100 metres
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1896 Athens | Thomas Burke (USA) | Fritz Hofmann (GER) | Francis Lane (USA) Alajos Szokolyi (HUN) |
| 1900 Paris | Frank Jarvis (USA) | Walter Tewksbury (USA) | Stan Rowley (AUS) |
| 1904 St. Louis | Archie Hahn (USA) | Nathaniel Cartmell (USA) | William Hogenson (USA) |
| 1908 London | Reggie Walker (RSA) | James Rector (USA) | Robert Kerr (CAN) |
| 1912 Stockholm | Ralph Craig (USA) | Alvah Meyer (USA) | Donald Lippincott (USA) |
| 1920 Antwerp | Charley Paddock (USA) | Morris Kirksey (USA) | Harry Edward (GBR) |
| 1924 Paris | Harold Abrahams (GBR) | Jackson Scholz (USA) | Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt (NZL) |
| 1928 Amsterdam | Percy Williams (CAN) | Jack London (GBR) | Georg Lammers (GER) |
| 1932 Los Angeles | Eddie Tolan (USA) | Ralph Metcalfe (USA) | Arthur Jonath (GER) |
| 1936 Berlin | Jesse Owens (USA) | Ralph Metcalfe (USA) | Tinus Osendarp (NED) |
| 1948 London | Harrison Dillard (USA) | Barney Ewell (USA) | Lloyd LaBeach (PAN) |
| 1952 Helsinki | Lindy Remigino (USA) | Herb McKenley (JAM) | McDonald Bailey (GBR) |
| 1956 Melbourne | Bobby Morrow (USA) | Thane Baker (USA) | Hector Hogan (AUS) |
| 1960 Rome | Armin Hary (EUA) | Dave Sime (USA) | Peter Radford (GBR) |
| 1964 Tokyo | Bob Hayes (USA) | Enrique Figuerola (CUB) | Harry Jerome (CAN) |
| 1968 Mexico City | Jim Hines (USA) | Lennox Miller (JAM) | Charles Greene (USA) |
| 1972 Munich | Valeriy Borzov (URS) | Robert Taylor (USA) | Lennox Miller (JAM) |
| 1976 Montreal | Hasely Crawford (TRI) | Don Quarrie (JAM) | Valeriy Borzov (URS) |
| 1980 Moscow | Allan Wells (GBR) | Silvio Leonard (CUB) | Petar Petrov (BUL) |
| 1984 Los Angeles | Carl Lewis (USA) | Sam Graddy (USA) | Ben Johnson (CAN) |
| 1988 Seoul | Carl Lewis (USA) | Linford Christie (GBR) | Calvin Smith (USA) |
| 1992 Barcelona | Linford Christie (GBR) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Dennis Mitchell (USA) |
| 1996 Atlanta | Donovan Bailey (CAN) | Frankie Fredericks (NAM) | Ato Boldon (TRI) |
| 2000 Sydney | Maurice Greene (USA) | Ato Boldon (TRI) | Obadele Thompson (BAR) |
| 2004 Athens | Justin Gatlin (USA) | Francis Obikwelu (POR) | Maurice Greene (USA) |
| 2008 Beijing | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Richard Thompson (TRI) | Walter Dix (USA) |
| 2012 London | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Yohan Blake (JAM) | Justin Gatlin (USA) |
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Justin Gatlin (USA) | Andre De Grasse (CAN) |
200 metres
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1900 Paris | Walter Tewksbury United States | Norman Pritchard India | Stan Rowley Australia |
| 1904 St. Louis | Archie Hahn United States | Nate Cartmell United States | William Hogenson United States |
| 1908 London | Robert Kerr Canada | Robert Cloughen United States | Nate Cartmell United States |
| 1912 Stockholm | Ralph Craig United States | Donald Lippincott United States | Willie Applegarth Great Britain |
| 1920 Antwerp | Allen Woodring United States | Charley Paddock United States | Harry Edward Great Britain |
| 1924 Paris | Jackson Scholz United States | Charley Paddock United States | Eric Liddell Great Britain |
| 1928 Amsterdam | Percy Williams Canada | Walter Rangeley Great Britain | Helmut Körnig Germany |
| 1932 Los Angeles | Eddie Tolan United States | George Simpson United States | Ralph Metcalfe United States |
| 1936 Berlin | Jesse Owens United States | Mack Robinson United States | Tinus Osendarp Netherlands |
| 1948 London | Mel Patton United States | Barney Ewell United States | Lloyd LaBeach Panama |
| 1952 Helsinki | Andy Stanfield United States | Thane Baker United States | James Gathers United States |
| 1956 Melbourne | Bobby Morrow United States | Andy Stanfield United States | Thane Baker United States |
| 1960 Rome | Livio Berruti Italy | Lester Carney United States | Abdoulaye Seye France |
| 1964 Tokyo | Henry Carr United States | Paul Drayton United States | Edwin Roberts Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1968 Mexico City | Tommie Smith United States | Peter Norman Australia | John Carlos United States |
| 1972 Munich | Valeriy Borzov
Soviet Union |
Larry Black United States | Pietro Mennea Italy |
| 1976 Montreal | Don Quarrie Jamaica | Millard Hampton United States | Dwayne Evans United States |
| 1980 Moscow | Pietro Mennea Italy | Allan Wells Great Britain | Don Quarrie Jamaica |
| 1984 Los Angeles | Carl Lewis United States | Kirk Baptiste United States | Thomas Jefferson United States |
| 1988 Seoul | Joe DeLoach United States | Carl Lewis United States | Robson da Silva Brazil |
| 1992 Barcelona | Michael Marsh United States | Frankie Fredericks Namibia | Michael Bates United States |
| 1996 Atlanta | Michael Johnson United States | Frankie Fredericks Namibia | Ato Boldon Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2000 Sydney | Konstantinos Kenteris Greece | Darren Campbell Great Britain | Ato Boldon Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2004 Athens | Shawn Crawford United States | Bernard Williams United States | Justin Gatlin United States |
| 2008 Beijing | Usain Bolt Jamaica | Shawn Crawford United States | Walter Dix United States |
| 2012 London | Usain Bolt Jamaica | Yohan Blake Jamaica | Warren Weir Jamaica |
| 2016 Rio | Usain Bolt Jamaica | Andre De Grasse Canada | Christophe Lemaitre France |