Who is the fastest woman in the world? The hunt for women's 100m gold begins

The heat is on - starting with the women’s 100m heats on 16 July.

With two-time Olympic 100m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah on the starting list, it would be easy to say that this competition has a clear favourite.

But that’s not at all where things stand.

Thompson-Herah’s outdoor season has been hampered by niggling injuries as she’s struggled to hit the scintillating heights that took her to the 100m/200m double at last year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

And hot on her heels a group of elite sprinters will be eager to wrestle her title of World’s Fastest Woman away from her.

Can Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce repeat the heroics that saw her crowned 100m champion at the last World Championships in Doha? Will Shericka Jackson follow up on her Jamaican trials victory with another win in Oregon? And what about the dark horses of the championships such as Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith and the USA’s surprise trials winner Melissa Jefferson?

Find out everything you need to know about the women’s 100m competition below.

READ MORE: Worlds Athletics Championships; Day-by-day highlights

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about these Track and Field World Championships.

Where will the 100m final take place?

This year’s Worlds take place in Eugene, Oregon at the famous Hayward Field stadium. There’s no doubting the track is capable of facilitating some incredible times - as proven by Thompson-Herah’s remarkable 10.54 last August that made her the fastest woman alive.

The heats are scheduled for 17:10 local time on 16 July, with semi-finals a day later at 17:33. And those eager to see who will come out on top in the blue ribband event won’t have long to wait, as the final follows swiftly after at 19:50pm.

Stars to watch in the women’s 100m?

Twice the Olympic 100m/200m champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah has stood head and shoulders above her competition at the last two editions of the Games. However, she will need to be at her exceptional best to win in Oregon.

Among her challengers, compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is closest in terms of raw speed. Her 10.60 seconds set at last August’s Diamond League meet in Lausanne is just 0.06 seconds slower than the best of Thompson-Herah, while she has set the fastest time this season with 10.67.

She also has championship pedigree on her side, having won the Olympic 100m gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, as well as four World Championships 100m golds including the last at Doha 2019.

READ MORE: Elaine Thompson-Herah vs Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

However, at June’s Jamaican National Championships, which doubled as the trials for the Worlds, neither of the two Olympic champions took first place in the 100m. Instead that honour went to in-form 27-year-old Shericka Jackson, who stormed to victory in the 100m before setting the third-fastest time ever in the 200m at the same meet.

Can she turn her domestic form into World Championships gold?

Also waiting in the wings is British speed queen Dina Asher-Smith who claimed silver in the 100m and gold in the 200m at the last World Champs in Doha.

Asher-Smith had a torrid time with injury in Tokyo and will be hoping to make up for it with a strong performance at these Worlds.

Finally, could the element of surprise play a factor in the 100m race? It was certainly the case at the US trials when Melissa Jefferson ran out the winner ahead of more fancied competition in a wind-assisted 10.69. She and her compatriot Aleia Hobbs have posted the sixth and fourth-fastest times of the year respectively.

And what about St Lucia’s 21-year-old Julien Alfred? The young prospect has a best time of 10.81 seconds this season and has the talent to mix it with the very best of them in Oregon.

Schedule for the women’s 100m in Oregon

Times below are in Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7 hours)

Day 2 - 16 July 

Heats - 17:10 

Day 3 - 17 July 

Semi-finals - 17:33

Final - 19:50pm