'Ten Second Showdown' - five incredible 100m races

The explosive play of nan 100m sprint makes it an arena that transcends sport.

Becoming nan fastest man aliases female successful nan world ensures a spot successful nan history books and nickname beyond nan athletics field.

For erstwhile BBC athletics commentator Mike Costello, it's astir nan melodramatic soundlessness conscionable earlier nan starting pistol arsenic he says: "All nan noise, nan talking and nan hype person subsided - abruptly you tin almost perceive nan athletes breathing."

Costello presents Ten Second Showdown, a caller bid connected BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, telling nan stories down immoderate of nan astir iconic 100m races of each time.

And successful lawsuit you've ever wondered, he finds retired really it feels to title against Usain Bolt.

After nan US led a boycott of nan 1980 Moscow Olympics successful protestation astatine nan Soviet penetration of Afghanistan, Margaret Thatcher's authorities wanted UK athletes to travel suit and withdraw.

Allan Wells, an ex-long jumper who trained successful an Edinburgh car shed pinch his woman and coach Margot, resisted immense unit from 10 Downing Street.

The much-fancied Americans weren't successful nan Central Lenin Stadium arsenic he lined up for nan 100m final, but Wells' Cuban rival, Silvio Leonard, was.

They looked intolerable to abstracted arsenic they crossed nan line. After an agonising wait, nan Scot was confirmed arsenic nan victor successful 10.25 seconds.

Detractors claimed nan 1980 Games were devalued because of nan absence of nan USA and West Germany.

But Wells - who besides won metallic successful nan 200m arena - had an reply for that. Two weeks later successful a Cologne meet, he took connected nan American rivals, including Stanley Floyd and Carl Lewis, who had stayed away. He vanished first again.

Listen to Ten Second Showdown: Allan Wells

At 4am, nan telephone rang successful nan edifice room of Colin Hart, who was covering nan Seoul Olympics for The Sun.

"There's a awesome communicative astir to break", Hart was told. It was his first informing that 1 of nan biggest scandals successful nan history of athletics was unfolding.

Shortly afterwards, BBC big Des Lynam delivered nan bombshell news.

"I've conscionable been handed a portion of paper," he said. "If it's right, it'll beryllium nan astir melodramatic communicative retired of these Olympics aliases possibly immoderate others".

Hart and his journalist room-mate sprang into action.

"We're some successful our underpants, would you judge it?" he recalls. "Dictating 1 of nan top sports stories of nan century."

That communicative was astir Ben Johnson, nan Canadian sprinter whose bitter rivalry pinch Carl Lewis felt much for illustration 1 betwixt 2 heavyweight boxers.

Johnson had conscionable powered to triumph successful nan men's 100m final, smashing nan world grounds pinch a clip of 9.79 secs. But past he tested affirmative for Stanozolol, a banned performance-enhancing steroid.

It wasn't conscionable Johnson - there's a logic nan 1988 men's 100m last has go known arsenic nan 'dirtiest title successful history'. Six of nan 8 men that lined up that time were linked pinch performance-enhancing narcotics astatine immoderate constituent successful their careers.

Listen to Ten Second Showdown: Ben Johnson

The time aft Ben Johnson group his world record, different sprint superstar took to nan way astatine Seoul's Olympic Stadium.

Wearing nan modular reddish Team USA kit alternatively than nan vivid one-legged outfits she had go known for, Florence Griffith Joyner powered to victory, pinch her rivals obscurity to beryllium seen.

Flo-Jo - arsenic she was known - had gone moreover faster earlier that summertime astatine nan US Olympic trials. She ran 10.49 secs, obliterating nan world record.

"It cannot be," yelled nan trackside commentator. "No-one tin tally that fast."

In nan 36 years since, cipher has done so.

There's scepticism because it was highly windy that time - though nan charismatic reference for that title was zero.

But it wasn't conscionable nan upwind that had triggered suspicion. Flo-Jo's melodramatic betterment was excessively overmuch for some, who suspected doping. But nan American ne'er tested positive.

She died aged 38 successful 1998 aft an epileptic seizure, leaving a bequest of untouchable world records, inspirational outfits - and plentifulness of unanswered questions.

Listen to Ten Second Showdown: Florence Griffith Joyner

A 19-year-old Jonnie Peacock crouches successful his blocks arsenic 80,000 spectators autumn silent. He knows nan quality betwixt triumph and disaster will beryllium astir nan clip it takes to blink an eye.

"You beryllium there, and you deliberation - successful 10 seconds, this is going to beryllium done," he says. "Four years of my life."

The 100m was nan climax of Thriller Thursday - a item of Team GB's aureate summertime of 2012 and possibly nan top nighttime successful Paralympic history.

Peacock's stunning occurrence followed wins for Hannah Cockroft and David Weir.

"The crowd was perfectly bouncing," he adds.

So overmuch truthful that arsenic nan athletes settled successful their blocks, Peacock turned to nan stands, his digit connected his lips, telling them to beryllium quiet arsenic he took nan T44 last successful a clip of 10.90 secs.

Listen to Ten Second Showdown: Jonnie Peacock

The time earlier Usain Bolt cantered to golden successful nan 100m successful Beijing pinch a clip of 9.69 secs - truthful clear of his rivals he could showboat complete nan statement and still smash his ain world grounds - Craig Pickering sewage a sensation of nan Jamaican's shape successful nan quarter-final.

"I don't deliberation I've ever been truthful acold down personification successful my life," says nan Team GB sprinter.

"Typically successful a race, you'd benignant of person a unsmooth thought - I deliberation that person's somewhat up of me, I deliberation I'm somewhat up of this person, but I'm not wholly sure.

"You're very judge wherever you are successful position of Usain Bolt. You tin spot each of him."

Bolt's status successful 2017 has near athletics pinch a immense brace of moving shoes to fill.

"He had an effect connected nan athletics for illustration cipher I've ever seen," adds Costello. "And I person to say, for illustration I can't judge immoderate jock ever will again."

But astatine nan Paris Olympics and Paralympics, a caller procreation of athletes person nan chance to measurement up, and much Ten Second Showdowns will return place. They will person a batch to unrecorded up to.

Listen to Ten Second Showdown: Usain Bolt