According to the numbers, 2015 could possibly be the best year in history for the 100m.

The table below lists the number of sub-10 and sub-11 performers in each of the past 20 years. It makes for fascinating reading.

Already in 2015 there has been a flurry of fast times, leading to 10 men joining the sub-10 club and five new additions to the women’s sub-11 club.

It now means that more men have run sub-10 (23 in total) and more women have gone sub-11 (14 and counting) than in any other season.

And Usain Bolt is yet to crack 10.00 in 2015.

Speaking of Bolt, it’s interesting to see the impact that he – and some other notable performers – have had on the standard of sprinting. See the jump up in numbers from 2008 onwards? That coincides with Bolt’s breakthrough over 100m.

Similar jumps can be seen on the sub-11 list which coincide with the peak of Flo Jo’s and Marion Jones’ careers. But I’m not going to dwell too much on that pair.

What’s also notable about 2015 is that more athletes have gone sub-10 and sub-11 during this summer alone than in the four-year period from the start of 2004 to the end of 2007!

And with this being a World Championships year, there could be one or two additions to this list before the end of the season.

YearSub-10 menSub-11 women
20152314
2014166
20131413
20121910
2011208
2010138
2009127
20081412
200764
200662
200585
200476
200384
2002114
200155
2000713
1999911
1998910
1997106
199666
199533
199475
199345
199256
199176
199012
198922
1988312
198719
198606

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