Usain Bolt Runs 100 Metres in 9.58 Seconds

On August 16, 2009, the men's 100-metre final at the World Championships in Athletics took place at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The contest attracted intense global scrutiny because it brought together the defending world champion, Tyson Gay of the United States, and Jamaica's Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion. Prior to the championship, Gay held the world-leading season mark of 9.77 seconds, which stood as an American national record, while Bolt had recorded a season best of 9.79 seconds.

The two-day competition demonstrated the formidable depth of the international sprint field alongside the unforgiving nature of championship rounds. Several established competitors failed to reach the final round of competition. Derrick Atkins, who had earned the silver medal in 2007, was eliminated in the opening heats, while former world champion Kim Collins and Olympic finalist Churandy Martina fell short in the quarter-finals. The qualification stages also saw Christophe Lemaitre disqualified following a double false start, while Bolt progressed smoothly despite an uncharacteristic false start during his semi-final, which he went on to win in 9.89 seconds.