# Women's 100 metres world record progression

The first world record in the 100 metres sprint for women was recognised by the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI) in 1922. The FSFI was absorbed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1936. The current record is 10.49 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF (and the FSFI before it) have ratified 43 world records in the event.

## Records 1922–1976

* ratified
* not ratified
The "Wind" column in the table below indicates the wind assistance in metres per second. 2.0 m/s is the current maximum allowable, and a negative value indicates that the mark was set against a headwind. the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th or 100th of a second, depending on the rules then in place. A "y" indicates a distance measured in yards and ratified as a world record in this event.
| Time | Wind | Auto | Athlete | Nationality | Location | Date |
| 13.6 | | | Marie Mejzlíková | Czechoslovakia | Prague, Czechoslovakia | August 5, 1922 |
| 12.8 | | | Mary Lines | United Kingdom | Paris, France | August 20, 1922 |
| 12.7 (110y) | | | Emmi Haux | Germany | Frankfurt, Germany | May 21, 1923 |
| 12.8 | | | Marie Mejzlíková | Czechoslovakia | Prague, Czechoslovakia | May 13, 1923 |
| 12.4 | | | Leni Schmidt | Germany | Leipzig, Germany | August 30, 1925 |
| 12.2 (110y) | | | Leni Junker | Germany | Wiesbaden, Germany | September 13, 1925 |
| 12.4 | | | Gundel Wittmann | Germany | Braunschweig, Germany | August 22, 1926 |
| 12.2 | | | Leni Junker | Germany | Hanover, Germany | August 29, 1926 |
| 12.1 (110y) | | | Gertrud Gladitsch | Germany | Stuttgart, Germany | July 3, 1927 |
| 12.2 | | | Kinue Hitomi | Japan | Osaka, Japan | May 20, 1928 |
| 12.0 | | | Betty Robinson | United States | Chicago, Illinois, United States | June 2, 1928 |
| 12.0 | | | Myrtle Cook | Canada | Halifax, Canada | July 2, 1928 |
| 12.0 | | | Leni Junker | Germany | Magdeburg, Germany | August 1, 1931 |
| 12.0 | | | Tollien Schuurman | Netherlands | Amsterdam, Netherlands | August 31, 1930 |
| 11.9 | | | Tollien Schuurman | Netherlands | Haarlem, Netherlands | June 5, 1932 |
| 11.9 | | | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | Los Angeles, United States | August 1, 1932 |
| 11.9 | | | Hilda Strike | Canada | Los Angeles, United States | August 2, 1932 |
| 11.8 | | | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | Poznań, Poland | September 17, 1933 |
| 11.9 | | | Käthe Krauß | Germany | London, England | August 11, 1934 |
| 11.7 | | | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | Warsaw, Poland | August 26, 1934 |
| 11.9 | | | Helen Stephens | United States | Fulton, United States | April 10, 1935 |
| 11.8 | | | Helen Stephens | United States | Saint Louis, United States | June 1, 1935 |
| 11.6 | | | Helen Stephens | United States | Kansas City, United States | June 8, 1935 |
| 11.5 | | | Helen Stephens | United States | Dresden, Germany | August 10, 1936 |
| 11.6 | | | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Poland | Berlin, Germany | August 1, 1937 |
| 11.5 | | | Lulu Mae Hymes | United States | Tuskegee | May 6, 1939 |
| 11.5 | | | Rowena Harrison | United States | Tuskegee | May 6, 1939 |
| 11.5 | | | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Netherlands | Amsterdam, Netherlands | September 5, 1943 |
| 11.5 | | | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Netherlands | Amsterdam, Netherlands | June 13, 1948 |
| 11.5 | 1.7 | 11.65 | Marjorie Jackson | Australia | Helsinki, Finland | July 22, 1952 |
| 11.4 | 1.7 | | Marjorie Jackson | Australia | Gifu, Japan | October 4, 1952 |
| 11.3 | 1.4 | | Shirley Strickland | Australia | Warsaw, Poland | August 4, 1955 |
| 11.3 | 1.4 | | Vera Krepkina | Soviet Union | Kyiv, Soviet Union | September 13, 1958 |
| 11.3 | 0.8 | 11.41 | Wilma Rudolph | United States | Rome, Italy | September 2, 1960 |
| 11.2 | 0.7 | | Wilma Rudolph | United States | Stuttgart, West Germany | July 19, 1961 |
| 11.2 | 0.2 | 11.23 | Wyomia Tyus | United States | Tokyo, Japan | October 15, 1964 |
| 11.1 | 2.0 | | Ewa Kłobukowska | Poland | Prague, Czechoslovakia | July 9, 1965$^{:247}$ |
| 11.1 | 2.0 | | Irena Kirszenstein | Poland | Prague, Czechoslovakia | July 9, 1965 |
| 11.1 | 0.2 | | Wyomia Tyus | United States | Kyiv, Soviet Union | July 31, 1965 |
| 11.1 | 0.3 | | Barbara Ferrell | United States | Santa Barbara, United States | July 2, 1967 |
| 11.1 | | | Wyomia Tyus | United States | Mexico City, Mexico | April 21, 1968 |
| 11.1 | 0.0 | | Lyudmila Samotyosova | Soviet Union | Leninakan, Soviet Union | August 15, 1968 |
| 11.1 | | | Margaret Bailes | United States | Aurora, Philippines | August 18, 1968 |
| 11.1 | | | Barbara Ferrell | United States | Mexico City, Mexico | October 14, 1968 |
| 11.1 | 1.8 | 11.20 | Irena Szewińska | Poland | Mexico City, Mexico | October 14, 1968 |
| 11.0 | 1.2 | 11.08 (adjusted) | Wyomia Tyus | United States | Mexico City, Mexico | October 15, 1968 |
| 11.0 | 1.9 | 11.22 | Chi Cheng | Republic of China (Taiwan) | Vienna, Austria | July 18, 1970 |
| 11.0 | 1.9 | | Renate Meißner | East Germany | Berlin, East Germany | August 2, 1970 |
| 11.0 | 1.7 | | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Berlin, East Germany | July 31, 1971 |
| 11.0 | −1.5 | | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Potsdam, East Germany | June 3, 1972 |
| 11.0 | 1.9 | | Ellen Strophal | East Germany | Potsdam, East Germany | June 15, 1972 |
| 11.0 | 1.4 | | Eva Glesková | Czechoslovakia | Budapest, Hungary | July 1, 1972 |
| 10.9 | 1.9 | | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Ostrava, Czechoslovakia | June 7, 1973 |
| 10.9 | | | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Leipzig, East Germany | June 30, 1973 |
| 10.8 | 1.8 | 11.07 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Dresden, East Germany | July 20, 1973 |

