Who Are The Top-15 GREATEST 100m Sprinters in U.S. Women's History?

[@ThaSpeedsterZ]

I solidly agree with Ashford being at top of this list. Also love how you give a solid history lesson to the youtube comments section. lol.. Much respect bro

[@TheFinalLeg]

That's honestly the goal. Love being able to share some new history with others (and learn myself!) where ever possible

[@CoreyPeavy-m4t]

Before 83’ the World Cup was the championships before and after the Olympic year, Evelyn Ashford was the gold medalist in 79’ & 81’ then in 83’ it became the world championships. In 79&81 Evelyn defeated the WR holders in both the 100 &200meters to win gold.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Good call out on the World Cup and Evelyn winning it both before and after 1980, proving she was essentially the best in the world and likely would have won gold in 1980 if healthy and she had the chance to compete. Though just for some historical cross check, I don't think the world cup was what turned into the world champs. World champs was approved in 1976 with a "pre world champ" held in 1980. World cup started in 1977 but was not a true world champs and more a major competition with slight team based points for countries and it continued on even when world champs started in 1983 (world cup ended in 2006 and changed to continental cup in 2010). Definitely fact check me though as that's been my historical understanding of it!

[@CoreyPeavy-m4t]

@ actually 1985 wasn’t the last track & field World Cup that was televised. The Olympics The world championships and Goodwill Games became the major international meets after 85’’ and The Gran Prix circuit was the money maker the years it was held. I wasn’t aware that the World Cup of track & field existed beyond 1985.

[@CoreyPeavy-m4t]

@ BTW, I enjoyed your top 15 American women in the 100m. BTW Alice Brown was a beast indoors too. Evelyn, Chandra,Alice were all indoor threats in to 50 & 60 yrd dash. I got to meet Evelyn in Cleveland in 89’&90’ at our then Knights of Columbus indoor meet that was resurrected for a few years.

[@TheFinalLeg]

@@CoreyPeavy-m4t That is soo cool you got to meet Evelyn back then!!

[@AthleticsEditz]

@@TheFinalLeg Unrelated but I met and got a picture with Zharnel Hughes just before the London Diamond League in 2023 where he went on to get 3rd and run a British Record behind a fast Noah and Letsile (shameless self-plug - video of the race from the stands is on my channel!)! Didn’t get to go the 2024’s edition but I’m going to the one in 2025 so hopefully that’ll be cool as well!

[@nro337]

Gotta disagree with Sha'carri that low. Agreed there is recency bias, but #5 100m all time in 2023 for how early she is in her career should be factored in. I think this list gives more leniency to sprinters who have been stripped of some accolades, which will always be controversial but I think needs to be weighed more heavily in an all-time list like this. Incredible video regardless! Super entertaining and lots to chat about this. Great to see focus on women's sprinting

[@TheFinalLeg]

Absolutely hear you and thanks for watching, appreciate the comment! I think Sha'carri's no.5 all time at this point in her career, isn't as unique as you may think. For example: Helen Stephens - WR at age 18 Wyomia Tyus - WR at age 19 Barbara Ferrell - WR at age 21 Wilma Rudolph - WR at age 20 Evelyn Ashford - #2 alltime at age 22 And yes many of them are from previous decades, but then names like Tori Bowie, Lauryn Williams, Gwwn Torrence, Carmelita Jeter, etc., have simply won more medals up to this point than Sha'carri. That's why I note Sha'Carri can and likely will move up the list, but I couldn't put her ahead for now. I think Marion I actually was going to completely leave her off because she has been stripped, but when trying to be as objective as possible, she still holds the 1997 and 1999 golds so they still count. But we of course will have different opinions for sure so just my thoughts. Appreciate you!

[@nro337]

@TheFinalLeg This is a fantastic clarification, thanks for supplying all this context. I was indeed unaware of how dominant these women were at a young age. So this gives a lot of great detail that definitely helps me see your perspective more clearly. I think it's also a really hard comparison across decades just because of how much more competitive the sport has become since the 60s. Definitely a tough list to construct. Thanks for the response!

