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 IAAF 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 IAAF 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 the IAAF.
If you have any amendments/additions, please get in touch or leave a comment below.
Update – 22 September 2016
For the second season in a row, Shaunae Miller is the biggest mover on this list.
Having gone from 99th in 2014 to 44th in 2015, the Olympic 400m champion now sits at =24th and is the 30th member of the 3600-point club.
Other new entries this year include Kyra Jefferson (71st), Taylor Ellis-Watson (78th), Quanera Hayes (=94th), Anneisha McLaughlin (=97th) and Desiree Henry (99th).
| 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 | 3730 | Allyson Felix | USA | 10.89 (1224) | 21.69 (1271) | 49.26 (1235) |
| 5 | 3726 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 10.82 (1239) | 21.72 (1267) | 49.64 (1220) |
| 6 | 3725 | Marie-Jose Perec | FRA | 10.96 (1209) | 21.99 (1239) | 48.25 (1277) |
| 7 | 3713 | Valerie Brisco | USA | 10.99 (1202) | 21.81 (1258) | 48.83 (1253) |
| 8 | 3712 | Irina Privalova | RUS | 10.77 (1251) | 21.87 (1251) | 49.89 (1210) |
| 9 | 3709 | Jarmila Kratochvilova | CZE | 11.09 (1180) | 21.97 (1241) | 47.99 (1288) |
| 10 | 3694 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 10.74 (1257) | 21.64 (1276) | 51.12 (1161) |
| 11 | 3692 | Sanya Richards-Ross | USA | 10.97 (1206) | 22.09 (1228) | 48.70 (1258) |
| 12 | 3688 | Barbel Wockel | GER | 10.95 (1211) | 21.85 (1254) | 49.56 (1223) |
| 13 | 3672 | Grace Jackson | JAM | 11.08 (1182) | 21.72 (1267) | 49.57 (1223) |
| 14 | 3671 | Evelyn Ashford | USA | 10.76 (1253) | 21.83 (1256) | 51.08 (1162) |
| 15 | 3669 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | JAM | 10.76 (1253) | 21.74 (1265) | 52.24i (1151) |
| 16 | 3655 | Chandra Cheeseborough | USA | 11.13 (1172) | 21.99 (1239) | 49.05 (1244) |
| 17 | 3650 | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 10.97 (1206) | 22.27 (1209) | 49.28 (1235) |
| 18 | 3649 | Pam Marshall | USA | 11.01 (1198) | 21.93 (1245) | 49.99 (1206) |
| 19 | 3634 | Kathy Cook | GBR | 11.10 (1178) | 22.10 (1227) | 49.43 (1229) |
| 20 | 3633 | Sherone Simpson | JAM | 10.82 (1239) | 22.00 (1238) | 51.25 (1156) |
| 21 | 3627 | Kerron Stewart | JAM | 10.75 (1255) | 21.99 (1239) | 51.83 (1133) |
| 22 | 3622 | Irena Szewinska | POL | 11.13 (1172) | 22.21 (1216) | 49.29 (1234) |
| 23 | 3620 | Cathy Freeman | AUS | 11.24 (1148) | 22.25 (1211) | 48.63 (1261) |
| 24 | 3619 | LaTasha Colander | USA | 10.97 (1206) | 22.34 (1202) | 49.87 (1211) |
| 24 | 3619 | Shaunae Miller | BAH | 11.19 (1159) | 22.05 (1232) | 49.44 (1228) |
| 26 | 3616 | Falilat Ogunkoya | NGR | 11.19 (1159) | 22.22 (1215) | 49.10 (1242) |
| 27 | 3605 | Inger Miller | USA | 10.79 (1246) | 21.77 (1262) | 52.76 (1097) |
| 28 | 3604 | Sandra Myers | ESP | 11.06 (1187) | 22.38 (1198) | 49.67 (1219) |
| 29 | 3601 | Evette de Klerk | RSA | 11.06 (1187) | 22.06 (1231) | 50.57 (1183) |
