“Not worried about none of them” - Usain Bolt on which of his records will get broken first
Legendary track and field runner Usain Bolt recently spoke on the prospects of his records getting broken in the future. The 37-year-old proudly holds two world records - in the 100m and 200m races. The Jamaican legend explained which of these records is harder to chase and why.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist made history at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin. He registered world record timings in the 100m and 200m events. On August 16, Bolt won the gold medal in the 100m race by clocking 9.58s.
Not only did he run the fastest but also broke his own record of 9.69s from the Beijing Olympics in 2008. His competitors, America’s Tyson Gay and Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, finished second and third respectively.
Another stunning athletic display by Bolt transpired on the same day in the 200m race. The Jamaican athlete clocked an impressive 19.19 seconds, bettering his previous record of 19.30s seconds, also achieved at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Although Usain Bolt retired from athletics in 2017, his records stand unbeaten even today. However, recently, athletes like Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, and many other promising sprinters have been attempting to break ‘Lightning Bolt’s timings. None of them have succeeded so far.
The legend himself is not worried about his records getting broken. In an interview with World Athletics, Bolt was asked about which of his records will get smashed earlier. He replied:
“Not worried about none of them. I really don’t know," he said.
However, the Jamaican star thinks that the 100m record will be harder for today’s athletes to chase.
“I think the 100m is going to be harder because it’s quicker and if you make a mistake during the race, you’re not going to get it. So.. it’s a lot more technical. So, I think the 100m is gonna go last.”
Noah Lyles attempted to chase Usain Bolt’s timing in the 2023 World Athletics Championships
Before the 2023 World Championships, Noah Lyles revealed that he was chasing Usain Bolt’s records. The 26-year-old wrote in his Instagram post prior to the mega event:
"I will run 9.65, 19.10," he wrote.
He continued:
"They say if they don't know your dreams then they can't shoot them down. But I have always been more of a guy who loves to hear the screams from the heaters, got a nice ring to it."
Although Lyles won the 100m and 200m races, he could not come close to Bolt’s timing. He clocked 9.83s in the 100m and 19.52s in the 200m event.