[@mcfanrobinhood]

I disagree and I agree with Shacarri number 13. There are no handouts in track! I would prefer for her to get her mind together and win gold more often. She is good however given her capacity she will have to grind to get the accolades and not only the talk. And trust me I love her!

[@l.baileyjean3719]

I have always cited Evelyn Ashford as my favorite athlete, though I was a cross country runner. She had grace and fierce competitiveness!

[@jollymolly2521]

Totally agree with Evelyn Ashaford and #1 and thanks for keeping it real with FloJo. People have built up this mythology around her in the 100m that simply didn't exist. She literally had only 1 great year.

[@antonioparks3155]

I'm really enjoying your lists, it's obvious you're not a casual fan you really know this sport.

[@242SPeeD]

Evelyn and sprinting was harmonic convergence!

[@distanceman8147]

I absolutely love the top 3 picks! Ashford is my favorite but Deevers and Tyus are often forgotten! Great work as usual .

[@TheFinalLeg]

Thanks for watching! And yea especially Tyus is very very often forgotten because she competed so long ago and compared to now her times are "slow" but people dont realize what she did. Appreciate you!

[@distanceman8147]

@TheFinalLeg I appreciate you. I read her book and would love to meet her. She was the first to do it. I am surprised that more ppl don't know her story. Great coverage as usual but you know there will be sharp debate on the picks.

[@masonwilliams5423]

I loved Tori Bowie, who was not only a powerhouse but one of the few athletes to dethrone Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce in the 100 and an unforgettable 200m at the Prefontaine Classic.

[@TheFinalLeg]

That 200m at the 2014 Prefontaine from lane 1 has to be one of my favorite races in history. Tori was AMAZING!

[@masonwilliams5423]

@@TheFinalLeg FACTS that one and any races from the Diamond League.

[@orondesharif3172]

I'm enjoying your list. You have done your research and identified your criteria as to how you came to your conclusions. AWESOME JOB.

[@TheWayWithKhuwayne]

Really great video and a very fair list of the American 100m All time sprinters. I'm very happy you placed Florence Griffith Joyner within the Top 10 because despite the wind controversy of her time, she still has one of the longest World Records in Track and Field history. Her 100m achievements from the 1988 Season are reasonable for a Top 10 place. Plus, her previous Olympic Record of 10.61 (her second fastest time) stood for over 3 decades until Elaine Thompson broke in 2021. I think if Florence and other North Americans had a continental championship similar to the European/African/Oceanian Championships etc, there may have been a potential for more doubles out of Florence before the 1988 Season. I also think the gap between the 1983 to the 1987 Worlds is a big reason a lot of athletes didn't achieve a lot of accolades in the 80s especially with the boycotts at the 1980 & 1984 Olympics.

[@smoothnubian]

just like marita koch and jarmila kratochvilova. lol

[@TheWayWithKhuwayne]

@smoothnubian Explain?

[@TheFinalLeg]

Appreciate it! Yea I have to give FloJo massive props for holding the WR for so long. Even outside of the 10.49 WR, he 10.61 was not surpassed until 2021 so the longevity of marks is undeniable. But yea she unfortunately only had that one season so I couldn't give her a ranking ahead of women who especially have multiple medals at Olympics and worlds. Even someone like Wilma Rudolph (I noted my bias probably ranked her a bit high) I would still have ahead of Flo-jo because she competed and set world records in multiple years. (Wilma was on the 1956 4x100 team) Regarding Continental Champs, I think technically the Pan American Games was that for North American athletes, but its not held in as high of a regard as the other continental champs. Most top athletes either skip out, or maybe use it as a side event and don't put too much importance on it. And great call out on world champs only being every 4 years in the 80s instead of every 2 years like it became after 1991. That made a huge difference for sure!

