Armin Hary

Background

After playing soccer throughout his childhood, Hary switched to sprinting at age 14. In 1958 he won his first international title, coming first in the 100 m and the 4 × 100 m at the European Championships. Also in 1958, he appeared to have run a new world record with a time of 10.0 seconds, but the track's slope of 11 cm was found to exceed the maximum allowed 10 cm. On June 21, 1960, at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Hary ran 100 m in 10.0 seconds, a new world record.

Fastest starter

The judges were so shocked they said it must have been a false start; Hary was allowed a repeat run and ran another 10.0 seconds 35 minutes later. At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he won the 100 m dash with a time of 10.2 seconds. He also won a 2nd Gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay when the USA was disqualified for an illegal baton pass; Germany's time of 39.5 seconds equaled their own world record. Considered the fastest starter in the world, Hary was periodically tested for his quick reaction time; with the help of high speed photography his quick start sequence has been well documented and studied.

His reaction time was recorded at 0.04 seconds compared to the average human's of 0.132 seconds. The new IAAF false start rule of 0.100 is based on the fact that no human besides Hary has ever been able to react faster to the sound of the gun. His iconic starts have earned him the nickname 'Thief of Starts' from the term 'Thief of Hearts'. He was also the first track star to be affected by the rivalry between Adidas and Puma; each company wanted him to wear its shoes at the 1960 Olympics.

During the bidding war, Hary realized neither company had an exclusivity clause, so he signed with both, wearing Puma spikes in the 100-meter final and Adidas shoes on the victory stand. In 1966 he married Christina Diana H. Bagusat, heiress of the Bagusat fortune, with whom he has two children: son Armin jr. and daughter Diana. Hary also has a daughter with acclaimed actress Helga Charlotte Tolle. In the early 1960s Hary was forced to retire from sprinting after suffering serious injuries in a car accident.

Career & Achievements

Armin Hary, born on 22 March 1937, built a sprinting career that placed him among the most accomplished athletes in Olympic history. After transitioning from soccer to track at just fourteen years old, he quickly rose to international prominence, claiming both the 100-meter dash and the 4 × 100-meter relay titles at the 1958 European Championships.

His crowning achievement came at the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he captured gold in the 100 meters with a time of 10.2 seconds and added a second gold in the relay, where Germany's 39.5-second run equaled their own world record after the United States was disqualified for an illegal baton exchange. Hary's Olympic 100-meter victory made him the first non-American champion in the event since Canada's Percy Williams in 1928 and remains the only German to ever claim that particular gold medal. He also became the first person in history to clock 10.0 seconds over 100 meters and stands as the last White athlete to set a world record in the sprint.

Defining Moments

Two performances in 1960 cemented Hary's place in athletic lore. On June 21 at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, he crossed the 100-meter finish line in exactly 10.0 seconds, shattering the world record. The officiating panel, stunned by the result, initially ruled it a false start. Hary was granted a single repeat attempt and, thirty-five minutes later, produced yet another 10.0-second run, confirming the mark beyond doubt.

Just weeks later in Rome, the Olympic final delivered its own drama. After a tense series of near-starts that left the six runners on edge, they finally launched together. Within two strides Hary had already built a half-meter advantage, and by the 50-meter mark his lead had stretched to two meters. American Dave Sime pressed hard down the backstretch, but Hary held his nerve and surged to the tape in 10.2 seconds—a performance widely regarded as the finest exhibition of sprinting ever witnessed at the Games.

Legacy & Impact

Hary's influence on the sport extends far beyond his medal cabinet. His extraordinary reaction time—recorded at 0.04 seconds, compared to the average human's 0.132 seconds—was so far outside normal parameters that he was periodically tested and his start sequence was documented through high-speed photography.

The IAAF's modern false-start threshold of 0.100 seconds was set with the understanding that no human other than Hary had ever demonstrated a faster response to the starting gun. His lightning-quick acceleration earned him the nickname "Thief of Starts," a playful twist on "Thief of Hearts." In recognition of his historic 10.0-second run, Emperor Hirohito of Japan presented him with a unique commemorative medal in 1960. Decades later, in 2000, he was honored as both Runner of the Century and Athlete of the Century, received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2008, had a street named in his honor in 2010, and was inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Life Beyond the Spotlight

Before ever lacing up spikes, Hary spent his childhood playing soccer, only switching to sprinting at the age of fourteen. His personal life carried its own drama: in 1966 he married Christina Diana H. Bagusat, an heiress to the Bagusat fortune, and the couple had two children, a son named Armin Jr. and a daughter named Diana. He also fathered a daughter with the acclaimed actress Helga Charlotte Tolle. His career, however, was cut short in the early 1960s when a serious car accident left him with injuries that forced his retirement from competitive sprinting.

Hary also found himself at the center of a commercial rivalry that was just beginning to reshape sports sponsorship. Both Adidas and Puma, then still fledgling companies locked in the Dassler brothers' feud, desperately wanted the "world's fastest man" to wear their shoes at the 1960 Olympics. Hary, noticing neither contract contained an exclusivity clause, quietly signed with both—wearing Puma spikes during his 100-meter final and Adidas shoes when he stepped onto the victory podium to receive his gold medal.