Name Philip Rabinowitz | Role Runner | |
Born 16 February 1904 ( 1904-02-16 ) Lithuania Died February 28, 2008, Cape Town, South Africa | ||
Philip "Flying Phil" Rabinowitz (16 February 1904 – 28 February 2008) was a sprinter from South Africa who, on 10 July 2004, entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest 100-year-old to ever run the 100 meters.
Rabinowitz finished in a time of 30.86 seconds; breaking the previous world record of 36.19 set by Erwin Jaskulski of Austria. A week before, the centenarian broke the record, but a faulty electronic timer kept the mark out of the books.
Rabinowitz worked as a bookkeeper for his daughter and tried to walk at least four miles (six kilometers) a day. He left Lithuania for South Africa at the age of 21 and lived in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa at the time of his death.
For comparison, the world record for the men's 100 meters —9.58 seconds— was set by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, 5 days before his 23rd birthday.