[@kdwilliams9961]

Thank you for this one at the end of an Olympic year..I agree with the order and the reasons why. My soul rejoices in this Christmas season for the recognition of the effort and accolades of these women! I was unaware of the old timers. Thanks for doing a segment where ee could remember Tori Bowie. I hope the track community recognizes your expert analysis. You're quite objective given the facts. FloJo gets too much credit. Happy New Year be safe

[@TheFinalLeg]

Absolutely. Honestly, its impossible to fairly compare current athletes to athletes of the past, but I hope that I can do my best to at least share some information on those who competed decades ago. And I do hope Tori's legacy lives on forever, she was an amazing athlete and deserves so much recognition for her accomplishments! Appreciate you and have a great new year!

[@ElderJohnBernardJr]

I love your content...for true track fans man you always bring a balanced perspective to the sport

[@TheFinalLeg]

Really do appreciate that!💯

[@CKnight1983]

Hands down Evelyn! She consistently beat East Germany's best when they were on PEDs!

[@seensay2132]

Betty Robinson survived a plane crash after her 1928 Olympic gold medal win. And fought her way back onto the 1936 4x1 Olympic relay team, running 3rd leg with a limp from the crash. Some winners mentalities transcend time 💯

[@therealkray93]

Wow…

[@TheFinalLeg]

That is WILD and I didn't even know that! That's why I like to add the older athletes to these rankings. They are legends in their own right. Many times we have recency bias so it's hard to compare what happened 100 years ago to present daym thanks for that story bro! 💯

[@seensay2132]

@@therealkray93 ikr!

[@seensay2132]

@ exactly! I’m a track junkie like you Bo$$. The history is still out there. I learned that much reading Bud Greenspan. If you can find footage from the 1936 Olympics women’s 4x100, you’ll see her running the curve hard with that limp and handing off to Helen Stephens on anchor. Legend of All time Greats never dies

[@MichaelJohnson-wk8tk]

I totally agree with you on the top five. Beyond that, it would be difficult for me because of numerous criteria. It's difficult to compare past and present athletes especially when since there were fewer opportunities to compete and how advances in training, equipment and facilities greatly improved present performance. Well researched.....thanks for sharing.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Completely agree. I think I note it when I speak about Wilma, but there of course is some bias, especially when comparing past and present. We all are going to weigh criteria differently, and as you say, there were less opportunities to compete the farther back you go, and even simply women didn't have equal opportunities in sports as a whole the farther back you go. But I tried to be as fair as possible, knowing this is still just my opinion. Appreciate you!

[@backstraightboyspodcast7357]

That thumbnail had me ready to fight but obvs Evelyn is the US GOAT

[@TheFinalLeg]

Hahahaha! Yea Evelyn is undeniably the GOAT for US women here!

[@likylake9503]

I agree with this list and love the light you’re shining in the legends and greats. Ashford is definitely the goat and Jet is Top 5 easily

[@gregorymalone71]

Really great list, ashford deserves to be number one. Really hard to make a list like this because you don’t know who was on the juice. So we can really never know. Good list

[@TheFinalLeg]

Completely agree, Ashford was so ahead of her time and definitely number 1 here. Thanks for watching!

[@seensay2132]

Ashford is the definitive #1 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 I have Inmense respect for a lot of the American Greats from her Era. The Mary Deckers, Brenda Morehead, Francie Larrieu Smith, the Howard Sisters. They competed against that first wave of GDR & USSR female stars they KNEW were doping. But instead of complaining publicly, they rolled up their sleeves and ran harder. Ashford & Decker probably both would’ve won gold in 1980. How their career arcs would’ve been changed by that single twist of fate?

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yea the fact that Evelyn competed in that era BEATING some of the best knowing they cheated is insane. She was so ahead of her time it's insane. Sometimes I still can't believe Evelyn was in every Olympics from 1976-1992! Through injuries, giving birth, all kinds of life changes and setbacks. She's my 100m goat for women for sure. 💯

[@GP-qd1yy]

Evelyn Ashford could be the GOAT in the world not just the US.

