Usain Bolt ran the men’s 100 metres in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
Bolt’s performance on 16 August 2009 remains the world record for the event. He improved his own previous record of 9.69 seconds, set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bolt reacted quickly from the blocks and reached an officially measured maximum speed of about 44.72 kilometres per hour during the race.
The race also included Tyson Gay, who finished second in 9.71 seconds, and Asafa Powell, who finished third in 9.84 seconds. Bolt’s winning margin was especially notable because he celebrated before crossing the finish line. The 100 metres is decided by a legal time measured to hundredths of a second, with wind assistance limited to 2.0 metres per second for record purposes. Bolt’s 9.58 was recorded with a legal tailwind of 0.9 metres per second.