I have set about trying to compile a definitive list of both the men’s and women’s all-round sprinters.
This is based solely on PBs and doesn’t take medals into consideration, so the fairest and most widely-accepted method of creating such a list is by using the World Athletics scoring tables, which assign a points value to athletics performances.
A few things to note: Where electronically-timed PBs don’t exist for an athlete, I have included hand-timed performances, but 0.24 has been added for 100m & 200m hand-timed marks and 0.14 for 400m. Altitude-aided marks have been included, so too have indoor marks (which were scored with the World Athletics indoor scoring tables). Wind-assisted marks and relay splits have not been included.
While some people discount certain performances of some athletes for various reasons (i.e. the belief that they were wind-assisted or drug-assisted), for argument’s sake I have simply included any and all performances that are recognised by World Athletics.
If you have any amendments/additions, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
Update – 24 July 2020
After first making an appearance in the top 100 in 2014 and then moving up to 24th in 2016, Shaunae Miller-Uibo is now fourth. The Bahamian sprinter has bumped out Merlene Ottey from the top 10 and becomes the top-ranked Caribbean woman on this list.
Other big movers include Dina Asher-Smith (from 89th to 47th) and Quanera Hayes (from 94th to 60th).
There are 10 new additions since the list was last updated in 2016. They are: Shericka Jackson (22nd), Salwa Eid Naser (28th), Phyllis Francis (61st), Lynna Irby (62nd), Lea Sprunger (87th), Jodie Williams (87th), Makenzie Dunmore (91st), Amina Seyni (91st), Dezerea Bryant (94th) and Simone Facey (95th).
| Pos | Score | Athlete | Nat | 100m | 200m | 400m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3809 | Marita Koch | GER | 10.83 (1237) | 21.71 (1268) | 47.60 (1304) |
| 2 | 3792 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | 10.49 (1314) | 21.34 (1308) | 50.89 (1170) |
| 3 | 3777 | Marion Jones | USA | 10.65 (1277) | 21.62 (1278) | 49.59 (1222) |
| 4 | 3741 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | BAH | 10.98 (1204) | 21.74 (1265) | 48.37 (1272) |
| 5 | 3730 | Allyson Felix | USA | 10.89 (1224) | 21.69 (1271) | 49.26 (1235) |
| 6 | 3726 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 10.82 (1239) | 21.72 (1267) | 49.64 (1220) |
| 7 | 3725 | Marie-Jose Perec | FRA | 10.96 (1209) | 21.99 (1239) | 48.25 (1277) |
| 8 | 3713 | Valerie Brisco | USA | 10.99 (1202) | 21.81 (1258) | 48.83 (1253) |
| 9 | 3712 | Irina Privalova | RUS | 10.77 (1251) | 21.87 (1251) | 49.89 (1210) |
| 10 | 3709 | Jarmila Kratochvilova | CZE | 11.09 (1180) | 21.97 (1241) | 47.99 (1288) |
| 11 | 3694 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 10.74 (1257) | 21.64 (1276) | 51.12 (1161) |
| 12 | 3692 | Sanya Richards-Ross | USA | 10.97 (1206) | 22.09 (1228) | 48.70 (1258) |
| 13 | 3688 | Barbel Wockel | GER | 10.95 (1211) | 21.85 (1254) | 49.56 (1223) |
| 14 | 3672 | Grace Jackson | JAM | 11.08 (1182) | 21.72 (1267) | 49.57 (1223) |
