It has been claimed that Usain Bolt could lose his record over 100 metres
Usain Bolt has already made it clear that he is not worried about being stripped of his accolades following claims that he could lose his world record over 100 metres. The legendary sprinter is the fastest man to have ever lived, with nobody coming close to beating his best time. He set his incredible world record of 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in 2009.
Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake are the only other sprinters to have achieved times of under 9.70 seconds, doing so in 2009 and 2012 respectively. The fastest time of the current decade was set by American athlete Trayvon Bromell, who clocked 9.76 seconds in 2021. Significantly quicker times could be on the horizon, though, with a new ‘smart’ surface being developed.
Bolt set his world record of 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in 2009
Hong Kong-born sprinter Alvina Chen is overseeing the advancement of a digital track with sensors providing real-time data to athletes. It also boasts an energy return which is around 20 per cent greater than existing tracks, based on early testing.
“We believe we are creating the first major advancement,” said Chen in an interview with The Telegraph. “With our track, we anticipate that it will be 20 per cent faster than the Paris Olympic track, depending on athlete ability and external conditions.
“Our vision is to have the track become the universal standard all over the world. We have the world’s fastest running surface.”
Darren Campbell, the head of sprints and relays at British Athletics, believes the ‘smart’ surface could eventually help athletes to obliterate Bolt’s record by running 100 metres in less than nine seconds.
He said: “When did we last have some form of technology that isn’t a shoe? This is the innovation I feel that athletics has been waiting for. All of a sudden nine seconds doesn’t seem crazy.”
Bolt has already shown that he is not bothered about having accolades taken away from him, though. He was previously stripped of the relay gold he won at the Olympics in 2008 after his team-mate Nesta Carter was hit with a doping sanction.
Most athletes would be furious with losing a medal through no fault of their own, but Bolt was unmoved because he was convinced that his legacy remained intact.
“I am disappointed based on losing a medal, but it won’t take away from what I have done throughout my career, because I have won my individual events and that’s the key thing,” he said.
“What can you do? I’ve done all I wanted in the sport, I have really impacted the sport, I’ve really accomplished a lot, so for me, I can’t complain.”
It suggests that even if another athlete uses the ‘smart’ surface to break Bolt’s record, he will be content in the knowledge that he will always be remembered as one of history’s greatest sprinters.
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