Sixteen years after rewriting sprinting history in Berlin, Usain Bolt remains the benchmark every sprinter dreams of – but few, if any, seem close to surpassing.
The Jamaican icon, whose world records of 9.58 in the 100 meters and 19.19 in the 200 meters still stand, said on Thursday that he sees no immediate threat to his marks.
Bolt was speaking at a Puma event in Tokyo, two days before attending his first world championships in person since retiring in 2017.
“I’m not worried,” Bolt said, flashing the confidence that defined his career. “People are trying to get faster, and someday it will happen. Just not now.”
Bolt’s double in Berlin 2009 remains track and field’s gold standard.
No one has run under 9.7 in the 100 since Yohan Blake, Bolt’s former training partner, clocked 9.69 in 2012. In the 200, Blake is also the only sprinter to dip below 19.3.
That longevity is remarkable. Jim Hines’ 9.95 from the 1968 Olympics lasted 14 years before being broken. Bolt’s 9.58 has now stood the test of time – a reminder of the gulf he created.
Puma research recently suggested that Bolt, running in today’s carbon-plated “super-spikes,” would have clocked 9.42 in Berlin.
Bolt agrees. “Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce got faster with the spikes,” he said of his Jamaican compatriot. “I probably would’ve run way faster if I had those. Maybe I would’ve continued just to compete at that level.”
American Noah Lyles is the only sprinter bold enough to put Bolt’s records in his crosshairs. After his 2023 double triumph at worlds, he floated targets of 9.65 and 19.10, saying, “I believe I can do something I’ve never done before.” But his best remains 19.31 in the 200 – still shy of Bolt’s mark.
This year, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, 22, leads the pack. His 9.75 at national championships was the fastest in a decade, making him a contender in Sunday’s 100 final, where Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Oblique Seville are also expected.
Bolt tipped his countrymen for gold. “I think we have a very good chance this year. Kishane and Oblique have shown they’re in top form. They should be one-two if they execute,” he said, adding he’d love to present the medals – provided it’s not Lyles on top of the podium.
If anyone embodies Bolt comparisons, it’s 17-year-old Gout Gout of Australia.
With his 6-foot frame, upright stride, and blistering junior times, the teenager will make his world championships debut in the 200 next week.
Australian media already tout him as a 2032 Brisbane Olympic hopeful, but Bolt urged caution. “It’s always easy when you’re younger,” he said. “The transition to seniors is tougher. It’s about the right coach, the right people around you, focus – all those factors decide if he’ll be great.”
Bolt knows the challenge well. Despite his junior brilliance, he didn’t become a global force until age 22, when he broke the 100-meter record and swept both sprints at Beijing 2008.
Still, he welcomes the hype around Gout. “He’s very talented,” Bolt said. “The more athletes do well, the bigger the sport gets. I’ll always support that.”
Bolt retired with six Olympic and 11 world golds, unmatched charisma, and a legacy that transcends the track. Since his departure, no Jamaican man has won a global sprint title, a drought Thompson and Seville now aim to end.
Asked about Lyles’ confidence – the American once boasted that Thompson was “in his pocket” – Bolt downplayed any tension. “It’s nothing like Gatlin,” he said, recalling his fiery battles with Justin Gatlin. “That was a different era. I never listened to trash talk anyway. When I’m ready, nobody can beat me.”