| 15 | 3671 | Evelyn Ashford | USA | 10.76 (1253) | 21.83 (1256) | 51.08 (1162) |
| 16 | 3669 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | JAM | 10.76 (1253) | 21.74 (1265) | 52.24i (1151) |
| 17 | 3655 | Chandra Cheeseborough | USA | 11.13 (1172) | 21.99 (1239) | 49.05 (1244) |
| 18 | 3650 | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 10.97 (1206) | 22.27 (1209) | 49.28 (1235) |
| 19 | 3649 | Pam Marshall | USA | 11.01 (1198) | 21.93 (1245) | 49.99 (1206) |
| 20 | 3634 | Kathy Cook | GBR | 11.10 (1178) | 22.10 (1227) | 49.43 (1229) |
| 21 | 3633 | Sherone Simpson | JAM | 10.82 (1239) | 22.00 (1238) | 51.25 (1156) |
| 22 | 3631 | Shericka Jackson | JAM | 11.13 (1172) | 22.05 (1232) | 49.47 (1227) |
| 23 | 3627 | Kerron Stewart | JAM | 10.75 (1255) | 21.99 (1239) | 51.83 (1133) |
| 24 | 3622 | Irena Szewinska | POL | 11.13 (1172) | 22.21 (1216) | 49.29 (1234) |
| 25 | 3620 | Cathy Freeman | AUS | 11.24 (1148) | 22.25 (1211) | 48.63 (1261) |
| 26 | 3619 | LaTasha Colander | USA | 10.97 (1206) | 22.34 (1202) | 49.87 (1211) |
| 27 | 3616 | Falilat Ogunkoya | NGR | 11.19 (1159) | 22.22 (1215) | 49.10 (1242) |
| 28 | 3613 | Salwa Eid Naser | BRN | 11.24 (1148) | 22.51 (1184) | 48.14 (1281) |
| 29 | 3605 | Inger Miller | USA | 10.79 (1246) | 21.77 (1262) | 52.76 (1097) |
| 30 | 3604 | Sandra Myers | ESP | 11.06 (1187) | 22.38 (1198) | 49.67 (1219) |
| 31 | 3601 | Evette de Klerk | RSA | 11.06 (1187) | 22.06 (1231) | 50.57 (1183) |
| 32 | 3600 | Dawn Sowell | USA | 10.78 (1248) | 22.04 (1233) | 53.08i (1119) |
| 33 | 3595 | Olga Bryzgina | UKR | 11.2h (1127) | 22.44 (1192) | 48.27 (1276) |
| 34 | 3594 | Joanna Atkins | USA | 11.02 (1195) | 22.27 (1209) | 50.39 (1190) |
| 35 | 3593 | Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 11.06 (1187) | 22.18 (1219) | 50.46 (1187) |
| 35 | 3593 | Ewa Witkowska | POL | 10.93 (1215) | 22.13 (1224) | 51.30 (1154) |
| 37 | 3592 | Grit Breuer | GER | 11.13 (1172) | 22.45 (1191) | 49.42 (1229) |
| 38 | 3591 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | 10.64 (1280) | 22.11 (1226) | 53.08 (1085) |
| 39 | 3589 | Yuliya Gushchina | RUS | 11.13 (1172) | 22.53 (1182) | 49.28 (1235) |
| 40 | 3588 | Gesine Walther | GER | 11.13 (1172) | 22.24 (1212) | 50.03 (1204) |
| 41 | 3585 | Tatana Kocembova | CZE | 11.31 (1133) | 22.47 (1189) | 48.59 (1263) |
| 41 | 3585 | Juliet Cuthbert | JAM | 10.83 (1237) | 21.75 (1264) | 53.1h (1084) |
| 43 | 3582 | Carlette Guidry | USA | 10.94 (1213) | 22.14 (1223) | 51.51 (1146) |
| 44 | 3581 | MeLisa Barber | USA | 10.95 (1211) | 22.37 (1199) | 50.87 (1171) |
| 45 | 3567 | Lynna Irby | USA | 11.25 (1142) | 22.25 (1211) | 49.80 (1214) |
| 46 | 3563 | Muriel Hurtis | FRA | 10.96 (1209) | 22.31 (1205) | 51.41 (1149) |
| 47 | 3558 | Svetlana Goncharenko | RUS | 11.13 (1172) | 22.46 (1190) | 50.23 (1196) |
| 48 | 3556 | Kim Gevaert | BEL | 11.04 (1191) | 22.20 (1217) | 51.45 (1148) |
| 48 | 3556 | Dina Asher-Smith | GBR | 10.83 (1237) | 21.88 (1250) | 53.49 (1069) |
| 50 | 3554 | Christina Brehmer | GER | 11.18 (1161) | 22.61 (1174) | 49.66 (1219) |
| 50 | 3554 | Juliet Campbell | JAM | 11.15 (1167) | 22.50 (1186) | 50.11 (1201) |
