Athletics at the 1960 Roma Summer Games:

Betty Cuthbert (AUS) was the defending champion and was back in Roma, but a leg injury hampered her and she did not survive the quarter-finals. In the first semi-final, Wilma Rudolph (USA) equalled the world record of 11.3. She had competed at the 1956 Olympics in the 200 metres, being eliminated in the rounds, and helping the US to a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay. But by 1960 she was the world's dominant sprinter and was a heavy favorite in the final. The final was run with an aiding 2.8 m/s wind but Rudolph's time of 11.0 (11.18) was still shockingly fast, though it could not be ratified as a world record because of the wind assistance. A few days later, Rudolph would add the 200 metre gold medal and anchored the Americans to a gold in the 4×100. Quite popular in Roma and Europe, she was dubbed "La Gazelle Noir" (The Black Gazelle) by the European press. She would be the dominant sprinter in the world for 1960-62 retiring after that year.