| 30 | 3600 | Dawn Sowell | USA | 10.78 (1248) | 22.04 (1233) | 53.08i (1119) |
| 31 | 3595 | Olga Bryzgina | UKR | 11.2h (1127) | 22.44 (1192) | 48.27 (1276) |
| 32 | 3594 | Joanna Atkins | USA | 11.02 (1195) | 22.27 (1209) | 50.39 (1190) |
| 33 | 3593 | Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 11.06 (1187) | 22.18 (1219) | 50.46 (1187) |
| 33 | 3593 | Ewa Witkowska | POL | 10.93 (1215) | 22.13 (1224) | 51.30 (1154) |
| 35 | 3592 | Grit Breuer | GER | 11.13 (1172) | 22.45 (1191) | 49.42 (1229) |
| 36 | 3591 | Carmelita Jeter | USA | 10.64 (1280) | 22.11 (1226) | 53.08 (1085) |
| 37 | 3589 | Yuliya Gushchina | RUS | 11.13 (1172) | 22.53 (1182) | 49.28 (1235) |
| 38 | 3588 | Gesine Walther | GER | 11.13 (1172) | 22.24 (1212) | 50.03 (1204) |
| 39 | 3585 | Tatana Kocembova | CZE | 11.31 (1133) | 22.47 (1189) | 48.59 (1263) |
| 39 | 3585 | Juliet Cuthbert | JAM | 10.83 (1237) | 21.75 (1264) | 53.1h (1084) |
| 41 | 3582 | Carlette Guidry | USA | 10.94 (1213) | 22.14 (1223) | 51.51 (1146) |
| 42 | 3581 | MeLisa Barber | USA | 10.95 (1211) | 22.37 (1199) | 50.87 (1171) |
| 43 | 3563 | Muriel Hurtis | FRA | 10.96 (1209) | 22.31 (1205) | 51.41 (1149) |
| 44 | 3558 | Svetlana Goncharenko | RUS | 11.13 (1172) | 22.46 (1190) | 50.23 (1196) |
| 45 | 3556 | Kim Gevaert | BEL | 11.04 (1191) | 22.20 (1217) | 51.45 (1148) |
| 46 | 3554 | Christina Brehmer | GER | 11.18 (1161) | 22.61 (1174) | 49.66 (1219) |
| 46 | 3554 | Juliet Campbell | JAM | 11.15 (1167) | 22.50 (1186) | 50.11 (1201) |
| 48 | 3551 | Angella Issajenko | CAN | 10.97 (1206) | 22.25 (1211) | 51.81 (1134) |
| 49 | 3549 | Aleksandra Fedoriva | RUS | 11.28 (1139) | 22.19 (1218) | 51.18i (1192) |
| 50 | 3546 | Ionela Tirlea | ROU | 11.30 (1135) | 22.35 (1201) | 49.88 (1210) |
| 50 | 3546 | Shericka Williams | JAM | 11.34 (1127) | 22.50 (1186) | 49.32 (1233) |
| 52 | 3543 | Mary Onyali | NGR | 10.97 (1206) | 22.07 (1230) | 52.50 (1107) |
| 53 | 3542 | Svetlana Pospelova | RUS | 11.32 (1131) | 22.39 (1197) | 49.80 (1214) |
| 53 | 3542 | Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 11.17 (1163) | 22.29 (1207) | 50.85 (1172) |
| 55 | 3541 | Kamaria Brown | USA | 11.34 (1127) | 22.24 (1212) | 50.94i (1202) |
| 56 | 3539 | Kirsten Emmelmann | GER | 11.23 (1150) | 22.50 (1186) | 50.07 (1203) |
| 57 | 3538 | Michelle Collins | USA | 11.19 (1159) | 22.57 (1178) | 50.11 (1201) |
| 57 | 3538 | Ebonie Floyd | USA | 11.13 (1172) | 22.32 (1204) | 51.10 (1162) |
| 57 | 3538 | Natasha Hastings | USA | 11.24 (1148) | 22.57 (1178) | 49.84 (1212) |
| 60 | 3537 | Mikele Barber | USA | 11.02 (1195) | 22.73 (1162) | 50.63 (1180) |
| 61 | 3536 | Diane Dixon | USA | 11.27 (1142) | 22.53 (1182) | 49.84 (1212) |
| 62 | 3535 | Merlene Frazer | JAM | 11.20 (1157) | 22.18 (1219) | 51.18 (1159) |
| 62 | 3535 | Blessing Okagbare | NGR | 10.79 (1246) | 22.23 (1214) | 53.34 (1075) |
| 64 | 3534 | Natalya Bochina | RUS | 11.14 (1169) | 22.19 (1218) | 51.47 (1147) |
| 65 | 3531 | Lyudmila Kondrateyeva | RUS | 11.02 (1195) | 22.31 (1205) | 51.87 (1131) |
