously for two years now whereas Tyson Gay although doesn't have as good medals dominated the 100m diamond league and various other circuits for decades. But I get why you would put Lyles ahead as he has double gold instead of gold and silver.
I hear that, but to be fair, Noah started running the 100m as a Junior (world JR champion) and then in 2018 and 2019 he seriously was running the 100m having run 9.8 in 2018 and won the 2019 Diamond League. This was all before he won world gold and Olympic Gold. But I didn't even factor that in, it really was about the double golds at this point. Tyson is of course up there and its subjective for sure. Appreciate you!
I have the utmost respect for you Anderson. I was speaking with my dad. He understands how you got your list. However, we can't agree with the placing of Tyson. My dad doesn't take into account the medals tally. He regards the fear factor highly above anything. He says growing up in the Caribbean but living in the US at the time. The athletes that he rooted against and feared more were Carl, Maurice and Tyson. He believes that those guys were special and if they are fully fit. It would take a herculean effort to beat those guys. The Gatlins, the Kerley's and the Lyle's are nice but they ain't putting no fear in anyone. What do you think about that?
Always appreciate you! Tyson is such a wild card, I honestly think he just left so much on the table with his injury (2008) and ban (2013) that it just makes his placing confusing. And the fact he ran so fast and still holds the American record makes it tough. I hear your dad on the fear factor. I think that's exactly what Bolt had which is why, even when he ran "slow" he always won. The field was scared of him. Maurice had that for a bit until post 2001 when the field got more competitive and he got older. I'm not sure how much weight I put into that though. For example, If you have all the fear factor, but you don't win at the Olympics (i.e. Tyson) then what does that fear factor truly mean? Carl, Maurice, even Gatlin, they won very frequently and have the medals to show for it. There's a reason Bolt is undefeated in Olympic finals. There's a reason Carl when 5 for 5 in 100m finals from 83-91 (once Ben was banned), there's a reason Maurice won 4 consecutive golds. I literally grew up watching Tyson, but its hard for me to say he is above others without the solid hardware. Its just like, we weren't around when Eddie Tolan, Ralph Metcalfe, Jesse Owens etc. were competing. How do we know they didn't have just as much fear factor in them? Bob Hayes maybe too. The only consistent measure of success we have that will never change is the Olympic and World medals. As crazy as Tyson's 9.69 time is, there will be people who surpass it one day. He'll eventually end up farther down the list. So yea, fear factor is an interesting aspect, but its not a solid concrete measure of success that I can create a list around. Fear to me may mean nothing to someone else.
@@TheFinalLeg Great points as usual. To me Tyson would be that guy. If you remember it was against Tyson first set the world record. From that time on Tyson pushed himself like no other to defeat Bolt. Those efforts would have caused many injuries but it led to that 9.69 and I believed he was running on a bad groin as well. Even in 2012 in the London Olympics, Tyson tried and realized he was not going to and didn't even dip at the line. Otherwise, he would have gotten bronze. Tyson is that guy that pushed through to defeat Bolt and for that he's in my personal top 5. Great respect to your list I ain't mad with it but I had to give Tyson his flowers.
This list is all types of wrong. Tyson Gay also had a better career than Noah. +American Record +2nd fastest all +more 100m finals +More 100m medals overall, 2xWC, 1xWorld Cup, 2xWorld Athletics Final, 1xDL Final The only thing Noah has over Tyson is the two gold but Tyson was up against 9.58. Tyson Gay 100% has had a better career than Noah Lyles. Coleman has had a better career than Noah. +Faster PB/Better stats. +Made more 100m finals +Made more 100m teams +Won more diamond leauge titles (2018,2023) +won more USATF championships mores. Won more The only thing Noah has over him is that Coleman has Gold+Silver whiles Noah has two Gold medals. But considering Coleman beat bolt for that silver its noteworthy.