## Records from 1975

From 1975, the IAAF accepted separate automatically electronically timed records for events up to 400 metres. Starting January 1, 1977, the IAAF required fully automatic timing to the hundredth of a second for these events.
Wyomia Tyus's 1968 Olympic gold medal performance and Renate Stecher's 1972 Olympic championship win, both in 11.07, were the fastest recorded fully electronic 100-metre races to that time and were ratified as world records. However, Tyus's 11.07 was later adjusted to 11.08.
| Time | Wind | Athlete | Nationality | Location | Date |
| 11.07 | 1.2 | Wyomia Tyus | United States | Mexico City, Mexico | October 15, 1968 |
| 11.07 | 0.2 | Renate Stecher (née Meißner) | East Germany | Munich, West Germany | September 2, 1972 |
| 11.04 | 0.6 | Inge Helten | West Germany | Fürth, West Germany | June 13, 1976 |
| 11.01 | 0.6 | Annegret Richter | West Germany | Montreal, Canada | July 25, 1976 |
| 10.88 | 2.0 | Marlies Oelsner | East Germany | Dresden, East Germany | July 1, 1977 |
| 10.88 | 1.9 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany | Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany | July 9, 1982 |
| 10.81 | 1.7 | Marlies Göhr | East Germany | Berlin, East Germany | June 8, 1983 |
| 10.79 | 0.6 | Evelyn Ashford | United States | US Air Force Academy, United States | July 3, 1983 |
| 10.76 | 1.7 | Evelyn Ashford | United States | Zürich, Switzerland | August 22, 1984 |
| 10.49 | 0.0$^*$ | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States | Indianapolis, United States | July 16, 1988 |
$^*$There is controversy over Griffith-Joyner's world record as questions have been raised as to whether the wind actually was zero, as indicated by the trackside anemometer. The triple-jump anemometer, some 10 metres away, read 4.3 m/s, more than double the acceptable limit. Despite the controversy, the record was ratified by the IAAF.
Had this mark been ignored, the progression would have continued as follows:$^{:250}$
| Time | Wind | Athlete | Nationality | Location | Date |
| 10.70 | 1.6 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States | Indianapolis, United States | July 17, 1988 |
| 10.61 | 1.2 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States | Indianapolis, United States | July 17, 1988 |
| 10.61 | −0.6 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica | Tokyo, Japan | July 31, 2021 |
| 10.54 | 0.9 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica | Eugene, United States | August 21, 2021 |