| 50 | 3554 | Blessing Okagbare | NGR | 10.79 (1246) | 22.04 (1233) | 53.34 (1075) |
| 53 | 3551 | Angella Issajenko | CAN | 10.97 (1206) | 22.25 (1211) | 51.81 (1134) |
| 54 | 3549 | Aleksandra Fedoriva | RUS | 11.28 (1139) | 22.19 (1218) | 51.18i (1192) |
| 55 | 3546 | Ionela Tirlea | ROU | 11.30 (1135) | 22.35 (1201) | 49.88 (1210) |
| 55 | 3546 | Shericka Williams | JAM | 11.34 (1127) | 22.50 (1186) | 49.32 (1233) |
| 57 | 3545 | Kyra Jefferson | USA | 11.17 (1163) | 22.02 (1236) | 51.50 (1146) |
| 58 | 3543 | Mary Onyali | NGR | 10.97 (1206) | 22.07 (1230) | 52.50 (1107) |
| 59 | 3542 | Svetlana Pospelova | RUS | 11.32 (1131) | 22.39 (1197) | 49.80 (1214) |
| 59 | 3542 | Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 11.17 (1163) | 22.29 (1207) | 50.85 (1172) |
| 61 | 3541 | Kamaria Brown | USA | 11.34 (1127) | 22.24 (1212) | 50.94i (1202) |
| 62 | 3540 | Phyllis Francis | USA | 11.35 (1125) | 22.42 (1194) | 49.61 (1221) |
| 63 | 3539 | Kirsten Emmelmann | GER | 11.23 (1150) | 22.50 (1186) | 50.07 (1203) |
| 63 | 3539 | Quanera Hayes | USA | 11.27 (1142) | 22.55 (1180) | 49.72 (1217) |
| 65 | 3538 | Michelle Collins | USA | 11.19 (1159) | 22.57 (1178) | 50.11 (1201) |
| 65 | 3538 | Ebonie Floyd | USA | 11.13 (1172) | 22.32 (1204) | 51.10 (1162) |
| 65 | 3538 | Natasha Hastings | USA | 11.24 (1148) | 22.57 (1178) | 49.84 (1212) |
| 68 | 3537 | Mikele Barber | USA | 11.02 (1195) | 22.73 (1162) | 50.63 (1180) |
| 69 | 3536 | Diane Dixon | USA | 11.27 (1142) | 22.53 (1182) | 49.84 (1212) |
| 70 | 3535 | Merlene Frazer | JAM | 11.20 (1157) | 22.18 (1219) | 51.18 (1159) |
| 71 | 3534 | Natalya Bochina | RUS | 11.14 (1169) | 22.19 (1218) | 51.47 (1147) |
| 72 | 3531 | Lyudmila Kondrateyeva | RUS | 11.02 (1195) | 22.31 (1205) | 51.87 (1131) |
| 73 | 3529 | Tatyana Alekseyeva | RUS | 11.16 (1165) | 22.77 (1158) | 49.98 (1206) |
| 74 | 3528 | Christine Arron | FRA | 10.73 (1259) | 22.26 (1210) | 53.76 (1059) |
| 75 | 3525 | Melinda Gainsford-Taylor | AUS | 11.12 (1174) | 22.23 (1214) | 51.73 (1137) |
| 76 | 3523 | Charity Opara | NGR | 11.40 (1114) | 22.60 (1175) | 49.29 (1234) |
| 77 | 3522 | Laverne Jones-Ferrette | ISV | 11.07 (1185) | 22.46 (1190) | 51.47 (1147) |
| 78 | 3519 | Tonette Dyer | USA | 11.20 (1157) | 22.34 (1202) | 51.15 (1160) |
| 79 | 3515 | Monique Hennagan | USA | 11.26 (1144) | 22.87 (1148) | 49.56 (1223) |
| 79 | 3515 | Maya Azarashvili | GEO | 11.08 (1182) | 22.24 (1212) | 52.13 (1121) |
| 81 | 3514 | Debbie Ferguson | BAH | 10.91 (1220) | 22.19 (1218) | 53.30 (1076) |
| 81 | 3514 | Shalonda Solomon | USA | 10.90 (1222) | 22.15 (1222) | 53.47 (1070) |
| 83 | 3513 | Myriam Soumare | FRA | 11.03 (1193) | 22.11 (1226) | 52.83 (1094) |
| 84 | 3512 | Taylor Ellis-Watson | USA | 11.33 (1129) | 22.48 (1188) | 50.25 (1195) |
| 85 | 3511 | Damaryanthi Darsha | SRI | 11.19 (1159) | 22.48 (1188) | 51.05 (1164) |
| 85 | 3511 | Mona-Lisa Pursiainen | FIN | 11.19 (1159) | 22.39 (1197) | 51.27 (1155) |
| 87 | 3510 | Raelene Boyle | AUS | 11.20 (1157) | 22.45 (1191) | 51.08 (1162) |
| 87 | 3510 | Lea Sprunger | SUI | 11.34 (1127) | 22.38 (1198) | 50.52 (1185) |
