In the world of lightning-fast athletes, there shines a star who’s earned the title of the fastest woman in the world.
She is none other than Sha’Carri Richardson.
Let’s dive into the incredible journey of this remarkable sprinter, where speed and determination collide in a thrilling tale of triumph and records broken.
Fastest woman in the world 2023
The title of the fastest woman in the world in 2023 belongs to none other than Sha’Carri Richardson.
The American sensation won the gold medal in the 100m race at the World Championships with a stunning time of 10.65 seconds.
She beat Jamaican favourites Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished second and third respectively.
Richardson’s time was also a new championship record, breaking Marion Jones’ mark of 10.70 seconds set in 1999.
Richardson, who is only 23 years old, has been dominating the sprint scene since she turned pro in 2019.
She won the NCAA title in 10.75 seconds, breaking the collegiate record.
She also won the US trials in 10.86 seconds, securing her spot for the World Championships.
Sh’Carri has a personal best of 10.60 seconds, which she ran in April 2023 at a meet in Texas.
She is now the third-fastest woman of all time, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner and Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Fastest Woman in the World list
The official world record for the women’s 100m sprint is still held by Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran 10.49 seconds at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis in 1988.
However, her record has been widely disputed, as some believe that the wind measurement was faulty and that she had an illegal tailwind of more than 2.0 m/s 7.
The IAAF has never invalidated her record, but many experts consider Elaine Thompson-Herah’s time of 10.54 seconds, which she ran at the Eugene Diamond League in August 2021, as the true world record.
Thompson-Herah is the reigning Olympic champion, having won back-to-back gold medals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
She also won silver at the World Championships in Doha 2019 and bronze in Budapest 2023.
She has a personal best of 10.54 seconds, which makes her the second-fastest woman of all time.
The top five fastest women of all time are:
- Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) – 10.49 seconds
- Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) – 10.54 seconds
- Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) – 10.60 seconds
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) – 10.60 seconds
- Carmelita Jeter (USA) – 10.64 seconds
Second-fastest woman in the world
As mentioned above, Elaine Thompson-Herah is widely regarded as the second-fastest woman in the world.
Some even consider her as the true world record holder.
She has been a consistent performer on the global stage, winning four Olympic gold medals and three World Championship medals.
She also holds the Olympic record of 10.61 seconds, which she set in Tokyo 2020.
Thompson-Herah is known for her explosive start and powerful finish.
She has a personal best of 10.54 seconds, which she ran at the Eugene Diamond League in August 2021, breaking her own national record and becoming the first woman to run under 10.60 seconds twice.
She is now only five-hundredths of a second behind Griffith-Joyner’s controversial mark.
Fastest woman in the world mph
To put these incredible times into perspective, let’s convert them into miles per hour (mph).
According to a simple formula, one can divide 3600 by the number of seconds it takes to run 100 meters to get the average speed in mph.
For example:
- Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record of 10.49 seconds translates to an average speed of 23.35 mph.
- Elaine Thompson-Herah’s best time of 10.54 seconds translates to an average speed of 23.18 mph.
- Sha’Carri Richardson’s best time of 10.60 seconds translates to an average speed of 22.92 mph.
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s best time of 10.60 seconds translates to an average speed of 22.92 mph.
- Carmelita Jeter’s best time of 10.64 seconds translates to an average speed of 22.80 mph.
These speeds are comparable to some of the fastest animals on land, such as cheetahs, pronghorns, and lions.
They are also faster than the average speed of a car in a city, which is around 20 mph.
Fastest women’s 100m 2023
The fastest women’s 100m race in 2023 was the final at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on August 21.
The race featured eight of the best sprinters in the world, including :
- the Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah
- the world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner
- the rising star Sha’Carri Richardson
The race was a thrilling spectacle, as Richardson took an early lead and never looked back.
She crossed the finish line in 10.65 seconds, setting a new championship record and becoming the third-fastest woman of all time.
She also won her first global title and cemented her status as the fastest woman in the world in 2023.
Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce battled for second place, with the former edging out the latter by one-hundredth of a second.
