10.25: That was the winning time when Allan Wells became the last white athlete to medal in the Olympic men’s 100m at the 1980 Moscow Games. In the 46 years since, there have been many iconic Olympic champions. From Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene to Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles. Finally, an outstanding performance by a 23-year-old Polish American has put that long-standing drought back into focus as his sub-9.90 time has positioned him as a contender for the 2028 Olympics.

Sam Blaskowski had the race of his life at the Music City Track Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 31.  Running out of lane four in the men’s 100m, the former NCAA Division III standout found rhythm early as Cameron Crump in lane five pushed alongside him through the opening stages. By the time they hit the final stretch, Blaskowski had the strongest finish in the field and crossed the line first in 9.89 seconds with a legal +1.5 m/s tailwind.

It made him the first white sprinter ever to dip under 9.90 seconds, and it pushed him ahead of Christophe Lemaitre’s long-standing 9.92 from 2011, with Filippo Tortu’s 9.99 from 2018 also now behind him on that unofficial list. Lemaitre’s 9.92 stood for 13 years. Blaskowski has now broken it in one season, a shift that signals accelerating progress and crowning him as the fastest white man in history.

Just a year earlier, Sam Blaskowski’s personal best was 10.05 seconds, set in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dropping 0.16 seconds in the 100m at this level is not common. However, behind him in Nashville, Crump finished second in 9.99, while Brandon Hicklin took third in 10.05.  More recently, he joined Dennis Mitchell’s Star Athletics group in Florida. Since then, his progress has been steady, but this 9.89 run is the moment that changed the conversation around him. But what makes his story stand out is where he came from.

Sam Blaskowski’s Journey from Oshkosh to the Olympic Trials

For Blaskowski, choosing UW–La Crosse felt natural. The school was already a part of his family’s story. Both of his parents were UWL graduates, and his grandparents lived just a mile from campus.

“Both of my parents graduated from UWL, and when I looked into the school more, I realized there is a rich track history, too. The final anchor for my decision was the fact that my grandparents live one mile from campus,” Blaskowski told UWLAX.

But what came next was one of the best sprinting careers in NCAA Division III history. Even so, he posted a remarkable record there, winning 11 national titles in the 100m, 200m, 60m, and the relay, along with Division III records in the 60m (6.65) and 100m (10.05). Eventually, his success earned him a spot in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, where he shared the circuit with many of the athletes he had watched on TV over the years.

Although he did not make the Olympic team, qualifying for the trials became a turning point in his life. Standing alongside some of the biggest names in American sprinting gave him a new perspective on what was possible. Blaskowski finished 6th in heat 2 of the semifinal after finishing his 200m dash with 20.58 seconds.

“I took away so much from this meet; it was both a learning experience and a motivator. Realizing I was one of the youngest athletes on the field showed me I have so much room for growth in the future,” Sam Blaskowski said.

With the trials schedule for the 2028 Olympics yet to be released, Blaskowski will be aiming to stay consistent and end a 46-year-old drought.