Usain Bolt New World Record 100m In 9. 58 Seconds In Berlin.Gold medal in Beijing 9.68 sec - YouTube Close Usain Bolt New World Record 100m In 9. 58 Seconds In Berlin.Gold medal in Beijing 9.68 sec Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Aug 16, 2009 Usain Bolt New World Record 100m In 9. 58 Seconds.Olympic Games.World Champion.Athletics. Fast runner.Sprint.Race.Competition.Gold Medals.decathlon.200 metres racing.International Victory.200 m final.400m final relay.jamaica.Jeux Olympiques. Guitar Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D.

(pronounced /juːˈseɪn/;[7] born 21 August 1986), is a Jamaican sprinter and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He holds the world record for the 100 metres, the 200 metres and, along with his teammates, the 4x100 metres relay. He also holds the Olympic record for all three of these races. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bolt became the first man to win three sprinting events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the first man to set world records in all three at a single Olympics. In 2009 he became the first man to hold the 100 and 200 m world and Olympic titles at the same time. Bolt distinguished himself with a 200 m gold medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, making him the competition's youngest-ever gold medalist.

In 2004, at the CARIFTA Games, he became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in under 20 seconds with a time of 19.93 s, breaking Roy Martin's world junior record by two-tenths of a second. He turned professional in 2004, missing most of his first two seasons due to injuries, but he competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2007, he beat Don Quarrie's 200 m Jamaican national record with a run of 19.75 s. In May 2008, Bolt set his first 100 m world record with a time of 9.72 s. He set world records in both 100 m and 200 m events at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: 100 m record time of 9.69 s broke his own previous record of 9.72 s; with a record time of 19.30 s he broke previous record of 19.32 s by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

In August 2009, a year after the Beijing Olympics, he lowered his own 100 m and 200 m world records to 9.58 s and 19.19 s respectively at the 2009 World Championships.[8] His record breaking margin in 100 m is the highest since the start of digital time measurements.[9] His achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "'Lightning Bolt".[10] Bolt announced that he would double-up with the 100 metres and 200 metres events at the Beijing Summer Olympics, and the new 100 m world-record holder was the favourite to win both.[69][70] Michael Johnson, the 200 m and 400 m record holder, personally backed the sprinter, saying that he did not believe that a lack of experience would work against him.[71] Bolt qualified for the 100 m final with times of 9.92 s and 9.85 s in the quarter-finals and semifinals, respectively.[72][73][74] Bolt held a considerable lead over his rivals in the closing stages of the

 100 m final.

In the Olympic 100 m final, Bolt broke new ground, winning in 9.69 s (unofficially 9.683 s) with a reaction time of 0.165 s.[75] This was an improvement upon his own world record, and he was well ahead of second-place finisher Richard Thompson, who finished in 9.89 s.[76] Not only was the record set without a favourable wind (+0.0 m/s), but he also visibly slowed down to celebrate before he finished and his shoelace was untied.[77][78][79] Bolt's coach reported that, based upon the speed of Bolt's opening 60 m, he could have finished with a time of 9.52 s.[80] After scientific analysis of Bolt's run by the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo, Hans Eriksen and his colleagues also predicted a sub 9.60 s time.

Considering factors such as Bolt's position, acceleration and velocity in comparison with second-place-finisher Thompson, the team estimated that Bolt could have finished in 9.55±0.04 s had he not slowed to celebrate before the finishing line Category The Physics of Usain Bolt's World Record 100-meter Dash The Physics of Usain Bolt's World Record 100-meter Dash Go to permalink Back in 2009, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran the 100-meter dash in a record setting time of 9.58 seconds. A recent study highlights the astounding physics behind this unprecedented human achievement. An interesting thing about Bolt is that he's 6ft 5in tall. That means he needs to expend a bit more energy than the average sprinter in order to overcome the drag caused by wind resistance; he's actually not very aerodynamic relative to other runners. But that said, his record was the biggest increase since timing was introduced in 1968. He's truly a freak of nature . Are Olympic athletes really mutants? Are Olympic athletes really mutants? Are Olympic athletes really mutants? Athletes who perform at the elite level aren't like the rest of us.