[@AllInTheGame01]

Evelyn Ashford, Gail Devers, Wyomia Tyus, Carmelita Jeter & Gwen Torrence. Honourable mentions; Wilma Rudolph, Lauryn Williams & Torie Bowie. English Gardener had much untapped potential :(

[@terrencewestbrook4036]

@@AllInTheGame01 no Flo Jo

[@seensay2132]

Wilma’s wins opened the door for Every champion you named. And she ONLY gets honorable mention 😂

[@forevergoated999]

@@seensay2132caused she opened doors doesn’t mean she’s greater than anybody stated

[@seensay2132]

@ i couldn’t disagree more. The argument can be made without Her precedent and as a Black woman sprinter in a time Whites dominated and presumed Blacks to be inferior?!? Smdh I don’t think anything Sha’Carri or FloJo or most after her compares to what Wilma achieved (the rare sprint triple) with obstacles faced (childhood polio, childbirth less than 2 yrs before Rome, AND winning Oly golds on a badly sprained ankle). But we can agree to disagree.

[@TheFinalLeg]

English definitely had some of them most potential of 100m sprinters. It sucks that she never won an individual medal. Came so close in 2013. She is one of the most talented and one of most humble athletes despite the setbacks she experienced. Also will never forget the amazing 4x4 legs she ran while at Orrgon!

[@antonioparks3155]

As you went through the list I as thinking, nope...nope.....nope but by the time you finished I couldn't think of any other points to make or women to add. Today, this list is spot on and I'm so glad you didn't exclude Marion Jones.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Haha thanks! Its hard to compare athletes from different era's and nothing will ever be perfectly objective, but I hope I did my best to explain my list here. Appreciate you watching!

[@antonioparks3155]

@@TheFinalLeg this was excellent content. Keep up the good work

[@kevinwoods2585]

Absolutely!!!!! I’m so Glad E. Sanford Is given her respect AND flowers !!!! Absolutely MY GOAT .. I’m sure at some point she’ll be surpassed but to see her in HER PRIME ( I’m 54 ) … she was a MONSTER & other athletes FEARED her !!!

[@kennethwoods6525]

Jamaica is waiting for you to create a list!

[@noinnurt]

Nice list. But the picture you have for Diane Williams is Alice Brown getting hugged by Evelyn Ashford after a relay. 3:59

[@TheFinalLeg]

Crap! And thanks so much for that call out. I feel bad for making that glaring mistake 😞 Especially because that's literally Diane Williams cut off on the left side of the pic. Appreciate you!

[@noinnurt]

@@TheFinalLeg You're welcome. And you are right. She was wearing 246 that day. I cannot find a good picture of Diane on the Internet.

[@Ondolady]

Florence Griffiths Joyner was more of a 200 metre specialist before she started doing the 100. I also agree that Gwen Torrance was very underrated.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yea exactly. FloJo had an amazing 200m career and it's either her or Allyson Felix for greatest American 200m runner all time. But in the 100 she got much better later on so doesn't have a full career. But FloJo is still insanely talented regardless!

[@paggyD2024]

Good list. Wyomia has to be #1. 1st person to win consecutive 100m titles at the Olympics. Won what was available to her 64’ - 68’. Evelyn - 2nd and Gail - 3rd.

[@TheFinalLeg]

It may not have seemed like it in the video, but when I was creating the list, I originally had Wyomia no.1. But eventually went with Evelyn because of her longevity and since her times from 83 and 84 would still hold up today. The fact that she competed for 5 Olympic cycles from 76-92 is insane, while competing against literally crazy names in the 80s. It is hard to compare though because Wyomia did not have world champs, she did not have better training and spike technology. Women barely even had proper opportunities to train and compete as equal when talking about sports in the 60s. So honestly, cant be mad at Wyomia at #1! Appreciate you!

[@sandyacombs]

Anderson, I think a very interesting question is who is the greatest all around sprinter include: 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m for both men and women?

