The
100 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the
multi-sport event. The men's 100 m has been present on the
Olympic athletics programme since
1896 and the women's 100 m has been held continuously since its introduction at the
1928 Games. The 100 metres is considered one of the
blue ribbon events of the Olympics and is among the highest profile competitions at the games. It is the most prestigious 100 m race at elite level and is the shortest
sprinting competition at the Olympics – a position it has held at every edition except for a brief period between 1900 to 1904, when a men's
60 metres was contested.