A Comprehensive Look at Olympic Sprints and Relays

They're not quite faster than speeding bullets - although one of the great Olympic sprint champions was 1964 gold medalist "Bullet" Bob Hayes - but Olympic sprinters can seem like supermen (and women) with their combination of speed and strength.Sprint events include the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes plus the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. Individual sprinters, as well as the leadoff relay runners, are the only Olympic runners who begin in starting blocks. Pure speed is more important than strategy but sound technique - particularly when passing the baton in relays - is still important for sprinters.

• What Are Olympic Sprints and Relays?
• Olympic Rules & Competition
• Learn to Compete in Sprints and Relays (from Track & Field News)
• Your Road to the Olympic Team

Americans have won 62 percent of the Olympic sprint gold medals (not including the three won by the since-disqualified Marion Jones in 2000). U.S. men have been even more dominant, earning 74 percent of the sprint golds during years in which the U.S. competed in the Games.

• An Illustrated History of Sprints and Relays
• Past Olympic Sprint and Relay Medalists
• Greatest Moments in Olympic Sprint and Relay History
• Biggest Controversies in Olympic Sprint and Relay History

Watch the sprinters fly in the following action photo gallery.

• Sprint and Relay Action Image Gallery

Take a look at the top 2008 Olympic sprint and relay hopefuls, from the U.S. and around the world, then catch up with some familiar names from the past with these selections.

• Top Americans
• Best of the Rest
• Medal Predictions
• Where Are They Now?