I cant hate your opinion for sure! Theres a good argument for Tyson over Noah and Coleman over Noah. Nothing wrong with a disagreement. I like the criteria you laid out as well when talking about making more teams, having a better PB, World Cup, etc. Everyone is going to weigh each criteria differently so I appreciate you backing up your argument. Thanks for watching!
Noah Lyles is only a gold medallist and world champion because he is competing in a weaker era -- there's nobody in Noah's era who has run 9.6, like Bolt in Beijing. Tyson Gay's 9.71s at the World Championship in Beijing would make him champion if he was competing with Noah.
I love that you made this List but I disagree with 3 points. 1. Jesse Owens is the greatest sprinter in history. He ran in leather spikes on an ash track in the context of Nazi Germany and aryan superiority. Please put this into proper perspective here. 2. Carl Lewis is mired in controversy. It is alleged that at least 6 of the 9 runners should also have been either stripped or disqualified along with Ben Johnson. How do we turn a blind eye. Again context. 3. Tyson Gay belongs in the top three simply by virtue of having the Fastest American time. Just as Muhamed Ali is the greatest boxer based upon his impact upon the world stage as well as the sport, so too is Jesse Owens. My humble opinion.
I hear you. If this list was about impact though, I would personally have Jesse Owens number 1 by a few levels. Then probably Ralph Metcalfe and then Bob Hayes and Jim Hines in some order. But I was simply doing it based on performance and accolades. But I hear you and appreciate you watching!
Times do matter to a degree. I assume your referring to Tyson being lower on the list? Curious how you rank athletes from different generations? Would you say that Christian Coleman has a better career than Jesse Owens simply because he has a faster PB? Curious what your top 5 or top 10 would be, would love to discuss. Always appreciate you Sandy!
@@TheFinalLeg "The Greatest 100m Sprinter in US History" must be a combination of wins and performances. Justin Gatlin has 16 performances faster than Carl Lewis' PB, and Tyson Gay has 12 faster than Lewis. To me, titles have less meaning than consistency. My top 5 would be, Gatlin, Gay, Greene, Kerley, Lyles. The reason races are timed is to be able to compare performances, and Gatlin and Gay have so many outstanding performances that they are undeniably 1, and 2.
@@sandyacombs Carl Lewis is without a doubt, the second most dominant athlete in 100m history . Times need to be considered within eras to factor in all the improvements that culminate in the likelihood to run faster times as times progress. How fast were their times compared to the fastest times of the era where they had similar nutrition, technology, sports science, shoes, track surfaces etc. Carl Lewis was world record holder. Multiple world and olympic golds. I was not a big fan of the Carl, the man, but Carl, the athlete was a phenomenon. No one came close to him and then we had Bolt and no one in America has come close to Maurice since Bolt and Carl is ahead of Maurice.
No matter how many times I look over it, Gay's overall career is so incredibly unlucky
Yea, I really think the injury in 2008 is what hindered him. Imagine he didn't get injured before the Olympics, not only does he maybe win a medal in Beijing, but then he also possible runs faster than the 9.71 and 9.69 we saw in 2009. Also in 2009, he didnt run the 200m at worlds because he was injured, so maybe he goes faster there as well. But then with the ban in 2013, that just ended all hopes of a true return and possibility of a medal
Yes, but who is unluckier than Trayvon Bromell?
@@johnsonanum this is not a competition about who is unluckier
This is a well produced video. Great visuals, pacing, and explanations.
Really do appreciate that!
Top 5 Carl, Maurice, Jesse, Gaitlin, Noah. But the most impressive will always be Bob Hayes, superbowl champion & 100m gold medalist!!! Something we’ll never see again
Noah above Tyson???????
@@Tres_okoye Noah’s Gold medal holds a lot of weight, he broke a 20 year drought
Bob Hayes deserves a TON of respect and could be much higher up my list for sure!
for number 8 you cant say tyson would have been dominating if not for Bolt. Tyson didnt beat Yohan, Gatlin or medal at any worlds or Olympics after 2009. That has nothing to do with Bolt.