| 66 | 3529 | Tatyana Alekseyeva | RUS | 11.16 (1165) | 22.77 (1158) | 49.98 (1206) |
| 67 | 3528 | Christine Arron | FRA | 10.73 (1259) | 22.26 (1210) | 53.76 (1059) |
| 68 | 3525 | Melinda Gainsford-Taylor | AUS | 11.12 (1174) | 22.23 (1214) | 51.73 (1137) |
| 69 | 3523 | Charity Opara | NGR | 11.40 (1114) | 22.60 (1175) | 49.29 (1234) |
| 70 | 3522 | Laverne Jones-Ferrette | ISV | 11.07 (1185) | 22.46 (1190) | 51.47 (1147) |
| 71 | 3521 | Kyra Jefferson | USA | 11.17 (1163) | 22.24 (1212) | 51.50 (1146) |
| 72 | 3519 | Tonette Dyer | USA | 11.20 (1157) | 22.34 (1202) | 51.15 (1160) |
| 73 | 3515 | Monique Hennagan | USA | 11.26 (1144) | 22.87 (1148) | 49.56 (1223) |
| 73 | 3515 | Maya Azarashvili | GEO | 11.08 (1182) | 22.24 (1212) | 52.13 (1121) |
| 75 | 3514 | Debbie Ferguson | BAH | 10.91 (1220) | 22.19 (1218) | 53.30 (1076) |
| 75 | 3514 | Shalonda Solomon | USA | 10.90 (1222) | 22.15 (1222) | 53.47 (1070) |
| 77 | 3513 | Myriam Soumare | FRA | 11.03 (1193) | 22.11 (1226) | 52.83 (1094) |
| 78 | 3512 | Taylor Ellis-Watson | USA | 11.33 (1129) | 22.48 (1188) | 50.25 (1195) |
| 79 | 3511 | Damaryanthi Darsha | SRI | 11.19 (1159) | 22.48 (1188) | 51.05 (1164) |
| 79 | 3511 | Mona-Lisa Pursiainen | FIN | 11.19 (1159) | 22.39 (1197) | 51.27 (1155) |
| 81 | 3510 | Raelene Boyle | AUS | 11.20 (1157) | 22.45 (1191) | 51.08 (1162) |
| 82 | 3509 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | JAM | 10.70 (1266) | 22.09 (1228) | 54.93 (1015) |
| 83 | 3508 | Katharine Merry | GBR | 11.34 (1127) | 22.76 (1159) | 49.59 (1222) |
| 84 | 3504 | Christine Ohuruogu | GBR | 11.35 (1125) | 22.85 (1150) | 49.41 (1229) |
| 85 | 3503 | Celena Mondie-Milner | USA | 11.17 (1163) | 22.55 (1180) | 51.14 (1160) |
| 85 | 3503 | Angela Bailey | CAN | 10.98 (1204) | 22.64 (1171) | 51.96 (1128) |
| 85 | 3503 | Carol Rodriguez | PUR | 11.28 (1139) | 22.23 (1214) | 51.39 (1150) |
| 85 | 3503 | Anyika Onuora | GBR | 11.18 (1161) | 22.64 (1171) | 50.87 (1171) |
| 89 | 3501 | Dina Asher-Smith | GBR | 10.99 (1202) | 22.07 (1230) | 53.49 (1069) |
| 90 | 3500 | Heide Seyerling | RSA | 11.35 (1125) | 22.63 (1172) | 50.05 (1203) |
| 90 | 3500 | Kseniya Ryzhova | RUS | 11.27 (1142) | 22.91 (1144) | 49.80 (1214) |
| 92 | 3498 | Monique Henderson | USA | 11.34 (1127) | 22.71 (1164) | 49.96 (1207) |
| 92 | 3498 | Cydonie Mothersill | CAY | 11.08 (1182) | 22.39 (1197) | 52.18 (1119) |
| 94 | 3497 | Alexandria Anderson | USA | 10.91 (1220) | 22.60 (1175) | 52.63 (1102) |
| 94 | 3497 | Sevatheda Fynes | BAH | 10.91 (1220) | 22.32 (1204) | 53.40 (1073) |
| 94 | 3497 | Quanera Hayes | USA | 11.27 (1142) | 22.89 (1146) | 49.91 (1209) |
| 97 | 3495 | Crystal Cox | USA | 11.31 (1133) | 22.58 (1177) | 50.52 (1185) |
| 97 | 3495 | Anneisha McLaughlin | JAM | 11.23 (1150) | 22.54 (1181) | 51.03 (1164) |
| 99 | 3493 | Desiree Henry | GBR | 11.06 (1187) | 22.46 (1190) | 52.27 (1116) |
| 100 | 3492 | LaTasha Jenkins | USA | 11.02 (1195) | 22.29 (1207) | 52.95 (1090) |
(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?