Their feats of strength,… Read more Read more According to a mathematical model that now appears in the European Journal of Physics, Bolt's maximum power occurred when he was less than one second into the race — but while he was running at only half his eventual maximum speed, which registered at the jaw-dropping rate of 12.2 meters per second (40 feet/second), or 43.92 km/h (27 mph). His acceleration out of the the starting blocks clocked in at 9.5 meters per second squared, (31.2 ft/s2, which is almost 0.97 g (the acceleration due to Earth's gravity), and he generated an incredible 2.6 kilowatts of power (3.5 horsepower) less than a second later. Advertisement The study also showed that less than 8% of the energy his muscles generated was used for motion, the rest absorbed by drag. The physicists suspect that Bolt makes up for his large frame and slow reaction-time by virtue of his tremendous stride and fast twitch muscle fibres. Interestingly, Bolt ran the 100-meters with a slight wind at his back.

But even without that assist, calculations showed he would have finished the race only 0.1 second slower — which would still have still resulted in a world record. Advertisement Read the entire article at the European Journal of Physics: " On the performance of Usain Bolt in the 100 m sprint ." Image: Getty. Ultimate 100-Meter Time: 9.27 Seconds? | Runner's World Ultimate 100-Meter Time: 9.27 Seconds? New analysis suggests top running speed has room for significant improvement. By Amby Burfoot Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 9:55 am Usain Bolt crossing the finish line of the 100 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. PhotoRun Jamaica’s Usain Bolt has redefined the limits of sprinting in recent years, lowering the 100-meter world record to 9.58 seconds (actually, 9.572, but the rules require rounding up). This hasn’t ended the debate: How fast can a human run? In fact, it might have increased such speculation.

Most prior estimates have involved simple mathematical extensions of the world record improvement rate for 100 meters. However, Australian physiologist and coach Jeremy Richmond takes a different approach in the IAAF’s “New Studies in Athletics.” He looks at known observations and physical reaction times to predict the ultimate human running speed for 100 meters. Advertisement Privacy Policy | About Us His answer: 9.27 seconds. Simple arithmetic tells us that Bolt averaged 10.43 meters/second (23.34 miles per hour) in his world record race. Of course, he ran much of the distance faster than this, because sprinters start from a stationary position in the blocks. Indeed, Richmond says the best analysis of Bolt’s race indicates that he hit a top speed of 12.34 meters/second (27.61 mph) at 68 meters. If Bolt or someone else could run the full 100 at this pace, he’d hit the tape in 8.10 seconds. This can’t happen because a sprinter’s start will always be relatively slow.

Richmond believes that Bolt and sprinters of his caliber have already maximized the amount of force they apply to the track when sprinting. That leaves just one crucial variable that can be improved--ground contact time. The faster you put 'em down and pick 'em up, the faster you can run. Studies of top sprinters have shown they have reached a ground contact time of 80 milliseconds. Richmond thinks this can be lowered to 70 milliseconds. He bases this on studies of fast-twitch muscle fiber contractions, and of quadriceps muscle contractions. If Bolt or a future record holder can run 100 meters with Bolt’s force production, plus a ground contact time of just 70 milliseconds, he’ll reach a top speed of 12.75 meters per second. That’s 28.53 miles per hours, and it would lower the 100-meter record to 9.27 seconds, Richmond says. "If scientists and coaches can develop a training method to further shorten muscle contraction time," Richmond writes, "it seems plausible that human beings could run even faster." Below are Bolt’s 10-meter split times from his world record race vs.

Richmond's predicted splits for a 9.27 race. Section of Race BBC Sport - Athletics - Bolt sets record to win 100m gold Bolt sets record to win 100m gold ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Venue: Olympic Stadium, Berlin Date: 15-23 August Coverage: Watch the action live and highlights on BBC Two, BBC HD, Red Button, Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website (video for UK users only) Full BBC coverage details Replay - Record-breaking Bolt wins 100m gold Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt set a new world record as he stormed to a stunning victory in the 100m at the World Championships in Berlin. The 22-year-old Jamaican recorded a time of 9.58 seconds to take 0.11 off the mark he set last year when winning gold at the Beijing Olympics. American Tyson Gay was second in a time of 9.71, with Jamaica's Asafa Powell claiming bronze in 9.84. Britain's Dwain Chambers came sixth in a season's best time of 10.00.