[@backstraightboyspodcast7357]

Irena Szewinska

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yea the correct answer for women is Irena Szweinska, and honestly, its not really even close IMO

[@AthleticsEditz]

Yeah I see you're comparing each era separately from each other, e.g. what their times were relative to the world record AT THAT TIME is more important to you than their times compared to the CURRENT world record were. This is similar to where you had Carl Lewis as number 2 all time in the 100m despite having a slower PB than Blake, Gatlin, etc. whereas I had him 5th (you know which comments section I'm on about) although I could also totally see him 2nd behind Bolt. Now I'm not as educated on the women's 100m and female athletes over the last 100 years as you (and others) as I know more about the men (sorry lol) so I won't do a top 10 list like I did with the men however based on what I saw this video I'd place them in pretty much the order you put them in! Appreciate these vids man!

[@TheFinalLeg]

Exactly, even though Wyomia Tyus ran 11 seconds, at the time they were world records. That was 60 years ago. 60 years from now in 2084, we may look back at 10.7 and 10.6 as "slow" times. But that wouldnt diminish what Shelly, Sha'carri, Shericka, Elaine, Julien etc are running and what they did in their careers. I also know nothing is completely objective and I have bias, but I try my best to compare the different eras with the one thing that does remain constant, which is medals at global championships, since that means you won when it counts against the best athletes of your time period. But that also goes to why I have Evelyn Ashford so high, because her consistent times in the 1980s would still hold up today. But no worries on focusing mostly on the men, I love the stats and the history so always great to share knowledge and learn from you too!

[@AthleticsEditz]

@@TheFinalLeg Yeah the fact Ashford's times back in the 80's would do well even against today's women definitely holds some sort of weight even though in general you're/we're trying not to mix eras! You don't seem to have that much bias which I appreciate as it gives us more accurate (and reliable) content whilst also giving us the chance to debate it with our different opinions! It's also good to see that people like @nsxperformance and PJ, etc. are getting more credit for the work they're doing to find all the splits and data from races, from people like you and Total Running Productions as they're the unsung heroes when it comes to everything track :)

[@DavidGarcia-sm4uo]

I Totally Agree with this guy, Evelyn was the first one to break the european girls.

[@quinton9514]

MARION JONES?

[@robertsheppard8274]

You are right Evelyn is the Goat

[@carlbartley420]

Flo is the greatest sprinter ever she should be # 1 in any category

[@duanepergerson6678]

Evelyn da GOAT - I Agree!!!!!!

[@ndokwanwoko8019]

Hmmm... Could you do world bests instead of just the US?

[@TheFinalLeg]

Last year at the end of the year I did do the brackets for the best women in the 200m, best men in the 100m and I think best woman in the 100m. That was based votes, but then I did a live video breaking down my opinion. Maybe sometime this year I will do the world. Shelly is the 100m GOAT in my opinion though haha!

[@mcfanrobinhood]

I see alot of khia’s here. Where is Jeter

[@DavidDaniels-hf3sb]

I really cannot disagree with you on your list.

[@moshaahworks2684]

10.49...WR.... PERIOD MAKES FLO...#2.. Ashford... #1all day

[@ahmetozcan1426]

Sha Carri is ahead of most of them in terms of medals and PB, is it because she is at the beginning of her career that you have left her so far behind? This assessment doesn't seem right to me, if this attitude is based on respect for former athletes, it would have made more sense not to include Sha Carri.

[@terrencewestbrook4036]

Jeter should’ve been #1

[@terrencewestbrook4036]

I take it back Gail Devers should’ve been #1

[@gregorymalone71]

@@terrencewestbrook4036jeter was great but didn’t do it long enough. Devers great but not long enough. Flo Jo to close to number one

[@TheFinalLeg]

Jeter had some amazing impact for sure but I think her lack of Olmypic Gold keeps her lower for me. Gail was amazing with her double golds but Wyomia is ahead simply because she set the world records. But it's definitely all preference. I can definitely respect having Gail #1, she's amazing!

[@jazzysam9590]

I totally disagree with your placement of FloJo , wayyy to high but like you said it’s just opinions.

