Marcell Jacobs is now the second-fastest man ever in the 100m after an amazing run.
Former Olympic champ Lamont Marcell Jacobs just ran one of the fastest 100-meter sprints ever, clocking in at 9.67 seconds at the Raiffeisen Austrian Open. This makes him the second-fastest man in history, behind only Usain Bolt, who set the world record at 9.58 seconds back in 2012.
However, Jacobs’ time won’t be officially counted because there was a strong tailwind of +4.1m/s, which is over the legal limit of +2.0m/s. Still, his run beat Tyson Gay’s 9.68 seconds from the 2008 US Olympic Trials, which was recorded in similar windy conditions.
Tyson Gay was a top favorite to win the 100m gold in Beijing 2008 but unfortunately got injured before the Games and couldn’t make it past the semis. Jacobs, on the other hand, won Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021 but didn’t perform as well in Paris three years later.
Now 31, Jacobs has made an impressive comeback this week. Even with the wind helping, this run gives him fresh hope for competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. You can watch his full run below.
At the Paris Olympics, Jacobs ran a season-best 9.92 seconds to reach the final but had to drop out because of cramps, missing a chance to defend his title or win a medal. After his 9.67 run in Austria, Jacobs said, “I’m really happy because I’m getting better every race. Yes, the wind was strong, but only Bolt has ever run faster, so I’m proud of this time.”
With this performance, Jacobs moves to third place on the list of fastest 100m times ever. Only Usain Bolt (with 9.58 and 9.63 seconds) holds better times. Jacobs’ 9.67 is also the fastest wind-aided time in history, just ahead of Tyson Gay’s 9.68.
Here’s a quick look at some of the top wind-assisted 100m times:
– Marcell Jacobs – 9.67 (2026, Eisenstadt)
– Tyson Gay – 9.68 (2008, Eugene)
– Obadele Thompson – (1996, El Paso)
– Andre De Grasse – (2017, Stockholm)
– Asafa Powell – 9.72 (2010, Oslo)
– Kanyinsola Ajayi – 9.72 (2026, Eugene)