World vs Japan

How the gap between the Japanese record and the world record has changed over time.

Men · Current Gap
+0.37
World9.58Usain Bolt
Japan9.95Ryota Yamagata
Women · Current Gap
+0.72
World10.49Florence Griffith-Joyner
Japan11.21Chisato Fukushima

Record progressions

World and Japan record progressions.

Men

Current
WR9.58Usain Bolt· 2009
JPN9.95Ryota Yamagata· 2021

Women

Current
WR10.49Florence Griffith-Joyner· 1988
JPN11.21Chisato Fukushima· 2010

The gap over time

How the gap between the world and Japan records has moved.

Men

+0.37Current
WR9.58Usain Bolt· 2009
JPN9.95Ryota Yamagata· 2021

Women

+0.72Current
WR10.49Florence Griffith-Joyner· 1988
JPN11.21Chisato Fukushima· 2010

What this chart shows

The closer the line gets to zero, the closer Japan is to the world record; when it rises, the world record is pulling away. The gap is plotted at every record change — world or national — so the line always reflects the gap at that moment.