Thats a fair point. I think the narrative in general is that anyone who competed in the Bolt era would have been dominating if Bolt wasn't there. But that ignores the fact that, all the other guys were there so everyone cant dominate. Its was a very competitive era that is overshadowed by Bolt's presence.
@@TheFinalLeg I have been trying to contact you. I want to do a live collab debate about why the Athlos meet was horrible and other issues. How can I contact you?
Now i really want to watch that old school Olympics and see these legends do their things
My Top 5
1 Carl Lewis
2 Jesse Owens
3 Jim Hines
4 Maurice Greene
5 Bob Hayes
My Top 5 Greatest 100m Sprinters in The United States of America🇺🇸
1. Carl Lewis
2. Maurice Green
3. Justin Gatlin
4. King Noah Lyles
5. Jesse Owens
You are tripping man
Interesting, why whats your reasoning for having Noah ahead of Jesse?
Another amazing list, very consistent and I think placements are very fair. I understand and agree with the points made for Coleman, Gay and Kerley and why they were placed there.Tyson Gay was in such an unique era of sprinting with so many incredible times with legendary names in the mix but didn't have as many accolades. Coleman has probably been the one of the most unlucky athletes in track and field history not to win a single olympic medal yet given his 100m PB and his other accolades. Kerley made a big move from dropping from the 400m into the 100m and I think it's worked and he may have more accolades down the line.
Noah being 6th is a really good call and I suspect if he continues to win medals of any colour at the Worlds, Olympics and even the new Ultimate World Championships for years, his ranking as one of the greatest 100m runners in the USA but also in the World will increase. Plus given his accolades as a junior world champion to a senior world champion, he's really creating a solid profile of overall sprinting achievements in track and field.
It's kinda tough to predict if the American Record of 9.69 by Tyson Gay will fall soon. There's potential with guys like Christian Miller who are young and are getting faster. Maybe Noah Lyles, he might get faster, maybe down to low 9.7 if he continues to stay consistent and healthy (which is looking very legitimate after his 100m Olympic Gold title win).
I don't know, the American Record is a bit far away but things can change rapidly in track and field so we'll see.
Thanks for that, in general I tried to be fair, but its impossible really considering the different generations (Like I honestly should have Bob Hayes higher maybe?). And yea if Noah keeps winning medals, he will go farther up the list for sure. Same with Kerley to be honest who is not even 30 yet.
I don't think we'll see Tyson's 9.69 broken soon, but it wouldn't shock me if it was. The thing is, I'm not sure there is a huge incentive, or a pulling force for the rest of the field to run as fast. I truly believe that Bolt pulled others (mentally and physically) to faster times because they realized this is what was necessary to get on the podium.
Powell runs 9.72 in Lausanne right after Bolt's 9.69 in 2008
Tyson gets silver running runs 9.71 behind Bolt's 9.58 in Berlin, and then a 9.69 a few weeks later
Yohan runs 9.69 in Lausanne after getting 2nd to Bolt's 9.63 in 2012
I think it was just a matter of "we have no choice but to run fast" for all the guys in that era
Correction - Calvin Smith was the 1988 Olympic Bronze medalist not 1984. Ben Johnson was 3rd in 1984 behind Carl Lewis and Sam Grady
Yes and for some strange reason Johnson kept all his medals 1982-86 even though in 1989 Dubin report he admitted to doping from 1981
Cant believe I made that mistake! Yes 1988 Bronze not 1984. For whatever reason, because I was ignoring Ben Johnson, I was assuming he also got his 1984 bronze stripped and then I confused Calvin with that bronze. Thanks for that correction!
@@nsxperformanceI believe it was the IAAF decided to null and void his performances from 1987 to 1988, including his gold and world record at the World Indoors Championships at 60m in 1987. They didn’t voided his performances prior to 1987 even though he admitted that he was using PED from 1981.
