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).

PosScoreAthleteNat100m200m400m
13809Marita KochGER10.83 (1237)21.71 (1268)47.60 (1304)
23792Florence Griffith-JoynerUSA10.49 (1314)21.34 (1308)50.89 (1170)
33777Marion JonesUSA10.65 (1277)21.62 (1278)49.59 (1222)
43741Shaunae Miller-UiboBAH10.98 (1204)21.74 (1265)48.37 (1272)
53730Allyson FelixUSA10.89 (1224)21.69 (1271)49.26 (1235)
63726Gwen TorrenceUSA10.82 (1239)21.72 (1267)49.64 (1220)
73725Marie-Jose PerecFRA10.96 (1209)21.99 (1239)48.25 (1277)
83713Valerie BriscoUSA10.99 (1202)21.81 (1258)48.83 (1253)
93712Irina PrivalovaRUS10.77 (1251)21.87 (1251)49.89 (1210)
103709Jarmila KratochvilovaCZE11.09 (1180)21.97 (1241)47.99 (1288)
113694Merlene OtteyJAM10.74 (1257)21.64 (1276)51.12 (1161)
123692Sanya Richards-RossUSA10.97 (1206)22.09 (1228)48.70 (1258)
133688Barbel WockelGER10.95 (1211)21.85 (1254)49.56 (1223)
143672Grace JacksonJAM11.08 (1182)21.72 (1267)49.57 (1223)
153671Evelyn AshfordUSA10.76 (1253)21.83 (1256)51.08 (1162)
163669Veronica Campbell-BrownJAM10.76 (1253)21.74 (1265)52.24i (1151)
173655Chandra CheeseboroughUSA11.13 (1172)21.99 (1239)49.05 (1244)
183650Pauline Davis-ThompsonBAH10.97 (1206)22.27 (1209)49.28 (1235)
193649Pam MarshallUSA11.01 (1198)21.93 (1245)49.99 (1206)
203634Kathy CookGBR11.10 (1178)22.10 (1227)49.43 (1229)
213633Sherone SimpsonJAM10.82 (1239)22.00 (1238)51.25 (1156)
223631Shericka JacksonJAM11.13 (1172)22.05 (1232)49.47 (1227)
233627Kerron StewartJAM10.75 (1255)21.99 (1239)51.83 (1133)
243622Irena SzewinskaPOL11.13 (1172)22.21 (1216)49.29 (1234)
253620Cathy FreemanAUS11.24 (1148)22.25 (1211)48.63 (1261)
263619LaTasha ColanderUSA10.97 (1206)22.34 (1202)49.87 (1211)
273616Falilat OgunkoyaNGR11.19 (1159)22.22 (1215)49.10 (1242)
283613Salwa Eid NaserBRN11.24 (1148)22.51 (1184)48.14 (1281)
293605Inger MillerUSA10.79 (1246)21.77 (1262)52.76 (1097)
303604Sandra MyersESP11.06 (1187)22.38 (1198)49.67 (1219)
313601Evette de KlerkRSA11.06 (1187)22.06 (1231)50.57 (1183)
323600Dawn SowellUSA10.78 (1248)22.04 (1233)53.08i (1119)
333595Olga BryzginaUKR11.2h (1127)22.44 (1192)48.27 (1276)
343594Joanna AtkinsUSA11.02 (1195)22.27 (1209)50.39 (1190)
353593Dannette Young-StoneUSA11.06 (1187)22.18 (1219)50.46 (1187)
353593Ewa WitkowskaPOL10.93 (1215)22.13 (1224)51.30 (1154)
373592Grit BreuerGER11.13 (1172)22.45 (1191)49.42 (1229)
383591Carmelita JeterUSA10.64 (1280)22.11 (1226)53.08 (1085)
393589Yuliya GushchinaRUS11.13 (1172)22.53 (1182)49.28 (1235)
403588Gesine WaltherGER11.13 (1172)22.24 (1212)50.03 (1204)
413585Tatana KocembovaCZE11.31 (1133)22.47 (1189)48.59 (1263)
413585Juliet CuthbertJAM10.83 (1237)21.75 (1264)53.1h (1084)
433582Carlette GuidryUSA10.94 (1213)22.14 (1223)51.51 (1146)
443581MeLisa BarberUSA10.95 (1211)22.37 (1199)50.87 (1171)
453567Lynna IrbyUSA11.25 (1142)22.25 (1211)49.80 (1214)
463563Muriel HurtisFRA10.96 (1209)22.31 (1205)51.41 (1149)
473558Svetlana GoncharenkoRUS11.13 (1172)22.46 (1190)50.23 (1196)
483556Kim GevaertBEL11.04 (1191)22.20 (1217)51.45 (1148)
483556Dina Asher-SmithGBR10.83 (1237)21.88 (1250)53.49 (1069)
503554Christina BrehmerGER11.18 (1161)22.61 (1174)49.66 (1219)
503554Juliet CampbellJAM11.15 (1167)22.50 (1186)50.11 (1201)
503554Blessing OkagbareNGR10.79 (1246)22.04 (1233)53.34 (1075)
533551Angella IssajenkoCAN10.97 (1206)22.25 (1211)51.81 (1134)
543549Aleksandra FedorivaRUS11.28 (1139)22.19 (1218)51.18i (1192)
553546Ionela TirleaROU11.30 (1135)22.35 (1201)49.88 (1210)
553546Shericka WilliamsJAM11.34 (1127)22.50 (1186)49.32 (1233)
573545Kyra JeffersonUSA11.17 (1163)22.02 (1236)51.50 (1146)
583543Mary OnyaliNGR10.97 (1206)22.07 (1230)52.50 (1107)