Bolt, who set three world records when winning his Olympic golds in Beijing last summer, served up another superlative display to enhance his reputation as the best sprinter of all time. TOM FORDYCE BLOG In the final, he powered out of the blocks at the first time of asking and took control of the race within the first 30m, the crowd going wild as he streaked across the line. Bolt's time represents the biggest increase in the record since electronic timing was introduced in 1968. "I was ready, I was feeling good after the semi-finals," Bolt told BBC Sport. "I knew it was going to be a great race and I came out and executed it. It's a great time. I did well and I feel good in myself." Former world record holder Powell paid tribute to his compatriot, saying: "When I saw the time I had to try and catch him, but I couldn't." Gay, who went into the final as the reigning world champion, has been troubled by a nagging groin pain and had to cut practice on his start. I expected a great race - Bolt "I ran the best I could but it was not enough," he said.

"I believe I put in a championship performance and I am very pleased with the national record. "I'm happy he ran 9.5 because I knew he could do it. I'm happy for him." Chambers, back competing at the top level after serving a two-year ban for taking the designer steroid THG in 2003, said the final was a "great experience". "It is hard to explain what it is like to go out there and stand on the line to compete with the best in the world," said the 31-year-old. "It does not get easier as you get older but it is worth it." Earlier, there was controversy as Britain's Tyrone Edgar was disqualified from the semi-finals. After Bolt made the opening false start, Edgar was ruled to have transgressed the second time, although initial reaction times seemed to suggest that decision was harsh. "I don't think it was a false start," said the 27-year-old Edgar, who was also disqualified at the London Grand Prix last month. "To me it looked pretty good but there is nothing I can do. I am not going to argue the point.

I am disappointed right now because I reckon I would have made the final." Bookmark with: Usain Bolt: I can break my 100m world record and run under 19 seconds in 200m at World Championships - Telegraph Athletics Usain Bolt: I can break my 100m world record and run under 19 seconds in 200m at World Championships Usain Bolt believes he is capable of breaking his 100 metres world record, and is targeting "something special" by breaking the 19-second barrier for 200m. Faster than a speeding bullet: Usain Bolt feels he can break his own record Photo: AFP By Telegraph Sport , and agencies 1:29PM BST 31 Jul 2013 Follow Bolt set his record times of 9.58 seconds and 19.19secs at the World Championships in Berlin four years ago. And, speaking ahead of this year's event in Moscow, the Jamaican superstar and six-time Olympic gold medallist insists those times can be beaten. "Yes, of course," he said when asked about the 100m record.

"It would require a technically almost perfect race, and for the weather conditions to be good but I'm focused on getting myself in a physical condition where I'm capable of doing it. "The 200m world record would be the one I'd really love to break again, to see if it's maybe even possible to get it under 19 seconds. That would be something special. "There's still a lot more to come from me. My objective is to continue to win gold medals in my sport, all the way up to the 2016 Olympics. If I can do that and along the way continue to win gold medals and break records, then I will have proven myself and achieved what I have always set out to do." Related Articles Farah will race against Gebrselassie in Great North Run 30 Jul 2013 Bolt will travel to Moscow as the reigning champion over 200m, but not over 100m after being disqualified from the final in Daegu in 2011 for a false start. "I don't think about it any more," the 26-year-old added.

"At the time it was very disappointing, because I was in great shape and knew that if I had started and run well I would have got a gold medal. But that's behind me now. I learned from it and moved on. "Right now, I'm only focusing on Moscow and preparing well for that." (Edited by Giles Mole) Usain Bolt beats Gay and sets new Record - from Universal Sports - YouTube Usain Bolt beats Gay and sets new Record - from Universal Sports Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Aug 16, 2009 2009, Berlin, Germany, IAAF World Championship Track and Field, Tyson Gay finally challenged Usain Bolt in the 100m and took second, Bolt broke his Olympic record to win at 9.58 seconds, Powell took third.

(Universal Sports, UniversalSports.com) Category Usain Bolt | Biography Usain Bolt Store Biography Arguably the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen, Usain St Leo Bolt, created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the ‘Triple Triple’, three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. Usain’s journey to worldwide stardom started at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, all in world record times. He followed this up with three gold medals in the same events at the 2012 Olympic Games in London to write his name in the history books as the world’s fastest man. Then one day before his 30th birthday he completed the same triple at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio to cement his legacy as a legend in world sport. In addition to his nine Olympic Games gold medals Usain won eleven World T&F Championships titles.

