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Usain Bolt: 5 Records Only The Fastest Man Alive Could Break. i Usain Bolt: 5 Records Only The Fastest Man Alive Could Break.

Discover five records only Usain Bolt could break as the fastest man alive.

Usain Bolt, known globally as “The Fastest Man Alive,” is a name etched in the annals of sports history.

 

The Jamaican’s legendary sprinting prowess, charismatic personality, and unbeatable records have made him a global icon.

 

Bolt’s athletic journey transformed track and field, captivating millions with his lightning speed and his impact remains unmatched.

 

Pulse Sports explore five astonishing records held by Usain Bolt, so extraordinary that they continue to defy the world’s best sprinters.

 

5. Fastest 150 Meters – 2009 Manchester City Games

 

Usain Bolt holds the unofficial record for the 150m set at the 2009 Manchester City Games

Though not a standard competition distance, the 150 meters is a fascinating test of both acceleration and top-end speed.

 

Bolt’s 14.35 seconds over a straight track during a special event in Manchester in 2009 is the fastest recorded time over the distance.

 

This event was held to bridge the gap between 100m and 200m races, providing insight into Bolt’s unmatched ability to accelerate and sustain speed.

 

Most sprinters begin to decelerate after 80–100m, but Bolt’s ability to maintain peak velocity longer than anyone else set this time apart.

 

While unofficial, the 150m world best highlights a sprinting dimension unique to Bolt.

 

Anchoring the team of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake, Bolt stormed down the final 100 meters at the 2012 London Olympics to help set a time of 36.84 seconds, a mark no nation has surpassed.

 

The team’s execution of smooth baton passes, along with Bolt’s final leg speed, set a standard in relay racing that no quartet has been able to match since.

 

Superb relays require four near-perfect performances. Finding four sprinters of that caliber, including one like Bolt at his peak, is extraordinarily rare. Even dominant U.S. teams have struggled with baton exchanges and consistency.

 

3. Triple Double at 3 Consecutive Olympics

Usain Bolt records

Usain Bolt is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist. (Credit: Imago)

Bolt is the only sprinter in history to win gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in three consecutive Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.

 

Although Jamaica was later stripped of the 2008 4x100m relay gold due to a teammate’s doping violation, Bolt’s “triple-triple” feat was widely regarded as one of the most dominant achievements in Olympic history.

 

Winning these three events requires not just talent but incredible consistency over 8 years, a lifetime in sprinting.

 

Injuries, competition, and team dynamics make it nearly impossible to repeat such a feat.

 

This record broke his own previous best of 19.30, set during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 

The 200m is a unique race requiring both speed and endurance.

 

Bolt’s long stride and exceptional cornering ability on the curve made him dominant over this distance.

 

While several athletes have posted sub-19.60 times like American holder Noah Lyles with 19.31 in 2022 Bolt’s margin of victory and split times make this record exceptional.

 

In that race, Bolt reached a top speed of 44.7 km/h between the 60m and 80m marks, an almost superhuman feat.

 

The second-fastest time ever is 9.63 seconds, also set by Bolt during the 2012 London Olympics.

 

Current elite sprinters like Lyles, Kishane Thompson, Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, and Fred Kerley have flirted with sub-9.80s, but Bolt’s 9.58 remains untouched.

 

This record combines perfect reaction time, acceleration, and top-end speed. The biomechanics and Bolt’s peak form created an optimal moment that has yet to be replicated.

 

As of 2025, no sprinter has seriously threatened Bolt’s 100m or 200m records.

 

While stars like Lyles and Letsile Tebogo are closing the gap, they still remain tenths of a second behind. Given that a tenth in sprinting is a massive difference, Bolt’s reign appears secure.

 

Usain Bolt once made it clear he has ‘no respect’ for an Olympic athlete from a previous generation who won 10 medals but admitted to failing several drugs tests.

 

Bolt is now retired but the 38-year-old is regarded by many to be the greatest sprinter of all-time and one of the best Olympians ever.

 

The Jamaican athlete has eight Olympic gold medals to his name across three games and announced his arrival at Beijing 2008 by claiming gold in both the 100m and 200m events.

 

The Lightning Bolt then competed at London 2012 to win gold in both events once again, as well as being part of the victorious 4x100m Jamaican relay team to take his tally to five medals across only two Olympics.

 

 

 

And Bolt solidified his legendary status by achieving yet another clean sweep in the same three events four years later at Rio 2016 to take his tally to an extraordinary eight Olympic gold medals, before retiring from sprinting the following year.

 

Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Carl Lewis claimed a total of nine Olympic gold medals and a silver across several games.

 

The American won four golds Los Angeles in 1984 in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and the long jump.

 

Lewis then won gold in the 100m and long jump at Seoul 1988, plus a silver medal in the 200m.

 

 

 

Lewis picked up another two gold medals in the 4x100m relay and the long jump at Barcelona 1992, before winning his last Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996 in the long jump.

 

Despite Lewis’ illustrious career, it was not without controversy, as back in 2003 he suggest he had tested positive for three banned substances but was ‘let off’ by the United State Olympic Committee.

 

Speaking to the Orange County Register via the Guardian, Lewis said: “There were hundreds of people getting off.

 

 

 

“Everyone was treated the same.”

 

And speaking back at London 2012 after he won the 200m, Bolt made it clear he had ‘no respect’ for Lewis, who had in the past questioned the stringency of Jamaica’s drug-testing programme.

