Evolution of the men's 100 meters world record after Jamaica's Usain Bolt ran 9.69 seconds in the 2008 Olympics final in Beijing on Saturday.
| WR time | Athlete | Country | Date |
| 10.6 seconds | Donald Lippincott | (US) | 6.7.1912 |
| 10.4 | Charles Paddock | (US) | 23.4.21 |
| 10.3 | Percy Williams | (Canada) | 9.8.30 |
| 10.2 | Jesse Owens | (US) | 20.6.36 |
| 10.1 | Willie Williams | (US) | 3.8.56 |
| 10.0 | Armin Hary | (West Germany) | 21.6.60 |
| 9.95 | Jim Hines | (US) | 14.10.68 |
| 9.93 | Calvin Smith | (US) | 3.7.83 |
| 9.92 | Carl Lewis | (US) | 24.9.88 |
| 9.90 | Leroy Burrell | (US) | 14.6.91 |
| 9.86 | Carl Lewis | (US) | 25.8.91 |
| 9.85 | Leroy Burrell | (US) | 6.7.94 |
| 9.84 | Donovan Bailey | (Canada) | 27.7.96 |
| 9.79 | Maurice Greene | (US) | 16.6.99 |
| 9.77 | Asafa Powell | (Jamaica) | 14.6.2005 |
| 9.74 | Powell | (Jamaica) | 9.9.07 |
| 9.72 | Usain Bolt | (Jamaica) | 31.5.08 |
| 9.69 | Usain Bolt | (Jamaica) | 16.8.08 |