[@brianbethune616]

That's what where i would put marion , too she had a good stretch

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yea despite her ban, I kept her on the list because of her 2 golds. I would be lying if I said I didn't have some bias towards others who did not serve bans. But it very much is all opinion and unfortunately Marion just has thoes stains on her career for me. If she kept her Olmypic Gold and 2001 Bronze, she would be top 3 easily

[@sandyacombs]

Everyone puts more emphasis on different aspects of a career, Anderson I know you put more emphasis on major championship victories over times, and I can understand that. I put more emphasis on performance and less on championships. While Wyomia Tyus is a great champion, her 11.08 PB ranks at #1004 all-time and I would not put her in the top 10 all time US women. Ashford #1 seems obvious 10.76 PB. If you look at the performance rankings then you must acknowledge the performances of Carmelita Jeter and Marion Jones who account for 10 of the fastest 20 times ever run by an American. As far as times go Marion Jones has run faster than Gail Devers 18 times, so I would put her at #2, and if you are talking about official times then Florence Griffith Joyner the fastest 3 performances of all-time is my #3.

[@afamobi93]

It's a little unfair to base it purely on times when comparing athletes from different eras because the performances were under completely different conditions. It's impossible to know exactly how much of a difference it makes, but there certainly is a difference running with carbon plated spikes or running on cinders (Andre Degrasse tried running on cinders and didn't break 11.00). That's why the fairer comparison is putting the performance in the context of the all time list when it was ran. A world record or a top 10 all time performance is the same achievement no matter the era it was run. You would still receive the same fame, status and endorsements.

[@sandyacombs]

@@afamobi93 I understand your point and of course the term "Greatest" is some what vague in meaning. There's the greatest champions, and there's the greatest performances, and sometimes the same people do both but not always. Tyus , Rudolph, Ashford, Devers, are great champions and have runs some great times, but there are others who have not won many championships, but have run some remarkable times. For me, I give more weight to performance than championships, other, like you, value championship. I think it's good that not everyone thinks the same, it's more interest.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yup, I tend to hold medals and longevity competing at at global championships a bit higher than times. The problem with putting emphasis on performance is that the goal post always moves as years go on. When you say Wyomia's 11.08 ranks no.1004 all time, that is basing it off today's standards. But she ran that over 60 years ago and it was the world record at the time. She could only compete against the athletes of her time period and win the medals of her time period. Because advancements in shoes, tracks, nutrition, training philosophy, etc. all progressed year over year, athletes get faster and faster. But the thing that remains the same is competing against the best women to get a gold medal. Sometimes how I think of it is, 60 years ago, a taxi driver didn't have access to a cellphone, internet or a fast car, but they were an excellent taxi driver and one of the best in the city. Now in 2024, a taxi driver has a cellphone and GPS on the internet so knows how to get to a destination easily AND they have a faster car since car technology is improved. The taxi driver from 60 years ago is not worse at their job, they just didn't have access to the technology of today. Another more track example: English Gardiner - one of my favorite athletes of all time - she has run 10.74, 10.79 and a bunch of 10.8s and 10.9s. But just because she has run faster times, does not mean that she has done better than Wyomia Tyus, because Gardner has not been able to run those fast times and win medals ahead of women who are also running those fast times in her era. Wyomia Tyus ran fast for her era AND beat women to win the medals. That was a long winded response (haha sorry!) But I hope that makes sense. And honestly, its all respectable to have different opinions and ways to rank things. Having different ideas creates great conversation!

[@sandyacombs]

@@TheFinalLeg I totally understand your perspective, and it is difficult to compare athletes from different generations. The beauty of track and field, unlike other sports, is that the cock and the ruler never change, and so, if we attempt to compare athletes from different generations then we are only left with the clock and ruler. I think it's probably best to divide the category into greatest champions and greatest performers. If we were to compare greatness objectively, then we could calculate the average for each athletes top 20 performances, that would certainly tell us who was most consistent and therefore a measure of greatness. You could construct a point system in which major championships are worth a certain amount based on placement. Top 10 performances could be worth a certain amount of points, top 11- 20 less points, WR, CR, and so forth. I'm sure there could be a way of rating athletes that is more objective, than personal feelings, I value performance level and WR's.

