Usain Bolt didn’t hold back when asked if anyone would break his world records
Usain Bolt had a sharp response when asked about the ‘inconceivable’ prospect someone could one day be faster than him.
The Jamaican sprint king holds the world record for the men’s 100m and 200m events.
In the 100m, Bolt crossed the line in a staggering 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
To underline Bolt’s dominance in the 100m event, he also boasts the second-fastest time and is part of a three-way tie for the third-fastest alongside countryman Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay.
Bolt set the 200m record at the same event in 2009 when he clocked a time of just 19.19 seconds.
The Jamaican called it quits on the sport in 2017 after a career in which he snared eight Olympic gold medals and was an 11-time world champion.
Despite retiring seven-and-a-half years ago, no-one has been able to eclipse either of Bolt’s records.
It’s why his bold claim on a 2018 episode of The Graham Norton Show may not be as outlandish as some might have initially thought.
On the show, Norton asked Bolt: “It seems inconceivable now, but presumably someone, at some point, will beat your world records?”
Without batting an eyelid, Bolt responded: “You can see into the future? I don’t think so, I don’t think so. That’s how confident I am.”
At present, Bolt’s 100m record looks rather safe.
The winning time for the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics was 9.79 seconds, clocked by Noah Lyles.
However, Lyles has plenty of belief he is the man to break Bolt’s 200m record and came close to doing so in July 2022 when he finished with a time of 19.31 seconds at the World Athletic Championships in Oregon.
But the one individual who may pose the biggest threat of all is Australia’s 17-year-old sensation Gout Gout.
Gout broke Bolt’s under-16 200m record last year as well as the Australian national record, held for 56 years by Peter Norman, when he set a time of 20.04 seconds.
The teen’s record-breaking time of 20.04 seconds would have placed him sixth in the 200m final at the Paris Olympics.
Gout now looks destined to showcase his talents on the global stage at the World Championships in September, which will be held in Tokyo.
He is not shy of confidence either, warning Lyles in a podcast episode he was ready to make a statement in Japan.
“I’m trying to show you what’s up,” Gout told Beyond the Records.
“Whatever I’ve got to do to show Noah I’m coming for that spot.
“Obviously it’s a learning experience, but deep down I’m trying to get a medal for sure, be in that final and running up Noah or trying to chase Noah down.”
Responding with a smile, Lyles said: “That’s what I love to hear.
“I want you to come up to me and say, ‘Yeah, I am going to take your spot.'”