 

He said: I am going to say something controversial right now; Carl Lewis, I have no respect for him. The things he says about the track athletes is really downgrading, for another athlete to be saying something like that about other athletes.

 

“I think he’s just looking for attention really because nobody really talks much about him so he’s just looking for attention. So that was really sad for me when I heard the other day what he was saying.

 

 

 

“For me it was upsetting. I have lost all respect for him. It was all about drugs, talking about drugs, a lot of drug stuff. For an athlete out of the sport to be saying that is really upsetting for me.

 

“That was really upsetting for him just to jump up and say something like that. As far as I’m concerned he’s looking for attention – that’s all.”

 

 

 

 

In the world of competitive sports, milliseconds and inches can make all the difference. But in a recent and dramatic moment on the track in California, it wasn’t a matter of speed or distance that determined the outcome—it was a premature celebration that cost a young athlete her chance at glory.

 

At the California State High School Track & Field Championships, senior sprinter Olivia Johnson (name fictionalized for privacy) had been a favorite going into the 100-meter dash.

 

She had dominated the season, breaking school records and consistently outpacing her rivals. In the final, she exploded off the blocks, taking a clear lead midway through the race. With only meters to go and the roar of the crowd behind her, Olivia did what many athletes have been tempted to do—she celebrated early.

 

Throwing her arms up in victory just before the finish line, Olivia slightly eased her pace. In that split-second decision, she misjudged the proximity of her closest competitor, Jasmine Rivera, a junior from a rival school who had been gaining steadily in the final stretch. Jasmine didn’t slow down.

 

With a final burst of speed, she surged forward, lunging at the finish line. The photo finish revealed what the crowd had only partly seen—Rivera had crossed the line just 0.01 seconds ahead of Johnson.

 

The stadium buzzed with shock. Officials confirmed the result after review: Jasmine Rivera was the new state champion in the 100 meters. Olivia’s premature celebration had cost her the title. She was gracious in defeat, congratulating Jasmine and smiling for the cameras, but her disappointment was unmistakable.

 

Moments like these are not unheard of in sports. Even seasoned professionals have lost races and games due to early celebrations. It’s a painful lesson in focus and humility, and for Olivia, it came at a time when the stakes were highest. She had worked for years, training through injuries and setbacks, to get to this point. Losing the title not because she wasn’t fast enough—but because she let her guard down too soon—was especially heartbreaking.

 

The incident quickly went viral. Videos of the race circulated online, sparking debates about sportsmanship, discipline, and the fine line between confidence and carelessness. Many sympathized with Olivia, pointing out her exceptional talent and the emotional weight of such a high-stakes race. Others used it as a teaching moment, emphasizing the importance of finishing strong and never assuming victory until it’s secured.

 

Despite the loss, Olivia’s performance throughout the season remained remarkable. She earned a scholarship to a Division I university and has stated publicly that she’ll use the experience as motivation. “I won’t make that mistake again,” she told reporters. “It hurt, but it taught me something I’ll carry with me the rest of my career.”

 

In sports, as in life, sometimes our biggest lessons come from the moments we fall short. Olivia Johnson’s premature celebration may have cost her a title, but it also solidified her place in track and field lore—not just as a fast runner, but as a powerful reminder that every race must be run to the very end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sha’Carri Richardson is the reigning world 100m champion

Sprint queen Sha’Carri Richardson has signed with ATHLOS ahead of record-breaking meet in October.

World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson has been announced as the latest sprint queen to headline ATHLOS meet in New York, joining Paris Olympics triple gold medallist Gabby Thomas as two of the main headliners.

 

The announcement was shared on all ATHLOS social media platforms in partnership with Richardson, using the theme on ‘Time’.

 

The women’s-only track day meet started by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, successfully debuted on September 26, 2024, at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City, and featured some of the fastest women in the world including Olympic champions and World Record holders.

 

Thomas’ surprising reference of ‘changing the game’ after World Athletics Ultimate Championship big money reveal

Thomas’ surprising reference of ‘changing the game’ after World Athletics Ultimate Championship big money reveal

With an offer of the largest-ever purse for a women-only competition of $60,000 for each race winner, the organizers modernized the sport by combining “competition with entertainment, including a performance by top musician Megan Thee Stallion after the last race, that drew “near-universal praise” from participants and fans globally.

 

 

Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith, Gabby Thomas and Faith Kipyegon competed at Athlos first edition.

In addition, the meet also broke the record of viewership for women’s sports across all social media platforms, garnering 3 million views, which smashed the record-breaking viewership of Caitlyn Clark’s WNBA debut for Indiana Fever, watched by 2.1 million viewers.

 

Thomas starred as the face of the first edition, but will now have Richardson this year, as well as Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall.

 

 

Venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian is the main sponsor of the ATHLOS track meet

Meanwhile, new developments indicate that Richardson, Thomas, and Davis-Woodhall will serve as advisor-owners in an expansion to a team-based women’s track and field league with multiple meets in 2026.

 

According to CitiusMag, ATHLOS will shift to a team-based model “designed for and by athletes, tailored to a modern fanbase” and will have multiple meets in different cities + a final championship event after the conclusion of the World Athletics season.

 

The 2026 season will end with the World Athletics Ultimate Championships on Sept. 11-13th in Budapest.