He completed the 100m, 200m and 4x100m sweeps at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, 2013 World Championships in Moscow and 2015 World Championships in Beijing. He won the 200m and 4x100m at the World Championships in Daegu in 2011. Usain currently holds the world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with times of 9.58 secs, 19.19 secs and 36.84 secs. His first world record was in the 100m in 2008 when he posted a time of 9.72 secs in New York. He lowered it to 9.69 secs at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and then to 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He holds the three fastest times ever run 9.28, 9.64 and 9.69.

Also in 2008 in Beijing he set a new 200m world record taking 0.02 off Michael Johnson’s previous mark with a time of 19.30 secs. He lowered this time further to 19.19 secs in Berlin in 2009, a time which may stand for years to come. On the world all-time list Usain holds five of the top ten times ever in the 200m. As part of the Jamaican 4x100m team Usain broke three world records – 37.10 secs in Beijing in 2008, 37.04 secs in Daegu in 2011 and 36.84 in London in 2012. Jamaican teams with Usain have the seven fastest 4x100m times in history. While the world celebrates this precocious talent, this was a dream waiting to happen and not just an overnight sensation. As early as age 14, young Usain was opening eyes with his lightning speed from regional championships in western Jamaica to national meets set in Kingston to meets in the wider Caribbean.

Usain’s ascent to the pinnacle of world sprinting started with the most unlikely of events as his first medal at any meet came in the 80 hurdles in Class Three at Western Champs held on the campus of his Alma Mater William Knibb Memorial High in Martha Brae, Trelawny when he ‘jumped’ his way to a bronze medal. Because he towered above his peers even then, Bolt was also entered in the high jump event and was a promising fast bowler in cricket before been encouraged to channel his energies on the track. By 2001 Bolt became a known commodity and he sent signals that he would be a world beater in early 2002 when he cruised to a hand timed 20.3 seconds to win the 200m at Western Champs finals at Catherine Hall. Later that year he went on to win the 200m/400m double at CARIFTA Trials before winning four gold medals at the meet held in Nassau, Bahamas.

He announced his arrival to the wider global audience in July 2002 when at the IAAF World Junior T&F Championships in Kingston in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch these meets, he won the host nation’s only individual gold medal, winning the 200m in 20.61 seconds. He left that meet with three medals including two silver medals in the relays, anchoring the 4x100m team and was part of the 4x400m team as well. That was the start of a meteoric climb to the top that also saw him winning two IAAF Rising Star awards. It was not always smooth sailing however as injuries slowed him down at several junctures of his career. Soon after breaking the Word Junior Record in the 200m with a time of 19.93 seconds at the CARIFTA Games in Hamilton, Bermuda in 2004, Bolt was slowed by a troublesome hamstring injury. He qualified for the final of the 200m at the 2005 IAAF World T&F Championships in Helsinki, Finland but in cold and wet weather pulled up before the finish holding his hamstring.

He missed what turned out to be a ‘Jamaican party’ at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2006 when he suffered another hamstring injury while running a leg of the 4x400m relay for the IAAF High performance Centre’s team at the Gibson Relays in Kingston. Jamaican athletes swept all the sprint events at the meet, despite his absence. Fortunately, he recovered well enough later that year to set a personal best of 19.88 secs in the 200m and place second in the 200m at the IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Stuttgart, Germany. 2007 was the breakthrough year in that he broke the 30 year old Jamaican 200m Record, held by the great Donald Quarrie, with a time of 19.75 secs to win the Jamaican Senior T&F Championships. He went to the 2007 IAAF World T&F Championships in Osaka, Japan in good form and won two silver medals in the 200m and 4x 100m relay.

2008 was Usain’s breakout year when he rewrote the history books and became one of the biggest sports stats on the planet. Since then he has gone from strength to strength with his heroic achievements in the Olympic Games in Beijing, London and Rio and in the IAAF World T&F Championships in Berlin, Daegu, Moscow & Beijing. Usain has been awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on three occasions (2009, 2010 & 2013); the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year five times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013) as well as many awards in many countries in all corners of the world. He has his own clothing line in conjunction with Puma; his own watch made by Hublot; his own restaurant ‘Tracks & Records’ in Kingston, Jamaica; his own shaving company, his own insoles company; the ‘Usain Bolt Foundation’ and endorses some of the top brands in the world.

