Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has been ranked 9th by ESPN in its recently released Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, another Jamaican sprint icon, is ranked 77th on the list, which includes only one other track athlete, Allyson Felix of the United States, who is ranked 63rd. The list is topped by American swimmer Michael Phelps.
Bolt is one of only three non-Americans to make the top 10, alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi for football and Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who is ranked 6th. ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk highlighted Bolt’s key accomplishments, including his eight Olympic gold medals, world-record time in the 100m, and his unique achievement of winning both the 100m and 200m Olympic titles at three consecutive Games.
Bolt’s iconic moment
Reflecting on Bolt’s iconic moment at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Roenigk described the 100m semi-final: “Their legs are a blur. What’s in focus is Bolt’s expressive mug as he surges ahead in the 100-meter semi-final, his fourth and final Games. In the photo, the now 37-year-old Jamaican is looking back, smiling, almost taunting the three men giving chase. The race is not over — and yet it is. The image was a sensation at the time and has endured as one of the most indelible of Bolt’s career, which saw him set his first world record in the 100 at 21. His 2009 world record in the 100 (9.58 seconds) still stands today.”
Fraser-Pryce’s notable achievements include her eight Olympic medals, three Olympic gold, and record five 100-meter world titles. She is also the oldest sprinter to win a world title, achieving this at 35 in 2022.
Roenigk detailed Fraser-Pryce’s impact: “One day after Usain Bolt’s win in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Fraser-Pryce became the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold in the event. Four years later, she defended her title in the 100 (as did Bolt), further cementing Jamaica’s reputation as a sprinting powerhouse. Only 5 feet tall and typically sporting rainbow locks, the ‘Pocket Rocket’ has medaled in track and field’s fastest race in the past four Games. In Paris, her fifth and final Olympics, Fraser-Pryce will line up once more with the goal of reclaiming her title as the fastest woman alive.”
ESPN’s Top 10:
- Michael Phelps – Swimming
- Serena Williams – Tennis
- Lionel Messi – Soccer
- LeBron James – Basketball
- Tom Brady – American Football
- Roger Federer – Tennis
- Simone Biles – Gymnastics
- Tiger Woods – Golf
- Usain Bolt – Track and Field
- Kobe Bryant – Basketball
ESPN’s ranking process involved a global contribution of nominations and voting, leading to more than 70,000 votes to determine the top 100 athletes based on their performance since 2000. The list includes 56 Americans, with notable representation from Spain, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Japan, and Jamaica.
The dominance of basketball is evident with 24 players making the list, followed by 17 baseball players, 15 soccer players, and notable entries from American football, tennis, golf, boxing, and track and field.
The inclusion of Bolt and Fraser-Pryce in ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes of the Century underscores their monumental contributions to track and field and their lasting legacy in the world of sports.
