Story perspectives

Usain Bolt Predicts 100m Record Could Fall to Tech

9/11/2025

Summary

Story summary

Usain Bolt asserts he could have run the 100m in 9.42 seconds with today's carbon-plated "super spikes," based on a Puma study.
His world record of 9.58 seconds has remained unbroken for 16 years, with Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake as the closest competitors.
Bolt predicts Jamaican sprinters Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville will finish 1-2 in the upcoming World Championships.
He believes no current athlete will soon break his record, though technology advancements may change that.
Bolt, who hasn't attended a global event since 2017, looks forward to supporting his fellow athletes.

History

Historical Context

Usain Bolt set the men's 100m world record at 9.58 seconds during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, breaking his previous record by 0.11 seconds. This achievement followed his Olympic victory in 2008 and highlighted a trend where advancements in technology, such as carbon-plated spikes, increasingly influence athletic performance, raising questions about future record-breaking potential in sprinting.

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Story summary

Usain Bolt asserts he could have run the 100m in 9.42 seconds with today's carbon-plated "super spikes," based on a Puma study.
His world record of 9.58 seconds has remained unbroken for 16 years, with Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake as the closest competitors.
Bolt predicts Jamaican sprinters Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville will finish 1-2 in the upcoming World Championships.
He believes no current athlete will soon break his record, though technology advancements may change that.
Bolt, who hasn't attended a global event since 2017, looks forward to supporting his fellow athletes.

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