@@BDQ1975Yes I know, he still holds Goodwill Games record (9.95) and listed in 60m WR Progression 😂
While I won’t completely agree, I gotta respect the consistency to which you use your criteria.
Appreciate you. Who are your top 5 or top 10 though if you dont agree? Curious to hear!
Only thing I'd change is Gatlin at no.2 and Maurice for no.3. Gatlin's longevity, plethora of medals and the fact he carried US sprinting on his back from 2012-2017 puts him ahead of Greene for me.
Yea I can make an argument for Justin at no.2 as well. I agree that his longevity is insane and was consistently on the podium for years. I really gave Greene the edge because he won the 4 consecutive gold medals and had the world record. but I'm not mad at Gatlin no.2 at all
@@TheFinalLeg Very fair points you bring up, I really don't think you can go wrong with either of them at no.3/no.2, just what you value more in each individuals eye test
Im in agreed with the list ... If it wasn't for Justin gatlins drug ban maybe he would have surpassed Tyson gays 9.69 perhaps... Please do an all time top 15 for all of the 100m sprinters that would be interesting to see.
Good point on Justin, but its impossible to know. Granted we he did run that 9.77 in 2006, it was taken off the books, so hard to say he would have had a consistent trajectory down. But the way he got so consistent down to 9.74 in the 2nd half of his career is hard to ignore.
top 15 100m sprinters in world history? That will be hard. After Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis, the list gets very tricky! But Maybe I'll do that soon!
There's no what if in track and field
Nice list. I think Bobby Morrow could be considered. He was dominant in the 50's, and a bit like Hayes and Hines - whereby their peak period of domination was relatively short lived. Speaking of Hayes - he was something else, and a definite top 5 in my view.
100% should have included Bobby Morrow and I didnt think about it until after the fact! He was very dominant in the 1950s including multiple world records and his Olympic Gold.
I respect Bob Hayes being in the top 5. He is a legend for sure!
Difficult to combine all eras when Olympics, Universiade, and a few dual meets (USA, USSR, GB) were only international competition for much of the 20th Century. I'd legit say to have a pre-1983 and 1983+ ranking
You mentioned this at 4:22.. just reiterating. And no, not ALL of us have recency bias at all. Any serious Athletics historian looks at everything uniformly
@@nsxperformance Yea is basically impossible. Like if the sport was professional and athletes were making money, then you would probably see more athletes in the early-mid 20th century have longer careers. Plus, as you noted, there were very few big meets outside of the Olympics. Nothing comparable to the world championships. And even in the 1980s, it gets hard to compare since there was no world champs every 2 years. Hard to say certain athletes in 1981, 1985 and 1989 wouldn't have been more successful.
And yea your right that not ALL people have recency bias, but I think MOST track fans do, and I even admitted it here. Looking back, I actually should rank Ralph Metcalfe higher up the list.
And side note, I really think I should have included Bobby Morrow here
@@TheFinalLegMorrow should be there, I think Hayes is higher than Owens. Paddock honourable mention. It can get too deep as 20th century was long and we're only a quarter of the way into this century. It'd have to be pre-WCH era and then post
@@TheFinalLegAgree with what you say about if Worlds were biennial versus quadrennial in their infancy, that history would be different. Lewis probably would have 1985 Gold in 100m. 1981 he lost World Cup and gave up and certainly wasn't dominant yet. 1985 I think Ben would've beaten him (10.00, -0.4 at World Cup and Zurich win) and it would've stood if it followed the trend of all his performances up until end of 1986 standing. 1989 Ray Stewart was probably World Number 1 (WLer and NCAA Champ I believe) although Linford won WCup in awful conditions so Carl winning there is difficult to envision. Perhaps he'd have prepared differently in those years if championships were present. Interesting talking point
Fraudster Lewis swindled his way to the top of this list with foul play. Three of those medals need to be revoked, 1987, 88 and 91 belong to someone else. He has two legitimate medals, the rest are won with politics.
