1.
There have been no world records broken so far this year in the 100 meters, but that doesn’t mean there’s been any shortage of speed on the track in 2013.
While Usain Bolt may be “the fastest man in the world” based on his gold medal performance in the 100m at the 2012 London Olympics, the international track star has hardly been the fastest man this year—in fact, Bolt doesn’t even have the best 100-meter time amongst Jamaicans.
Instead, this year, a new generation of sprinters has emerged with blazing fast speed and head-turning times to take track and field by storm. Here’s a list of the men with the fastest non-wind aided 100-meter times of 2013 (according to the IAAF), and the spikes that helped them cross the finish tape. This What the Fastest Men in the World Wear in 2013.
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2.
No. 9 - Kemar Bailey-Cole x adidas Prime Finesse
Fastest time: 9.96
Date: June 8, 2013
Country: Jamaica
Part of Jamaica's gold medal-winning 4x100 team at the 2012 London Olympics, Kemar Bailey-Cole has gotten even faster on the track this year. The 21-year-old sprinter looks to be in the best shape of his young life, as he put up a personal best of 9.96 seconds in the 100 meters just over a month ago in a pair of adidas Prime Finesse track spikes.
3.
No. 8 - Mike Rodgers x Nike Maxcat 4
Fastest time: 9.96
Date: May 21, 2013
Country: USA
In terms of medals and such, Mike Rodgers isn't as accomplished as some of the other names on this list, but the American sprinter runs fast nonetheless. Earlier in May, Rodgers broke the sub-10 mark, as he crossed the finish line at 9.96 seconds—the best of his career. On his feet, Rodgers has been rocking a Volt colorway of what looks to be the Nike Maxcat 4 sprint spikes.
4.
No. 7 - Jimmy Vicaut x adidas adiZero Prime Accelerator
Fastest time: 9.95
Date: July 13, 2013
Country: France
French sprinter Jimmy Vicaut has quickly built up a reputation for his hard work and dedication on the track—not to mention his blazing fast speed. Just last week in Paris, Vicaut put up a time of 9.95 in the 100, and even set a personal best in the 200 at the same event. There's a lot of up-side to Vicaut's talent. We'll have to sit back and see how far (or fast) his adidas adiZero Prime Accelerator spikes take him.
5.
No. 6 - Usain Bolt x Puma Bolt evoSPEED Sprint
Fastest time: 9.94
Date: June 21, 2013
Country: Jamaica
You would expect the "fastest man in the world" to have the fastest 100-meter time in the world, but this year has been a bit of a struggle for the great Usain Bolt. "Lightning" currently lays claim the sixth best 100 time of 2013. So does that there are five other runners faster than him? For now, yes (the numbers don't lie, son). But for some reason we have a feeling that Bolt will be back near the top before the year's end. As for his shoes, Bolt put up his 9.94 this year in the same custom Puma Bolt evoSPEED spikes that won him gold in London.
6.
No. 5 - James Dasaolu x Nike Zoom Ja Fly
Fastest time: 9.91
Date: July 13, 2013
Country: Great Britain
Great Britain has a glimmer of hope of staying relevant in the 100 meters, and it's all because of James Dasaolu. Thanks in large part to his sub-10 second 100 just last week, Dasaolu will spearhead Team GB at the World Championships in Moscow next month. So what's been Dasaolu's weapon of choice on the track? Lately, the speedster has been rocking the Nike Zoom Ja Fly in a flashy powder blue colorway.
7.
No. 4 - Justin Gatlin x Xtep
Fastest time: 9.89
Date: June 21, 2013
Country: USA
In case you've been going crazy trying to figure out what that huge "X" on Justin Gatlin's apparel and spikes stands for, we'll tell you: It's the logo for Chinese sportswear company Xtep. Now, Xtep may be an unknown brand for the most part, but more recently it has increased its exposure thanks to Gatlin's success on the track. As the only athlete to be sponsored by Xtep, Gatlin has put up a solid 2013 campaign thus far. His fastest time (9.89) of the year was run a few weeks ago, when the American edged out Usain Bolt in one of the more memorable races in recent history. And he did so in his Xtep sprint spikes.
8.
No. 3 - Asafa Powell x Li-Ning Power Pool Sprint
Fastest time: 9.88
Date: July 4, 2013
Country: Jamaica
So apparently Asafa Powell has been doing so well on the race track this year because he's been doping—can't say we're surprised. Well as a result of his recent failed doping test, Powell doesn't have a footwear sponsor anymore because Li-Ning wisely decided to drop the doper for his doping (in fact, this all happened just days ago). But before he got caught, Powell put up the third best 100-meter time of 2013 in a pair of Li-Ning Power Pool Sprint spikes. Looks like he'll have to find another pair of spikes now.
9.
No. 2 - Nesta Carter x Nike Zoom Ja Fly
Fastest time: 9.87
Date: July 13, 2013
Country: Jamaica
With fellow countrymen like Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell in the mix, it's a bit surprising to see a guy like Nesta Carter with the best Jamaican 100-meter time of 2013, but hey, you have to give credit where it's due. Along with Bolt and Bailey-Cole, Carter was also a member of the gold medal-winning 4x100 relay team from the London Olympics, so maybe it's not so surprising that the veteran has held it down for Jamaica, mon. Last weekend, Carter turned a lot of heads as he clocked a time of 9.87 seconds in a pair of Nike Zoom Ja Fly. This guy has truly raised the bar.
10.
No. 1 - Tyson Gay x adidas adiZero Prime SP
Fastest time: 9.75
Date: June 21, 2013
Country: USA
Tyson, Tyson, Tyson—why'd you do it bro? By now, you've probably heard of Tyson Gay's doping scandal, and maybe even that he got the boot from adidas. At the age of 30, it was amazing to see Gay put up the fastest 100-meter time of the year a month ago. Of course, now we know how. At first, we thought it had to do with his adidas adiZero Prime SP spikes—one of the lightest track spikes ever built. But now, who knows? Regardless, the Prime SP is still a beast, and we expect to see a lot more of it crossing the finish line (maybe just not on Gay's feet).
Gurvinder Singh Gandu is a New York City-based writer and wear-tester for Sneaker Report, and contributor to Complex Media. Follow him @GurvinderSG for the latest in performance footwear and gear.
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