They both clocked 10.72 seconds, which was their season’s best.
They also added another medal to their impressive collection, as Thompson-Herah now has four World Championship medals and Fraser-Pryce has nine.
The other finalists were:
- Marie-Josée Ta Lou (10.82 seconds)
- Dina Asher-Smith (10.83 seconds)
- Shericka Jackson (10.84 seconds)
- Daryll Neita (10.88 seconds)
- Teahna Daniels (10.89 seconds)
Top five fastest women in the world
Based on their personal bests, the top five fastest women in the world as of September 2023 are:
- Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) – 10.60 seconds
- Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) – 10.54 seconds
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) – 10.60 seconds
- Carmelita Jeter (USA) – 10.64 seconds
- Marion Jones (USA) – 10.65 seconds
However, this ranking may change in the future, as there are many other talented sprinters who are capable of challenging these times. Some of them are:
- Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) – 10.83 seconds
- Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV) – 10.85 seconds
- Shericka Jackson (JAM) – 10.76 seconds
- Blessing Okagbare (NGR) – 10.79 seconds
- Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) – 10.95 seconds
World record 100m female
The official world record for the women’s 100m sprint is still held by Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran 10.49 seconds at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis in 1988.
However, her record has been widely disputed, as some believe that the wind measurement was faulty and that she had an illegal tailwind of more than 2.0 m/s 7.
The IAAF has never invalidated her record, but many experts consider Elaine Thompson-Herah’s time of 10.54 seconds, which she ran at the Eugene Diamond League in August 2021, as the true world record.
Griffith-Joyner was a dominant sprinter in the late 1980s, winning three gold medals and one silver medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
She also set the world record for the 200m sprint with a time of 21.34 seconds, which still stands today.
She retired from athletics in 1989 and died in 1998 at the age of 38 from an epileptic seizure.
Women’s 100m world record controversy
The women’s 100m world record has been a source of controversy for decades, as many people have questioned the validity of Florence Griffith-Joyner’s time of 10.49 seconds set in 1988.
There are several reasons why her record is doubted:
- The wind measurement: The trackside anemometer recorded a zero wind reading for Griffith-Joyner’s race, but another anemometer located about 10 meters away registered a wind speed of 4.3 m/s, which is more than double the allowable limit of 2.0 m/s 7. Some argue that there was a malfunction or tampering with the device, or that there was a gust of wind that affected Griffith-Joyner but not the anemometer.
- The track surface: The track at Indianapolis was made of a rubberized material called Tartan, which was known to be fast and bouncy. Some claim that this gave Griffith-Joyner an unfair advantage over other sprinters who ran on different surfaces.
- The drug allegations: Griffith-Joyner was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, as her physique and performance changed dramatically in a short period of time. She denied any wrongdoing and never failed a drug test, but some suspect that she may have used undetectable substances or avoided testing.
- The lack of consistency: Griffith-Joyner ran under 10.60 seconds four times in 1988, but never again in her career. She also ran much slower in the Olympic final, clocking 10.54 seconds with a strong tailwind of 3.0 m/s. Some wonder if she peaked too early or if she was unable to replicate her record-breaking form.
These factors have led many people to question the legitimacy of Griffith-Joyner’s world record.
It has led them to consider Elaine Thompson-Herah’s time of 10.54 seconds as the true world record.
However, until the IAAF officially changes the record, Griffith-Joyner remains the fastest woman in history.
Conclusion
The women’s 100m sprint is one of the most exciting and competitive events in athletics.
It showcases the speed, power, and skill of the best female sprinters in the world.
The current title holder is Sha’Carri Richardson, who won the gold medal at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023 with a time of 10.65 seconds.
She is followed by Elaine Thompson-Herah, who ran 10.54 seconds at the Eugene Diamond League in 2021, which many consider as the true world record.
The official world record, however, still belongs to Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran 10.49 seconds in 1988, but whose record has been controversial for decades.
The women’s 100m world record is a topic that sparks debate and intrigue among sports fans and experts alike.
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