[@moshaahworks2684]

FOR THE RECORD..... Marion jones......top 7. Period...keep the doping.. crappie. Talent since 8th grader.... DO NOT , and CAN NOT DISS...YO

[@mikelarry3835]

Completely disagree with this ranking. Seems like you based your ranking largely on medal count at global championships. If that's the case, how does Evelyn Ashford outrank Wyomia or Gail Devers?!? I dont think you can create a list without considering dominance and performance as a major factor. FloJo broke mulitple barriers (10.7, 10.6, and 10.5), and set the Olympic and World records. She ran the most sub 10.9s/10.8/10.7 in a season. Torrie Bowie was way more dominate that Lauryn was. Plus her competition was tougher so theres no way torrie would be ranked under her.

[@backstraightboyspodcast7357]

Flo Jo was World Ranked in the 100m only 4 times & only No1 once in 88. Wyomia and Gail might have 2 🥇🥇 but Wyomia only ranks 5 times (2 No1) and Gail couldn't even rank No1 either year she won the Olympics only in 93 did she have a consistent year over 100m. Evelyn is ranked 13 times from 76-92 only missing through injury or pregnancy. She's ranked No1 4 times and is 2 time WR holder. She is the rightful US 100m 🐐

[@TheFinalLeg]

Appreciate you mike. As you say, yes I do weigh medals heavily, and Wyomia could have been no.1, but Evelyn had insane longevity from 1976-1992 AND on top of her 2 olympic medals, her WRs would still hold up as competitive times to this day. And she missed out on an opportunity with the 1980 boycott. So that longevity by Evelyn displays dominance. There of course will be preference on what each of us deems more important and how we break it down. No list will ever be perfect but this is just my opinion. Again appreciate you!💯

[@mikelarry3835]

@TheFinalLeg Happy New Year man. ! Appreciate the content you push out highlighting these topics. But was Ashford dominant during those years, tho? Yes, she made world teams and performed well, but her dominance doesn't match up to Tyus. Ashford has 1 Olympic title and an Olympic silver but no world titles/medals. It took her 8 years to get a major global title/medal, and even after that, she wasn't consistent to be #1 (regardless of injury or family). I personally would put FloJo as #1 followed by Tyus, Devers then Ashford. FloJo got the WR, OR, and ran multiple times under 10.8. 1 season or not, it's a season no one can forget, books and magazines have written about and pushed her to a stardom no other female track athlete had been until her. Sha'carri has the WC record and she's top 5 all time. I can't justify a woman who's never broken 11s with one/no global titles over someone who has displayed dominance the way Sha'carri does.

[@mikelarry3835]

@TheFinalLeg if you were to compile a GOAT list from all countries, would you put Ashford over Ottey? Ottey doesn't have any titles but she's medaled in more global championships than any woman who ran with and before her in the 100m.

[@backstraightboyspodcast7357]

@mikelarry3835 Ottey is my favourite athlete of all time, but despite all the circuit wins, no global champs 🥇 at 100m means she's well down the list I'm afraid 😢 For me the top 3 are clear SAFP, Marlies Gohr and Ashford. After that, it becomes much more complicated with different achievements across different eras, very difficult to compare. Wilma, Wyomia, Betty Cuthbert, Marjorie Jackson, Renata Stecher, Merlene, Gail, Elaine ? 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@rucoded]

#TEAMJET

[@gambitvisualizations8749]

I know you that you know track...But sometimes your listing shocks me and makes little sense...It seems that you are focused on longevity over achievements, Sha Carri at 13th and Flo Jo at 7th makes absolutely no sense...You have women consistently getting bronze medals multiple times ahead of women with Gold medals at Olympics and World...Again makes no sense...Again Carlmelita Jeter 2nd fastest American female and 4th fastest woman ever just ahead of Sha Carri being given a merciful 5th place...Are you kidding!...About the only thing I agree with on this list is that Evelyn Ashford should be #1.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Always appreciate you watching bro! I tend to favor medals and consistency heavily, and if you broke records I also hold then highly. For example, Barbara Ferrell is ahead of Sha'Carri because she has Olympic Silver AND 2 world records. There was no world Champs back in 1960s so she had no opportunity to win additional medals. Gwen Torrence and Torie Bowie have won multiple medals in the 100m so they again get an edge over someone like Sha'carri who only has 2 medals so far, even despite slower PBs. Additionally, times are weighted lower for me because times are relative to the era you compete in. Wyomia Tyus ran 11.0 and yes that may seem slow today, but that was the World Record in 1968, and she broke the WR 4 times. 60 years from now in 2084, we may look back at times of 10.7 and 10.6 as "slow" but that does not mean Shelly, Elaine, Sha'carri, Julien, etc. should be down played, they were the best of their Eras (we just happen to be currently living through it). I hope that makes sense and I also acknowledge that its hard, if not impossible, to objectively make a ranking list of athletes across eras. I think its great that you and I can have different criteria and opinions on what we see as important, but still have good debate and convo on it. But yea Evelyn is no.1 for sure haha 💯

