"It would have been faster than the world record" - Usain Bolt on not slowing down in the 100m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 

By Adityan Pillai

Modified Jul 19, 2024 05:58 GMT

Usain Bolt recently spoke about his race in the 100m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Jamaican athlete weighed in on the possibility of recording an even faster time than the current world record, which stands at 9.58s, set by him at the 2009 World Championships.

Bolt entered the Beijing Olympics in peak form and was one of the favorites to win the most anticipated 100m race. Despite having a competitive line-up, including top athletes like Asafa Powell and Walter Dix, the Jamaican won the race with a formidable lead.

He appeared to slow down towards the finish line of the 100m, as he raised his arms to celebrate his first Olympic gold medal win. Despite slowing down in the final moments of the race, Bolt clocked 9.69s to set the world record at the time. A year later in 2009, he broke the world record by 0.11s.

Appearing on "The Obi One Podcast," Bolt recently said:

"I think, it would have been faster than the world record because that year, I think I was the fittest that I have ever been in my entire career. I had no issues that season. None, whatsoever. It was the only season I had been through with no niggles, no nothing. It got to the point where my coach gave me two days off," he said. (31:02)

Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

13th IAAF World Athletics Championships Daegu - Day Seven | Getty Images

Usain Bolt marched into the Beijing Olympics, his second Olympics campaign. The Jamaican athlete was eliminated in the first round of the 200m at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He set clear goals of winning his first medal in Beijing. Moreover, he was one of the favorites to win the gold medals in the sprint events after a spectacular performance at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York weeks before the Olympics.

He competed in three events — 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relays. He went on to win three gold medals after setting the world record in all three events, marking his first-ever three-gold medal-winning spree at the Olympics.

However, in 2017, Usain Bolt and the Jamaican 4x100m relay team were stripped of their Gold medals after their teammate Nesta Carter's sample tested positive for a banned substance.