593542Svetlana PospelovaRUS11.32 (1131)22.39 (1197)49.80 (1214)
593542Silke-Beate KnollGER11.17 (1163)22.29 (1207)50.85 (1172)
613541Kamaria BrownUSA11.34 (1127)22.24 (1212)50.94i (1202)
623540Phyllis FrancisUSA11.35 (1125)22.42 (1194)49.61 (1221)
633539Kirsten EmmelmannGER11.23 (1150)22.50 (1186)50.07 (1203)
633539Quanera HayesUSA11.27 (1142)22.55 (1180)49.72 (1217)
653538Michelle CollinsUSA11.19 (1159)22.57 (1178)50.11 (1201)
653538Ebonie FloydUSA11.13 (1172)22.32 (1204)51.10 (1162)
653538Natasha HastingsUSA11.24 (1148)22.57 (1178)49.84 (1212)
683537Mikele BarberUSA11.02 (1195)22.73 (1162)50.63 (1180)
693536Diane DixonUSA11.27 (1142)22.53 (1182)49.84 (1212)
703535Merlene FrazerJAM11.20 (1157)22.18 (1219)51.18 (1159)
713534Natalya BochinaRUS11.14 (1169)22.19 (1218)51.47 (1147)
723531Lyudmila KondrateyevaRUS11.02 (1195)22.31 (1205)51.87 (1131)
733529Tatyana AlekseyevaRUS11.16 (1165)22.77 (1158)49.98 (1206)
743528Christine ArronFRA10.73 (1259)22.26 (1210)53.76 (1059)
753525Melinda Gainsford-TaylorAUS11.12 (1174)22.23 (1214)51.73 (1137)
763523Charity OparaNGR11.40 (1114)22.60 (1175)49.29 (1234)
773522Laverne Jones-FerretteISV11.07 (1185)22.46 (1190)51.47 (1147)
783519Tonette DyerUSA11.20 (1157)22.34 (1202)51.15 (1160)
793515Monique HennaganUSA11.26 (1144)22.87 (1148)49.56 (1223)
793515Maya AzarashviliGEO11.08 (1182)22.24 (1212)52.13 (1121)
813514Debbie FergusonBAH10.91 (1220)22.19 (1218)53.30 (1076)
813514Shalonda SolomonUSA10.90 (1222)22.15 (1222)53.47 (1070)
833513Myriam SoumareFRA11.03 (1193)22.11 (1226)52.83 (1094)
843512Taylor Ellis-WatsonUSA11.33 (1129)22.48 (1188)50.25 (1195)
853511Damaryanthi DarshaSRI11.19 (1159)22.48 (1188)51.05 (1164)
853511Mona-Lisa PursiainenFIN11.19 (1159)22.39 (1197)51.27 (1155)
873510Raelene BoyleAUS11.20 (1157)22.45 (1191)51.08 (1162)
873510Lea SprungerSUI11.34 (1127)22.38 (1198)50.52 (1185)
873510Jodie WilliamsGBR11.17 (1163)22.46 (1190)51.22 (1157)
903509Shelly-Ann Fraser-PryceJAM10.70 (1266)22.09 (1228)54.93 (1015)
913508Katharine MerryGBR11.34 (1127)22.76 (1159)49.59 (1222)
913508Makenzie DunmoreUSA11.25 (1146)22.53 (1182)50.63 (1180)
913508Amina SeyniNIG11.50 (1093)22.58 (1177)49.19 (1238)
943507Dezerea BryantUSA10.99 (1202)22.18 (1219)53.05 (1086)
953506Simone FaceyJAM10.95 (1211)22.25 (1211)53.09 (1084)
963504Christine OhuruoguGBR11.35 (1125)22.85 (1150)49.41 (1229)
973503Celena Mondie-MilnerUSA11.17 (1163)22.55 (1180)51.14 (1160)
973503Angela BaileyCAN10.98 (1204)22.64 (1171)51.96 (1128)
973503Carol RodriguezPUR11.28 (1139)22.23 (1214)51.39 (1150)
973503Anyika OnuoraGBR11.18 (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.

9 Comments

  1. ID says: January 15, 2014 • 16:01:29

    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!

  2. Bob Bobbins says: April 13, 2014 • 20:29:29

    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

  3. Gary Cawker says: April 26, 2014 • 20:52:16

    Great list! Look forward to more of the same.

  4. Upton Upshaw says: January 7, 2015 • 16:07:04

    Lorraine Fenton 11.71, 22.63 and 49.30

  5. Jon Mulkeen says: January 7, 2015 • 16:37:24

    Those marks give her a score of 3456, which means she misses out on making the top 100.

  6. D Knight says: January 7, 2015 • 17:06:50

    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!

  7. Edward says: January 13, 2015 • 14:53:54

    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.

  8. Gouws says: July 15, 2015 • 12:27:28

    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?

  9. Kevin says: March 13, 2016 • 08:28:09

    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?

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