Records held by athletes in sprint events at Summer Olympics

Ever since the inception of the modern Summer Olympics, athletics has been the mother of all disciplines, with sprint events enjoying the status as an elitist of the lot.

Track and field events alone have the magnetic pull to draw spectators inside the arena, while the fierce aspect associated with sprints meant grabbing eyeballs was not an issue. No wonder top sprinters around the world have always been at the forefront of the limelight when it comes to multi-sport events, especially the Olympics.

Albeit most of us are quite acquainted with stalwarts like Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, or even Carl Lewis in that respect - some of the most decorated Olympians ever, all plying trade in sprint events.

For instance, Usain Bolt is a public figure with millions of followers on social media platforms, but it all boils down to the 10-second sprint which has earned him global acclaim.

Records held by athletes at the Summer Olympics

#4 Florence Griffith Joyner - 200m (21.34 seconds) 1988 Seoul Olympics

Florence Griffth during the 1988 Summer Olympic Games

The event has been mostly dominated by athletes from the USA, with Florence Griffith owning the section as far as the records are concerned. It was back at the 1988 Summer Olympics that she punched above her weight.

Florence startled everyone present at the Jamsil Stadium by striking gold in the 200m event, clocking 21.34 seconds, thus creating a new Games record and the world record, which is yet to be surpassed.

"Flo-Jo," as she was popularly known, finished the 1988 Seoul Games with four medals, the second-most haul by a female athlete in track and field events. She was only behind Dutch sprinter Francina Blankers-Koen, who had won four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

It’s a pity that she quit racing the following year and in spite of comeback attempts, injury problems crept in and she ultimately had to draw curtains to a glorious career.

#3 Florence Griffith Joyner - 100m (10.62 seconds) 1988 Seoul Olympics

Florence Griffith ended the 1988 Seoul Olympics with four medals

The legacy created by Florence Griffith is unmatched, more than 30 years she last featured at the Games. The 1988 Summer Olympics was nothing less than a fairy-tale for the sprinter, with the event coinciding with the peak of his career.

The American was about to flex muscles in the biggest race of her career at the age of 28 that would record her name eternally in the glory books. It took her only 10.62 seconds to cover the distance and script a new Olympic record.

The journey that started in the first year of her college days, reached the pinnacle at the Jamsil Stadium, in Seoul. With five Olympic medals to her name across two editions, including four golds, Griffith went on to become the most celebrated female athlete, enjoying enormous success even after her retirement.

It was heart-breaking when she passed away during sleep due to an epileptic seizure, ten years after the Seoul triumph.

#2 Usain Bolt - 200m (19.30 seconds) 2008 Beijing Olympics

Usain Bolt during the 200m event race at the 2008 Beijin Olympics

Rising to prominence during the 2002 World Junior Championships in hometown Jamaica, everyone present at the National Stadium knew what was brewing in the background. The 2008 Summer Olympics was the occasion for Usain Bolt to mark his arrival on the biggest international stage.

The 200m event was one of his staple events and he bossed his way to a top-placed finish, with a timing of 19.30 to set a new record.

The world was never the same for the Jamaican following the Beijing Olympics, with people sending in congratulatory messages from all corners. Bolt also ended up winning the 100m event in China, thus re-creating Carl Lewis’ record of claiming two gold medals in a single edition back in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

But the Jamaican knew there was more to conquer, with him just 22 years old - Beijing was just the beginning.

1# Usain Bolt - 100m event (9. seconds) 2012 London Olympics

Usian Bolt during the 2012 London Olympics

Unlike most other athletes in the fray, Usain Bolt was already a sensation when he marched to the center at the London Olympic Stadium. With him already holding the world record in the elite 100m event, there was no denying that everyone expected the Jamaican to pull-off the coup.

Little did anyone present at the London Olympic Stadium, and viewers from around the globe knew that history was in the making.

With countrymates Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell aiming for a similar prize and Justin Gatling also in the mix, it was a star-studded final line-up. But Usain Bolt was at a different level altogether, having stormed to the 100m mark in just 9.63 seconds to blank runners in the other lanes.

The Jamaican successfully retained his title after his first during the 2012 Beijing Games. So far, the record is unscratched, while Bolt has gone on to claim yet another top-finish in four years in Rio de Janeiro.