Tearing apart the track and time in the 100 metre sprint

Dave Mathieson

The premiere event at the Olympic Games and in the world of sport is the 100 metre dash.
Most athletic endeavors require equipment and take too long to finish. Not the sprints.
This isn't mountain climbing, basketball or rocket science. This, like an arrow hitting its mark, is direct, straight forward and best of all, quick.
In less time than it takes us to tie our shoes a sprinter can redefine humanity's limits in terms we can all identify with; the basic act of running.
Most of us ran races when we were children so most of us know exactly what a sprinter feels when they enter those starting blocks.
American sprinter Marion Jones, the darling of the Sydney Olympics and favoured to win five gold medals, is fun, friendly and quick with a smile.
But when she's anticipating the starter's pistol we, both man and woman, can feel her tension.
Through years of training sprinters learn about themselves and about life which is very important but, ultimately, they'd all like to be able to say "I did this better than all those who came before me. I created something new."
We want that for them because they defy time and history and invent a new limit for us to ponder while fulfilling our need to know who is the fastest among us.
And best of all, it takes just about ten seconds.
Results from Sydney: American Maurice Greene Won the men's sprint at 9.97 seconds and Marion Jones won the women's sprint at 10.75 seconds. Neither time broke existing records.