Former Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs produced one of the fastest 100m runs ever recorded, clocking a stunning 9.67 seconds at the Raiffeisen Austrian Open, but the remarkable performance was not recognized in the official record books due to too much wind aid.The Italian sprinter’s blistering run made him the second fastest man in history in all conditions, behind only the Jamaican legend Usain Bolt, whose world record of 9.58 seconds has stood since 2009. However, Jacobs’ effort came with a tailwind of +4.1 meters per second, more than the World Athletics legal ranking limit of +2.0.
Air support denied Jacobs a place in official history
While Jacobs’ time won’t count as an official personal best or record, it still ranks among the most remarkable wind-assisted performances the sport has ever witnessed.The 9.67 eclipsed Tyson Gay’s famous wind-aided 9.68 recorded at the 2008 US Olympic Trials under the same +4.1m/s conditions. Gay entered the Beijing Olympics as one of the favorites before an injury derailed his campaign.In all conditions, Jacobs now sits behind Bolt’s 9.58 and 9.63 performances, highlighting the quality of the run despite favorable winds.Check out Jacobs’ historic run.
The Olympic champion is eyeing a new comeback
The performance represents another encouraging milestone in Jacobs’ comeback after a difficult few seasons.The 31-year-old stunned the athletics world by winning Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 but endured a disappointing title defense at the Paris Olympics. Although he reached the final with a personal best time of 9.92 seconds, cramps forced him out of medal contention.His latest performance has rekindled hopes that he can once again challenge the world’s fastest sprinters ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.“I’m really happy because I’m improving every race,” Jacobs said after the race. “Of course, the wind is very strong here, but only Bolt in history has won this time, and I am very happy to have achieved such a time.”Despite the record books refusing to recognize the official performance, Jacobs’ run sent a powerful message to the sprinting world.Among wind-assisted performances, his 9.67 now stands as the fastest, ahead of Tyson Gay’s 9.68 from 2008. Other notable wind-assisted marks include Obadele Thompson’s 9.69, Andre De Grasse’s 9.69, Asafa Powell’s 9.72 and Kanyinsola’s 9.72.