| 87 | 3510 | Jodie Williams | GBR | 11.17 (1163) | 22.46 (1190) | 51.22 (1157) |
| 90 | 3509 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | JAM | 10.70 (1266) | 22.09 (1228) | 54.93 (1015) |
| 91 | 3508 | Katharine Merry | GBR | 11.34 (1127) | 22.76 (1159) | 49.59 (1222) |
| 91 | 3508 | Makenzie Dunmore | USA | 11.25 (1146) | 22.53 (1182) | 50.63 (1180) |
| 91 | 3508 | Amina Seyni | NIG | 11.50 (1093) | 22.58 (1177) | 49.19 (1238) |
| 94 | 3507 | Dezerea Bryant | USA | 10.99 (1202) | 22.18 (1219) | 53.05 (1086) |
| 95 | 3506 | Simone Facey | JAM | 10.95 (1211) | 22.25 (1211) | 53.09 (1084) |
| 96 | 3504 | Christine Ohuruogu | GBR | 11.35 (1125) | 22.85 (1150) | 49.41 (1229) |
| 97 | 3503 | Celena Mondie-Milner | USA | 11.17 (1163) | 22.55 (1180) | 51.14 (1160) |
| 97 | 3503 | Angela Bailey | CAN | 10.98 (1204) | 22.64 (1171) | 51.96 (1128) |
| 97 | 3503 | Carol Rodriguez | PUR | 11.28 (1139) | 22.23 (1214) | 51.39 (1150) |
| 97 | 3503 | Anyika Onuora | GBR | 11.18 (1161) | 22.64 (1171) | 50.87 (1171) |
(Thanks to stats from ATFS, David Reid, Jim Rorick and Mirko Jalava)
List first published 15 Jan 2014.
Great list, J – so annoying that Jones is so far up (accepting your methodology, of course) – no way she was clean when she ran those altitude assisted) short sprint times. Delighted that Kathy Cook makes the top 20!
Good list, well-researched.
Shows how good Kathy Cook was. How many of those above her do you think were ‘clean’.
Evelyn Ashford maybe? Grace Jackson possibly? Couldn’t make any sort of case for any of the others….
BB
Great list! Look forward to more of the same.
Lorraine Fenton 11.71, 22.63 and 49.30
Those marks give her a score of 3456, which means she misses out on making the top 100.
Excellent list, and great job here!Gwen Torrance stands out to me as the best all around CLEAN athlete. She caught a LOT of flack for being honest about athletes she felt were tainted. She needs to be rewarded for her stance back then on what is painfully obvious today!
Its a real shame. The top three is held by persons with suspect performances. Jones was in no way clean when she ran the 10.65 and the records implicate Koch. Not to mention the wind aided FloJo time and the other suspect times she clocked while performing. The real list starts at Gwen.
Great list, rather late than never with the comment. As South African the athlete that stands out for met is Evette de Klerk at 28. She run in the years when South Africa was band from international competition without and real competition to push her and how many people know that Evette run barefoot?
Great list, you say the scoring charts changed but are the just changed because the times get better in the new era?
For example Dorothy Hyman ran 11.54 in 1964 what would that score on scoring charts at that time compared with today’s charts. Sorry if I’m confusing the issue.
I’m trying to rate Athletes across eras to get ATG lists and the only way I can see to do it is take their average top ten races compared with WR at the time and then compared that with today’s WR to get a new average what do people think?