I think times and performances generally matter to an extent, but it isn't as important as performing your best when it counts and getting the medal. Tyson Gay got unfortunate with his 9.71(2nd to the Lightning) and 9.80(4th in Olympic final) then getting a suspension later. However, he is still a world champion and is number 2 in history. Just isn't as successful as guys like Gatlin, Lewis, Greene or even Noah, but I think he's somewhat up there with the likes of Fred.
World records are definitely important, whether we want to admit it or not. Gold is what an athlete wants, but world record is something that they would desire to have and it's a good bonus so it definitely has value. That's why some people may argue Asafa Powell is an all time great in the 100 because of his performances and records in arguably the toughest 100m era.
I agree
Yea thats generally why I ranked the list as I did here. For example, Jim Hines didnt only set a world record (twice actually) but he did it on the biggest stage while winning a gold medal at the Olympics against the best guys in the world. He time of 9.95 we can look at as "slow" today, but it was the longest standing 100m world record until just this year, so imagine how people reacted back then to a time they once thought was not possible for a long time.
Gold medals last forever, but world records are icing on the cake. The problem with world records is that they don't last forever. One day, even it it takes a long time, someone will break that record.
@@TheFinalLeg Genuinely curious about your opinion on bolt vs shelly in the 100 alone.
@@Pumpxkin Ive actually made 2 separate videos about Shelly being the 100m GOAT (one after 2019 and another one after 2022). Bolt is the sprint GOAT and its not even close as well.
I think this man is on Noah Lyles payroll. Or maybe he is just his number one fan.
Tyson has 7 medals, Noah only has 3 medals at the senior level. Thats over double the accomplishments. Tyson has made more championship finals than Noah. He has made more US teams than Noah. Tyson has the American record. Tyson has better times overall.
I’m very happy to see my favourite athlete of all time, Carl Lewis, at number 1. While all of the stats are technically accurate, having experienced most of his prime years (1984 to 1991) live, it’s hard for me to erase the memory of what happened in Rome in 1987 and Seoul in 1988 and the impact that had, even though it is absolutely right to do so. I think ranking him with 4 world records, again, while fair, is hard because he finished runner up in two of those races - Rome in ‘87 (9.93 to Johnson’s 9.83) and Seoul in ‘88 (9.92 to Johnson’s 9.79). The other ones he finished first in but the Zurich ‘88 run which is now retrospectively a record-equalling run as was his Rome run from the year before equalled Calvin Smith’s altitude record but both were at sea-level.
Ultimately, the 9.86 was the first one he broke outright and came after the Johnson era. I think it’s also the one Carl is most proud of.
That's a fair take for sure and I hear that. The times are tough to retroactively award as a record since the time has already been surpassed (specifically his 9.93's since those were never ratified) But the 9.92 was ratified once Ben was banned.
But the way I think of times is very similar to medals. If someone is banned and loses their medal, it then goes to the next placer. If someone is banned and loses their record, it goes to the next fastest person. But I hear you for sure, that's for watching!
calm list
Is calm good or bad😂
Would you change anything about my list?
@@TheFinalLeg Good list, I was expecting you to put Lyles to be lower but Im good with where hes at lol . Surprised with Tyson but It makes sense based on your explanation . I learned a couple of new(old) people along the way
At first, I’m like hmm, but at the end this seems fair. Well adjusted for time periods tbh
Appreciate that. Curious who you would have on your list or if you would change anything up?
Me personally I would rate Tyson gay as better then Noah Lyles as Lyles has only started taking the 100m seriously for two years now whereas Tyson Gay although doesn't have as good medals dominated the 100m diamond league and various other circuits for decades. But I get why you would put Lyles ahead as he has double gold instead of gold and silver.
