Jim Hines, an American sprinter, has passed away at the age of 76. He made history by being the first person to run the 100m race in under 10 seconds. During the 1968 US Championships, Hines achieved a hand-timed record of 9.9 seconds. Later that year, at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, he won the gold medal in the 100m event and set a new world record with an electronic timing of 9.95 seconds. Impressively, his record remained unbroken for 15 years, making it the longest-standing men’s 100m world record in the era of fully automatic timing.
The record set by Jim Hines was eventually broken in 1983 by another American athlete, Calvin Smith, who achieved a time of 9.93 seconds, also at high altitude.
Jim Hines, who was born in Dumas, Arkansas, in September 1946 and raised in Oakland, California, initially had a passion for baseball. However, his talent for sprinting was recognized by athletics coach Jim Coleman. By the age of 17, Hines was already ranked among the top 20 sprinters in the world for the 100-yard event.
Jim Hines attended Texas Southern University, and in 1965, he achieved his first podium finish in the US Championships by securing second place in the 200m event.
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Hines emerged victorious in the 100m race, surpassing Lennox Miller of Jamaica and Charles Greene, while also setting a new world record.
In addition to his individual success, Hines contributed to the USA’s triumph in the 4x100m relay, where he anchored the team to a gold medal and another world record, with a time of 38.24 seconds.
Shortly after the Olympics, Hines experienced a burglary at his Houston home, resulting in the theft of his gold medals. However, he placed an advertisement in the local newspaper appealing for their return. Miraculously, the medals were sent back to him in a plain brown envelope.
Following his athletics career, Hines retired in 1968 and transitioned to playing in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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