Animesh Kujur Breaks National 100m Record, Edges Past Jesse Owens’ 1936 Timing

Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur has created history by becoming the fastest Indian ever in the men’s 100 metres. He clocked 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint & Relays meeting in Greece, breaking the national record and becoming the first Indian to run the 100m in under 10.2 seconds.
Animesh’s achievement is remarkable, but when compared to international standards, it shows that India has to go long way to catch up the leaders in the athletic world.

Since 1968, more than 1,000 athletes from around 90 countries have run the 100m faster than Animesh. In fact, legendary American sprinter Jesse Owens had clocked 10.2 seconds back in 1936, which is just 0.02 seconds slower than Animesh’s current timing.

The world record in the men’s 100m is held by Usain Bolt, who ran 9.58 seconds in 2009. Bolt’s time is still 0.6 seconds faster than Animesh’s current national record. Even Bolt’s second-best timing of 9.63 seconds is well ahead.

India’s progression in the 100m event has been slow but steady. The previous national record of 10.26 seconds was held by Amiya Mallick since 2016. Before that, Anil Kumar and Abdul Najeeb Qureshi were among the top Indian sprinters in the early 2000s and 2010s. Now, with Animesh’s performance, Indian athletics has taken a significant step forward.

Animesh’s performance is part of a recent wave of creditable runs by Indian athletes in 2024. In March, Gurindervir Singh ran 10.2 seconds, becoming the second fastest Indian. A few days later, Manikanta Hoblidhar also clocked 10.22 seconds, making him the third fastest.

Though India still has a long way to go to catch up with the best in the world, Animesh’s record-breaking run is a promising sign of better things to come in Indian sprinting. - TWL Bureau