It seemed like the universe was against Usain Bolt at the 2008 Reebok Grand Prix.
Rain lashed down on the track at the 5,000-capacity Icahn Stadium in New York City as multiple puddles quickly formed.
Bolt made history in some far from ideal conditions in New York City
Bolt made history in some far from ideal conditions in New York
But for the field competing in the 100m event, their preparation was hampered even further when lightning was spotted in the area.
Bolt had grown used to running in inclement weather and wanted to carry on, but organisers in New York City were not as willing.
As a result, it left Bolt and his rivals left to warm up in a rather inconvenient spot, as he explained on the Ready Set Go podcast.
“I didn’t know in the (United) States that when there’s lightning, they shut everything down,” Bolt said.
“It was raining. I was used to it, I was like, ‘Yo, let’s go.’ And they go, ‘No, there’s lightning.’ So they have to wait half-an-hour to an hour.
“So we’re just there trying to stay warm. So it’s back-and-forth, back-and-forth, and trying to make sure we’re good. As athletes, you’ve got to make sure you stay warm.
“There wasn’t even much space there to stay warm because that stadium was made for smaller meets.
“So it wasn’t like a proper track, it was just a little thing in a corridor that you could warm up. It was crazy.”
Eventually the competitors made their way onto the track, which was still wet, at the Icahn Stadium.
Bolt lined up in lane four, with rival Tyson Gay next to him in lane five.
The Jamaican detailed just how chaotic his preparation for the race was
The Jamaican detailed just how chaotic his preparation for the race wasCredit: Ready Set Go podcast
Gay went into the race less than a year on from claiming the gold medal in the men’s 100m at the 2007 World Athletics Championship in Osaka.
But it would be Bolt that stole the headlines in the Big Apple.
The Jamaican nudged himself in front at the halfway mark and never looked back as Gay and the rest of the field struggled to keep up.
When Bolt crossed the line, a time of 9.72 flashed up on the clock and instantly confirmed he had set a new world record.
However, the thought of setting a new record didn’t even enter Bolt’s mind when he crossed the finish line as he continued to run around the track.
“I didn’t even look at the clock though,” Bolt said.
Bolt streaked away from his rivals despite the wet track at Icahn Stadium
Bolt streaked away from his rivals despite the wet track at Icahn Stadium
He had plenty to smile about once he learned he’d just set the new 100m world record
He had plenty to smile about once he learned he’d just set the new 100m world
Bolt played up to the crowd, which featured several Jamaican flags
Bolt played up to the crowd, which featured several Jamaican
“If you watch the race, when I got to the 200m, I was doing a lap. Then I heard when the announcer said, ‘Yes, official, it’s a world record.’ That was when I actually heard it was a world record.
“I didn’t even know that. Because when I ran across the line, I was just happy to beat Tyson Gay. That was my main goal going there.
“It was pure competition for me.”
It wasn’t long before Bolt re-wrote the history books once more.
The Jamaican set the new world record for the 100m three months on from the Reebok Grand Prix when he ran 9.69s at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Bolt would eclipse his sizzling time a year later at the 2009 World Athletics Championship in Berlin, as he crossed the line at 9.58s.
Fastest 100m sprinters in history
Ranking Sprinter Personal best (seconds) Year
1 Usain Bolt 9.58 2009
=2 Yohan Blake 9.69 2012
=2 Tyson Gay 9.69 2009
4 Asafa Powell 9.72 2008
5 Justin Gatlin 9.74 2015
=6 Christian Coleman 9.76 2019
=6 Trayvon Bromell 9.76 2021
=6 Fred Kerley 9.76 2022
=9 Ferdinand Omanyala 9.77 2021
=9 Kishane Thompson 9.77 2024
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It is a record that still stands today, underlining the freakish nature of Bolt’s feats.
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