World Athletics in Secret Talks to Strip Usain Bolt of Iconic Record

Ever wonder if Usain Bolt, quite possibly the most electrifying track star the world will ever know, ever had to slow down to catch his breath? Well, now he might have to, but not for the reason you might imagine. After holding an astonishing sprinting record under his belt for over a decade, the Jamaican legend had to pass the baton on this one. Usain Bolt, the man who was essentially part cheetah on the track, has seen his streak of sprinting glory dented. 😱

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – his 100m record of a jaw-dropping 9.58 seconds still stands strong like a mighty oak withstanding the test of time. Yet, in the world of running, new speeds are always on the horizon, and another sprinter has just turned up the heat.

Bolt’s record as the only sprinter who could consistently hit sub-10 seconds for a decade with unyielding consistency now belongs to the past. South African sprinter Akani Simbine, in a display of persistence and prowess, has now clocked in eleven consecutive years breaking the 10-second barrier. It’s almost like passing the Olympic torch, or in this case…the speed of light?

And the track evolution doesn’t stop there! With new technology and…wait for it…a ‘super track’? This ‘smart’ track could give runners the edge to not only break Bolt’s record but maybe, just maybe, the elusive 9-second mark!

Are we about to witness the dawn of superhumans or just better-grounded science? Bolt might need to savor his time at the top a bit longer to see how this particular race unfolds. As for the future? Well, let’s just say the track world is sprinting towards something truly electrifying. Now if you’ll excuse me, I feel the need…the need for speed!

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Usain Bolt has had a rare sprinting record taken off him after over ten years of holding it himself.

The Jamaican may have hung his track shoes up back in 2017, but no runner has been close to touching his eye-watering 100m record of 9.58 seconds.

Bolt set the blistering time at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin back in 2009, finishing metres ahead of any opposition and crossing the line at a speed of 37.6 km/h.

Smashing the old record by 0.11 seconds, there have been echoes recently of up-and-coming runners such as Australia’s Gout Gout and Bolt’s countryman Oblique Seville having the potential to usurp him as the fastest man alive.

However, the 100m and 200m world record holder, who also happens to have eight Olympic gold medals at home, has been beaten for one record in particular.

Bolt has held the record as the only sprinter that ran sub-10 seconds in the 100m for a decade straight, until South African sprinter Akani Simbine broke it this year.

Simbine has now made it 11 years on the bounce with times under 10 seconds, clocking in at 9.90 seconds at the Botswana Grand Prix, a world-leading time so far this year in the event.

If you think you recognise the name from somewhere, it’s worth noting that the 31-year-old secured fourth place at the Paris Olympics in the 100m, missing out on the podium by just 0.01 seconds, and on first place by less than 0.04 seconds.

Noah Lyles took home the gold by beating Jamaican Kishane Thompson by 0.005 seconds in one of the most memorable 100m finals in recent times.

While the American runner may be classed as the fastest active sprinter in the world, it will take some longevity to get close to Simbine’s newly set record.

When it comes to Bolt’s iconic 9.58 second 100m record though, the 38-year-old could see it broken if technology has anything to say about it.

According to Alvina Chen, a Hong Kong sprinter, a ‘super track’, or ‘smart’ track is in the works, which could be up to ’20 percent faster than the Paris Olympic track.’

If this were to come into play and even be approved by the World Athletics, we could be seeing many records beyond Bolt’s being broken.

Bolt’s 100m record seems in-tact… for now (OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Chen, the chief of Feldspar, said that these advancements may see humans break the nine-second mark and become ‘the world’s fastest running surface.’

Sensors around a track provided ‘real-time data’ for researches in a laboratory in Cambridge, with the idea developing to the point where talks have been held with World Athletics.

Bolt’s former rival and the second fastest man in history, Tyson Gay, shared what he thought of the track, stating: “Looking forward to seeing the development of this… pretty awesome.”

Ex-British sprinter Darren Campbell is involved in the project, joining Feldspar as the group’s Global Track Strategy Director back in September 2024.

Bolt should start savouring his time at the top.