I hear that, but to be fair, Noah started running the 100m as a Junior (world JR champion) and then in 2018 and 2019 he seriously was running the 100m having run 9.8 in 2018 and won the 2019 Diamond League. This was all before he won world gold and Olympic Gold.
But I didn't even factor that in, it really was about the double golds at this point.
Tyson is of course up there and its subjective for sure. Appreciate you!
@@TheFinalLeg I agree and great video btw
Yes Tyson Gay has the better career objectivel. Recency bias is killing my people.
I have the utmost respect for you Anderson. I was speaking with my dad. He understands how you got your list. However, we can't agree with the placing of Tyson. My dad doesn't take into account the medals tally. He regards the fear factor highly above anything. He says growing up in the Caribbean but living in the US at the time. The athletes that he rooted against and feared more were Carl, Maurice and Tyson. He believes that those guys were special and if they are fully fit. It would take a herculean effort to beat those guys. The Gatlins, the Kerley's and the Lyle's are nice but they ain't putting no fear in anyone. What do you think about that?
Always appreciate you!
Tyson is such a wild card, I honestly think he just left so much on the table with his injury (2008) and ban (2013) that it just makes his placing confusing. And the fact he ran so fast and still holds the American record makes it tough.
I hear your dad on the fear factor. I think that's exactly what Bolt had which is why, even when he ran "slow" he always won. The field was scared of him. Maurice had that for a bit until post 2001 when the field got more competitive and he got older. I'm not sure how much weight I put into that though. For example, If you have all the fear factor, but you don't win at the Olympics (i.e. Tyson) then what does that fear factor truly mean? Carl, Maurice, even Gatlin, they won very frequently and have the medals to show for it. There's a reason Bolt is undefeated in Olympic finals. There's a reason Carl when 5 for 5 in 100m finals from 83-91 (once Ben was banned), there's a reason Maurice won 4 consecutive golds.
I literally grew up watching Tyson, but its hard for me to say he is above others without the solid hardware.
Its just like, we weren't around when Eddie Tolan, Ralph Metcalfe, Jesse Owens etc. were competing. How do we know they didn't have just as much fear factor in them? Bob Hayes maybe too. The only consistent measure of success we have that will never change is the Olympic and World medals. As crazy as Tyson's 9.69 time is, there will be people who surpass it one day. He'll eventually end up farther down the list.
So yea, fear factor is an interesting aspect, but its not a solid concrete measure of success that I can create a list around. Fear to me may mean nothing to someone else.
@@TheFinalLeg Great points as usual. To me Tyson would be that guy. If you remember it was against Tyson first set the world record. From that time on Tyson pushed himself like no other to defeat Bolt. Those efforts would have caused many injuries but it led to that 9.69 and I believed he was running on a bad groin as well. Even in 2012 in the London Olympics, Tyson tried and realized he was not going to and didn't even dip at the line. Otherwise, he would have gotten bronze. Tyson is that guy that pushed through to defeat Bolt and for that he's in my personal top 5. Great respect to your list I ain't mad with it but I had to give Tyson his flowers.
Leroy at 13 is a crime. Tyson gay at 8???????? Tyson is the us best 100 meter runner ever. oh my god.......
So you not going to show me your top 15 and where you would place them?😉
@@TheFinalLeg prop not but Tyson number 1 jessie #2 for what he did. And everybody else is a toss up
I like the Michael Jackson guy
Glad to see Noah higher in the list. Great list. Carl should have won 1992 100m if he was not gone vegan...
I would have placed Jimmy Hayes much higher than 11th
This list is all types of wrong.
Tyson Gay also had a better career than Noah.
+American Record
+2nd fastest all
+more 100m finals
+More 100m medals overall, 2xWC, 1xWorld Cup, 2xWorld Athletics Final, 1xDL Final
The only thing Noah has over Tyson is the two gold but Tyson was up against 9.58. Tyson Gay 100% has had a better career than Noah Lyles.
Coleman has had a better career than Noah.
+Faster PB/Better stats.
