| Final wind -0.3m/s | time | React. | | 1. Carl Lewis |  USA | 10.07s | 0.134 | | 2. Calvin Smith | USA | 10.21s | 0.130 | | 3. Emmit King | USA | 10.24s | 0.131 | | 4. Allan Wells |  GBR | 10.27s | 0.125 | | 5. Juan Nunez |  DOM | 10.29s | | 6. Christian Haas |  FRG | 10.32s | | 7. Paul Narracott |  AUS | 10.33s | | 8. Desai Williams |  CAN | 10.36s |
|
|
Smith had just lowered the 25 year-old world record of Jim Hines from 9.95 to 9.93 in the rarified air of Colorado Springs, but the number one American was his compatriot Lewis. The 22 year-old had recently clocked the fastest-ever sea level sprint marks of 9.97 and 19.75 and won US titles in both sprints and the long jump. His class showed from the first round in Helsinki when he won his heat from lane 1 in 10.34, yet took time to turn and look at the other runners five times during the race.
The final heat of the second round featured a false start which was triggered by Ben Johnson’s watch alarm. There was another quirky moment at the start of the final when a bee disturbed Lewis, causing him to stand up and walk from the blocks.
At the third time of asking, it was the number three American, King, who got the best start. He was in lane 2 with Lewis next to him in lane 3 and Smith in lane 8. King was still leading at 60m (6.52) with Lewis (6.55) closing, and Olympic Champion Wells (6.61) holding third place. Then Lewis completed his last 20m in 1.79 to King’s 1.95, meaning he suddenly moved away for a clearcut victory. Smith was the next fastest finisher (1.82) as the United States swept the medals
| Semi 1 wind -0.8m/s | time | | 1. Calvin Smith | USA | 10.22s | | 2. Allan Wells | GBR | 10.35s | | 3. Juan Nunez | DOM | 10.36s | | 4. Emmit King | USA | 10.36s | | 5. Frank Emmelmann |  GDR | 10.40s | | 6. Ben Johnson | CAN | 10.44s | | 7. Tony Sharpe | CAN | 10.44s | | 8. Leandro Penalver |  CUB | 10.47s |
|
|
| Semi 2 wind -1.0m/s | time | | 1. Carl Lewis | USA | 10.28s | | 2. Paul Narracott | AUS | 10.38s | | 3. Desai Williams | CAN | 10.39s | | 4. Christian Haas | FRG | 10.39s | | 5. Raymond Stewart |  JAM | 10.40s | | 6. Cameron Sharp | GBR | 10.43s | | 7. Osvaldo Lara | CUB | 10.46s | | 8. Thomas Schroder | GDR | 10.52s |
|
| Quarter 1 wind +1.1m/s | time | | 1. Calvin Smith | USA | 10.27s | | 2. Tony Sharpe | CAN | 10.36s | | 3. Paul Narracott | AUS | 10.37s | | 4. Thomas Schroder | GDR | 10.45s | | 5. Ernest Obeng |  GHA | 10.51s | | 6. Innocent Egbunike |  NGR | 10.52s | | 7. Luke Watson | GBR | 10.57s | | 8. Everard Samuels | JAM | 10.65s |
|
|
| Quarter 2 wind +0.8m/s | time | | 1. Carl Lewis | USA | 10.20s | | 2. Raymond Stewart | JAM | 10.37s | | 3. Cameron Sharp | GBR | 10.41s | | 4. Frank Emmelmann | GDR | 10.46s | | 5. Christopher Brathwaite |  TRI | 10.57s | | 6. Robson Caetano Da Silva |  BRA | 10.66s | | 7. Marian Woronin |  POL | 10.72s | | 8. Lester Benjamin |  ANT | 10.86s |
|
| Quarter 3 wind -1.1m/s | time | | 1. Desai Williams | CAN | 10.31s | | 2. Allan Wells | GBR | 10.37s | | 3. Juan Nunez | DOM | 10.39s | | 4. Osvaldo Lara | CUB | 10.44s | | 5. Chidi Imoh | NGR | 10.45s | | 6. Viktor Bryzgin |  URS | 10.55s | | 7. Gerrard Keating | AUS | 10.59s | | 8. Istvan Tatar |  HUN | 10.65s |
