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Usain Bolt - Source: Reuters -
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In a little over a year, Usain Bolt has completely changed the face of world sprinting and launched an incredible assault on the world 100m record.
His performance on Monday morning at the World Championships - against what had been called the 'greatest 100m field ever assembled' - was astonishing, as the Jamaican set a new world record of 9.58.
Seasoned observers were incredulous with his run exactly a year ago at the Beijing Olympics but the Berlin blitz has taken things into a new stratosphere as he broke his own mark by over a tenth of a second .
Historically, convention dictates that new 100m records are set every one or two years, as training methods and techniques improve along with other aspects such as shoe technology and tracks.
It is a slow process though and has usually involved the mark being pulled down by 0.02 or 0.01 of a second.
Bolt has defied all of these norms and turned that grind into a roast.
Since May 31, 2008, when the 22-year-old first broke the 100m world record, he has dragged the time down from 9.74 to 9.58.
16 years
To put that in perspective, the previous equivalent reduction of 0.16 seconds had taken the efforts of seven different runners and 16 long years.
After Leroy Burrell set a new mark of 9.90 seconds in 1991 Carl Lewis, Donovan Bailey, Maurice Greene, Tim Montgomery, Asafa Powell, Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell (again) incrementally bought the time down to 9.74 - 16 years for sixteen hundredths of a second.
The greatest single reduction* before the Bolt era had been achieved by Maurice Greene, when he slashed the record from 9.84 to 9.79 in 1999.
Perhaps Bolt's greatest legacy will be that he raised the standard across the board as he certainly bringing the best out of all his competitors.
Double world champion Tyson Gay, racing alongside the towering Bolt, ran the fastest race of his life in 9.71, shattering the American record by six hundredths of a second.
At any other time it would have been enough for golden glory but in the shadow of the incomporable 'Lightning Bolt' silver has to suffice.
(*Putting aside Ben Johnson's infamous (and illegal) 1988 run in
Seoul, when he ran 9.83, shaving 0.10 of a second off the
mark.)
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100m world records
9.58 Usain Bolt August 17, 2009
9.69 Usain Bolt August 16, 2008
9.72 Usain Bolt May 31, 2008
9.74 Asafa Powell Sept 9, 2007
9.77 Asafa Powell June 14, 2005
9.78 Tim Montgomery Sept 14, 2002
9.79 Maurice Greene June 16, 1999
9.84 Donovan Bailey July 27, 1996
9.85 Leroy Burrell July 6, 1994
9.86 Carl Lewis Aug 25, 1991
9.90 Leroy Burrell June 14, 1991
Add a Comment:
Post new commentegilbert said on 2009-08-21 @ 08:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
There's only one main statement that needs to be said, if Bolt is drug-free (and I sure hope he is) he will be one of the greatest athletes ever. The 100m and 200m is such a great event to watch it will get more glory and exposure than other sports champions who no doubt are kings in their sports. Thus, I'm reluctant to call him the greatest athlete ever, but who knows, time will tell....
kezza92 said on 2009-08-17 @ 22:48 NZDT: Report abusive post
Sarah - these guys are tested several dozen times per year. Bolt is clean, so's Tyson Gay and Powell. Enjoy. It's a staggering set of human performances.
Kiwikid69 said on 2009-08-17 @ 19:55 NZDT: Report abusive post
There is an individual or event that occurs once every half century that transcends all before it in a way previously thought unimaginable. Usain Bolt is such an individual.
RickyBeee said on 2009-08-17 @ 15:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
Incredible! What an amazing performance. Hard to imagine anything like that happening again. You sum it up well - all those years of effort from all those guys (half of whom were probably 'roided up to their armpits) and he achieves the same thing in 2 years. Even if he is on something then he's still the best 100m sprinter of all time. They're not Billy Whizz drinks they take after all-pretty subtle benefits only. Imagine if he's NOT on drugs and then he DID start taking them! Sub-9secs?!
sarahp said on 2009-08-17 @ 14:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
I'm a cycnic and think all top sprinters are on drugs. He's clearly the greatest of the drug taking generation. He has a superior style and natural ability to mix with any illicit substance.