[@gambitvisualizations8749]

@@TheFinalLeg Thank you for your reply and clarification...Even though I may not agree with you on this list I respect your knowledge of track...In fact I listen to a lot of track commentators even from Jamaica as well and you and Coach Rob are probably the best outside of main stream guys like Michael Johnson and Ato Boldon...I am a simple track fan from Grenada who grew up watching my uncle coach the likes of Kirani James to gold global medals before he became a pro in the US. I happen to know a lot about track but would still have to respect that you happen to know more about track than even the experts...So Respect.

[@larrycrawford1978]

Don’t make another video u know nothing about sprinting

[@ronester1]

Totally fool hardly ranking list. How is Sha'carri so low, the 5th fastest woman all time 10.65 into a headwind, the world championship record holder, the world champion in 2023. No body on the list besides flojo, Marion, Jeter, Devers and Evelyn can compete with those accolades. Sha'carri top 5 no questions asked. Flojo number one!!!

[@mssha1980]

ShaCarri could’ve been higher but she still very early in her career. She has the opportunity to move up.

[@kdwilliams9961]

All due respect to you..she's at the beginning of her "Era". This is her time now and we are all witnesses. She has the potential to accomplish all that the women before her have. She is on track to be the goat. I've been a fan of hers since the NCAA finals.

[@ronester1]

@kdwilliams9961 my point is she has already accomplished more than most of the women on this list, besides the fact they competed longer

[@TheFinalLeg]

Appreciate your comment! Running the 100m in 10.65 is one thing, but in my opinion, the others have done more. As I noted she is currently the greatest US 100m sprinter who is active, but she has more to go before surpassing the likes of Tori Bowie, Laruyn Williams, Gwen Torrence, Wyomia Tyus and others who have won 3+ medals and/or set world records. But she will definitely become one of the greatest of all time. Thanks for watching!

[@Profitfromcoaching]

I was a 9 year old watching Evelyn run. Evelyn and Carl made me fall in love with sprinting. My mum uses to be a sprinter and she was blown away watching Evelyn run. She's an inspiration and considering Tyus and what she achieved though, I'd tie them as number one. Tyus dominated the event throughout it seems. She was before my time though. I'm glad I was privileged to see Evelyn run and she's my favourite 100m sprinter of all time after Shelly Ann, who in my opinion is the GOAT of women's 100m sprinting.

[@TheFinalLeg]

Yea I honestly struggled a bit to say if Tyus of Evelyn was no.1 but I think because Evelyn's longevity and the fact that her best times still hold up to this day, I had to give her the edge. She also missed out on an Olympics so hard to quantify that. But Tyus also dominated and didn't have any World Championships during her era. So dope you've gotten to see Evelyn run! I've neve met or seen her before, but I have been privileged to meet and speak with Wyomia a few times which has been great, Always appreciate you! 💯

[@Page1travelfitness]

The big question is would they run that fast with all the new drug testing rules?

[@TheWayWithKhuwayne]

We could also say the same thing with the shoes, the track surfaces, the equipment technology, the training resources etc. I think every era of sprinting, there can always be improvements by athletes if they were here or competing right now or in 10, 20, 30+ years from now.

[@gregorymalone71]

Great question, some would not even make this list