Usain Bolt’s world records in the 100m and and the 200m blue riband events still stand to this day, 16 years after he posted them at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009. Bolt ran the 100m in 9.58 seconds and then ran the 200m distance in 19.19 secs, in times that have stood as markers challenging generations of runners.
With the 2025 World Athletics Championships already the blink of an eye away, is Bolt worried about his records being broken?
“No, I’m not worried. I think the talent is there, there will be talented athletes coming up and they will do well. But at this present moment, I don’t see any athlete able to break the record, so not worried,” Bolt said at an event for his longtime sponsors, Puma, on Thursday, just two days before the start of World Athletics Championships.
Since Bolt’s record-breaking exploits in Berlin, only Yohan Blake has managed to threaten the times Bolt posted, running 9.7 secs in the shortest sprint in the business and 19.3 secs in the 200m event.
Bolt predicted a Jamaican one-two at the upcoming World Athletics Championships, backing Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville to be on top in the race.
Thompson has a personal best of 9.75 secs, making him one of the favourites for the race, which will also include American sprinters Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek.
“It’s all about if they can execute — not listen to the noise and go execute,” Bolt said.
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Lyles has been talking since 2023 of breaking Bolt’s records. “I have a good reason to believe I’m going to do something I’ve never done before,” Lyles said while saying he could touch times of 9.65 and 19.10 two years ago.
Usain Bolt’s warning for Gout Gout
A 17-year-old sprinter from Australia, Gout Gout, has also been attracting plenty of headlines, besides comparisons with the legendary Jamaican himself, thanks to his upright stride and six-foot-tall frame.
With Gout actually posting faster times than the Jamaican sprint legend at this age, there are questions if he is the man to beat Bolt’s times.
“It’s always easy when you’re younger,” Bolt said. “The transition to seniors from juniors is always tougher. It’s all about getting the right coach, getting the right people around you.”
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The Jamaican also added that improvements in track surfaces and shoes make it inevitable his records will fall someday. Just not now.
“Everything evolves in life, people trying to get better, trying to get faster,” he said. “It’s not going to be a surprise if it actually happens.”
(With inputs from AP)
