100 metres, Men

By the time of the Tokyo Olympics, the overwhelming favorite was the American, Bob Hayes. A powerful runner who also played American football at Florida A&M University, Hayes became noticed in 1962 when he ran 9.2 and 10.1, and then in 1963 he broke the world record for 100 yards, running the first legal time of 9.1, a mark he equaled three more times before Tokyo. He did not lose a 100 yard/metre race between 1962 and the Tokyo Olympics. He won the AAU Title in 1962-64 as well. His main opposition in Tokyo was felt to be Canadian Harry Jerome and Cuba’s Enrique Figuerola.

But in reality, there was no opposition. In the semi-finals, Hayes ran an automatic time of 9.91, although it was strongly wind-aided. In the final he drew lane one, which the day before had been chewed up in the rain by the 10,000 metre runners, and early in the day the 20 km. walkers had also ripped up the red clay track. It mattered little to Hayes, as his margin of victory was described by Track & Field News as “insulting to an Olympic final field.” Hayes retired after the 1964 Olympics, and played professional football with the Dallas Cowboys. Many athletics historians still consider him the fastest sprinter ever.