|
|
| Quarter 4 wind -1.2m/s | time | | 1. Emmit King | USA | 10.30s | | 2. Christian Haas | FRG | 10.36s | | 3. Leandro Penalver | CUB | 10.38s | | 4. Ben Johnson | CAN | 10.40s | | 5. Pierfrancesco Pavoni |  ITA | 10.44s | | 6. Antoine Richard |  FRA | 10.44s | | 7. Ferenc Kiss | HUN | 10.53s | | 8. Valentin Atanasov |  BUL | 10.63s |
|
| Heat 1 wind -1.0m/s | time | | 1. Luke Watson | GBR | 10.64s | | 2. Valentin Atanasov | BUL | 10.66s | | 3. Lester Benjamin | ANT | 10.76s | | 4. Mohamed Yudi Purnomo |  INA | 10.76s | | 5. Thurston Ross | TRI | 11.08s | | 6. Peni Bati |  FIJ | 11.11s | | -. Sukru Caprazli |  TUR | DNS |
|
|
| Heat 2 wind +1.8m/s | time | | 1. Juan Nunez | DOM | 10.38s | | 2. Innocent Egbunike | NGR | 10.44s | | 3. Ben Johnson | CAN | 10.45s | | 4. Everard Samuels | JAM | 10.57s | | 5. Oumar Fye |  GAM | 10.76s | | 6. Chian-Shin Hwang |  TPE | 10.82s | | 7. John Albertie |  STL | 10.90s | | 8. Joske Teabuge |  NAU | 12.20s |
|
| Heat 3 wind +1.2m/s | time | | 1. Carl Lewis | USA | 10.34s | | 2. Cameron Sharp | GBR | 10.44s | | 3. Osvaldo Lara | CUB | 10.47s | | 4. Earl Haley |  GUY | 10.77s | | 5. Earle Laing | JAM | 10.91s | | 6. Pit Rapuan |  MAS | 11.03s | | 7. Vicente Daniel Ibrahim |  MOZ | 11.20s |
|
|
| Heat 4 wind -0.2m/s | time | | 1. Desai Williams | CAN | 10.31s | | 2. Paul Narracott | AUS | 10.38s | | 3. Frank Emmelmann | GDR | 10.40s | | 4. Jouko Hassi |  FIN | 10.58s | | 5. Gregory Simons |  BER | 10.78s | | 6. Moussa Savadogo |  MLI | 10.88s | | 7. Alan Zammit |  MLT | 11.25s | | 8. Jose Flores |  HON | 11.31s |
|
| Heat 5 wind +0.7m/s | time | | 1. Calvin Smith | USA | 10.30s | | 2. Ferenc Kiss | HUN | 10.45s | | 3. Marian Woronin | POL | 10.50s | | 4. Robson Caetano Da Silva | BRA | 10.51s | | 5. Joseph Leota |  SAM | 10.92s | | 6. Georges Taniel |  VAN | 11.02s | | 7. Nguyen Truong Hoa |  VIE | 11.16s |
|
|
| Heat 6 wind -0.5m/s | time | | 1. Pierfrancesco Pavoni | ITA | 10.33s | | 2. Emmit King | USA | 10.41s | | 3. Thomas Schroder | GDR | 10.41s | | 4. Gerrard Keating | AUS | 10.57s | | 5. Kosmas Stratos |  GRE | 10.65s | | 6. Christopher Madzokere |  ZIM | 10.84s | | 7. Ruben Inacio |  ANO | 10.92s |
|
| Heat 7 wind +1.8m/s | time | | 1. Allan Wells | GBR | 10.37s | | 2. Christian Haas | FRG | 10.39s | | 3. Chidi Imoh | NGR | 10.55s | | 4. Nikolay Sidorov | URS | 10.59s | | 5. Wilfredo Almonte | DOM | 10.72s | | 6. Giorgio Mautino Batuello |  PER | 10.85s | | 7. Banana Jarjue | GAM | 11.04s | | 8. Trevor Davis |  ANG | 11.53s |
|
|
| Heat 8 wind +2.3m/s | time | | 1. Raymond Stewart | JAM | 10.22s | | 2. Christopher Brathwaite | TRI | 10.33s | | 3. Ernest Obeng | GHA | 10.35s | | 4. Istvan Tatar | HUN | 10.45s | | 5. Harouna Pale |  BKF | 10.58s | | 6. Neville Hodge |  ISV | 10.59s | | 7. Laoui Adnan Abou |  JOR | 11.17s |
|
| Heat 9 wind +1.3m/s | time | | 1. Leandro Penalver | CUB | 10.24s | | 2. Tony Sharpe | CAN | 10.31s | | 3. Viktor Bryzgin | URS | 10.33s | | 4. Antoine Richard | FRA | 10.34s | | 5. Suchart Chairsuvaparb |  THA | 10.63s | | 6. Jean-Yves Mallat |  LIB | 11.04s | | 7. Mohamad Ismail Bakaki |  AFG | 12.33s | | -. Kuo-Sheng Lee | TPE | DNS |
|
|
| 