+Made more 100m finals
+Made more 100m teams
+Won more diamond leauge titles (2018,2023)
+won more USATF championships mores. Won more
The only thing Noah has over him is that Coleman has Gold+Silver whiles Noah has two Gold medals. But considering Coleman beat bolt for that silver its noteworthy.
I cant hate your opinion for sure! Theres a good argument for Tyson over Noah and Coleman over Noah. Nothing wrong with a disagreement. I like the criteria you laid out as well when talking about making more teams, having a better PB, World Cup, etc. Everyone is going to weigh each criteria differently so I appreciate you backing up your argument. Thanks for watching!
TYSON ALL DAY LONG
You have Tyson gay ahead of Carl Lewis in terms of overall 100m career?
A few ppl in that top 5 Noah should replace tbh
Who are they? Lets see your top 5 and open the discussion!
That's interesting. I'm shocked Noah was top 6. Gay is defending replacing Noah on my list.
200m?
Noah Lyles is only a gold medallist and world champion because he is competing in a weaker era -- there's nobody in Noah's era who has run 9.6, like Bolt in Beijing. Tyson Gay's 9.71s at the World Championship in Beijing would make him champion if he was competing with Noah.
unless its a crazy WR, then times arent that memorable but Gold Medals are
coleman has faster PB, but noah knows how to win races and thats what sprinting is about!
Medals over times.
4th place in the berlin 2009 race would've placed last at paris 2024
@@Faustin-ju5dxexactly lol
I love that you made this List but I disagree with 3 points.
1. Jesse Owens is the greatest sprinter in history. He ran in leather spikes on an ash track in the context of Nazi Germany and aryan superiority. Please put this into proper perspective
here.
2. Carl Lewis is mired in controversy. It is alleged that at least 6 of the 9 runners
should also have been either stripped or disqualified along with Ben Johnson. How do we turn a blind eye. Again context.
3. Tyson Gay belongs in the top three simply by virtue of having the Fastest American time.
Just as Muhamed Ali is the greatest boxer based upon his impact upon the world stage as well as the sport, so too is Jesse Owens.
My humble opinion.
I hear you. If this list was about impact though, I would personally have Jesse Owens number 1 by a few levels. Then probably Ralph Metcalfe and then Bob Hayes and Jim Hines in some order. But I was simply doing it based on performance and accolades. But I hear you and appreciate you watching!
Just so you know, we genuinely appreciate your contributions. Yours is definitely top three track channels.
Keep up the great work.
I guess times don't matter...
Times do matter to a degree. I assume your referring to Tyson being lower on the list? Curious how you rank athletes from different generations? Would you say that Christian Coleman has a better career than Jesse Owens simply because he has a faster PB? Curious what your top 5 or top 10 would be, would love to discuss.
Always appreciate you Sandy!
@@TheFinalLeg "The Greatest 100m Sprinter in US History" must be a combination of wins and performances. Justin Gatlin has 16 performances faster than Carl Lewis' PB, and Tyson Gay has 12 faster than Lewis. To me, titles have less meaning than consistency. My top 5 would be, Gatlin, Gay, Greene, Kerley, Lyles. The reason races are timed is to be able to compare performances, and Gatlin and Gay have so many outstanding performances that they are undeniably 1, and 2.
@@sandyacombs Carl Lewis is without a doubt, the second most dominant athlete in 100m history . Times need to be considered within eras to factor in all the improvements that culminate in the likelihood to run faster times as times progress. How fast were their times compared to the fastest times of the era where they had similar nutrition, technology, sports science, shoes, track surfaces etc. Carl Lewis was world record holder. Multiple world and olympic golds. I was not a big fan of the Carl, the man, but Carl, the athlete was a phenomenon. No one came close to him and then we had Bolt and no one in America has come close to Maurice since Bolt and Carl is ahead of Maurice.
Gatlin is easily top 2 imo and Noah and Tyson should be higher