Who is the fastest man in the world? Everything to know about Usain Bolt's 100m world record

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Mar 13, 2024 11:31 GMT

Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. Calling Bolt's career a legendary one is undebatable. He holds the world record of a spectacular 9.58 seconds in the 100m, which still stands unbroken.

He set this long-standing record during the 2009 IAAF World Championships held in Berlin, Germany. During this record-breaking race, his average speed was 37.58km/h. He reached his top speed at 44.72km/h in the 60-80m stretch, summing up the time to be the world's fastest man.

Bolt first shattered the world record in 2008 at the Reebok Grand Prix held in the Icahn Stadium in NewYork with a time of 9.72 seconds. He leapfrogged his fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell's world record of 9.74 seconds, which he created at the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti only a year before.

Three months later, Usain Bolt ran a striking dash of 9.69 seconds, his third-best time at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

The Jamaican also holds the record for 200m with 19.19 seconds, which he achieved at the 2009 IAAF World Championships held in Berlin, Germany. He is also a part of the men's 4x100m world record-holding team with a time of 36.84 seconds. He ran along with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, and Yohan Blake.

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"I've never really focused so much on world records, but mostly medals," - Usain Bolt speaks on breaking the world records

Usain Bolt during the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2017 in London

Usain Bolt shattered his own world records multiple times in his glorious career. Bolt's races have always been a sight to watch and the stadiums were always packed with fans.

In a recent interview for Puma, Bolt spoke about his mindset throughout his career. He said he never thought of breaking world records but always aimed at winning medals in the championships.

"Throughout my career, I've never really focused so much on world records, but mostly medals," Bolt said. "When I broke the world record, for me it was never about the world record. The first two times I broke the world record I wasn't never thinking about it."

"The stadium was packed with Jamaicans. So I'm like 'No, I need to win this 'So that was my main focus going into that track meet. And when I won, it was like I didn't even look at a clock," Bolt continued.

Usain Bolt's legacy has earned him the well-deserved tag "Lightning Bolt".