Jacobs Runs 9.67s But Wind Denies Official Recognition

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 will not be recognised in the official record books because of excessive wind assistance.

The Italian sprinter's blistering run makes him the second-fastest man in history across all conditions, trailing only 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 metres per second, well above the World Athletics legal limit of +2.0m/s for records and official rankings.

Wind assistance denies Jacobs a place in official history

While Jacobs' time will not count as an official personal best or record, it still ranks among the most extraordinary 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 identical +4.1m/s conditions.

Gay had entered the Beijing Olympics as one of the favourites before injury derailed his campaign.

Across all conditions, Jacobs now sits behind only Bolt's 9.58 and 9.63 performances, underlining the quality of the run despite the favourable wind.

Watch Jacobs' historic run:

Olympic champion eyes fresh 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 frustrating title defence at the Paris Olympics.

Although he reached the final with a season-best 9.92 seconds, cramps forced him out of medal contention.

His latest display has reignited hopes that he can once again challenge the world's fastest sprinters ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

"I'm very happy because I'm improving with every race," Jacobs said after the race. "Of course, it was very windy here, but only Bolt in history has managed to beat this time, and I'm really happy to have achieved such a time."

Despite the record books refusing to recognise the performance officially, Jacobs' run has sent a powerful message to the sprinting world.

Among wind-assisted performances, his 9.67 now stands as the fastest ever, ahead of Tyson Gay's 9.68 from 2008.

Other notable wind-aided marks include Obadele Thompson's 9.69, Andre De Grasse's 9.69, Asafa Powell's 9.72 and Kanyinsola Ajayi's 9.72.