Profile Justin Gatlin: I can break Usain Bolt's 100m world record this summer - Telegraph Athletics Justin Gatlin: I can break Usain Bolt's 100m world record this summer American sprinter believes he can break the 9.58 seconds mark set by Usain Bolt at the World Championships in 2009 Hear me roar: Justin Gatlin has Usain Bolt's world record in his sights Photo: GETTY IMAGES Follow Justin Gatlin on Saturday night admitted he was gunning for Usain Bolt’s 100 metres world record at this summer’s World Championships. Gatlin has been heavily tipped to end Bolt’s run of major triumphs in Beijing in August, with former British sprint star John Regis going further on Friday by backing the two-time drugs cheat to win the final in record time . And Gatlin refused to shy away from a feat that looked near-impossible for anyone but Bolt when the Jamaican clocked 9.58 seconds at the worlds six years ago.

“For John, I have a lot of respect, the times he’s run back in his day,” Gatlin said after winning his 200m heat at the USA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, which is the qualifying event for the worlds. “So I hope to live up to what he says and I’m very honoured.” •Anti-doping agents to quiz Farah Gatlin qualifies automatically for the 100m at the worlds after winning last year’s Diamond League series during what is now a 20-race unbeaten run. He therefore chose not to compete in the USATF event at Hayward Field, which witnessed blistering times from the likes of Tyson Gay and teenage sensation Trayvon Bromell. Out in front: Usain Bolt set the current 100m world record in 2009 in Berlin They were still not as quick as Gatlin’s lifetime best 9.74 set last month, a mark the 33-year-old claimed he would have smashed had he run. “I’d like to say 9.6, threaten the American record,” Gatlin said. “That’s what I’ve been working on, steadily but surely.

I want to be able to go out there and do something like that.” Bolt, meanwhile, has not broken 10 seconds all season and looks a shadow of the sprinter who beat Gatlin in their last race back in 2013. But his form has proven deceptive in the past, most notably before London 2012. Gatlin said: “In the Olympics, 2012, the opportunity presented itself in the semis. He pretty much jogged a 9.88. So he was ready for the finals. “He might to do the same thing.” Bolt qualifies automatically for both the 100m and 200m at the worlds as defending champion and withdrew from the Jamaican championships last week. Gatlin, who jogged to a 19.92 in the 200m yesterday, said: “He’s got byes for the both, so why go out there and feel the pressure from the young guys trying to beat you, trying to basically get their confidence up?

“Go home, train, get yourself ready for Beijing, come out like a champion.” Usain Bolt's 9.58 at world championships shatters 100-meter record comment BERLIN -- Usain Bolt crossed the finish line, saw his record-setting time on the clock and spread his arms as if he were soaring like a bird. About all this guy can't do is fly. And by saving his celebration until after the finish line this time, he showed how fast a man really can go on two feet. The Jamaican shattered the world record again Sunday, running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the world championships to turn his much-anticipated race against Tyson Gay into a one-man show. That was 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set last year at the Beijing Olympics -- the biggest improvement in the 100-meter record since electronic timing began in 1968. Gay, his closest rival, broke the American mark with his 9.71 performance and still looked like he was jogging -- finishing a few big strides behind Bolt in second place.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt cruises to the finish of the 100-meter final Sunday in Berlin, smashing the 9.69 mark he set winning gold at last year's Beijing Olympics. Thomas Lohnes/AFP/Getty Images Bolt's only competition these days is the clock. And when he's really trying, not hot-dogging it over the line the way he did in China, even time itself doesn't stand a chance. "I don't run for world records," said Bolt, who crossed the line with a slight breeze at his back. Yet those records always seem to find him. He thinks he can go even lower. "I know I said 9.4," Bolt said, grinning. "You never know. I'll just keep on working." Last summer at Beijing, Bolt shut his race down early, waving his arms and celebrating about 10 meters before he got to the line. Some, like Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee, viewed it as a sign of bad sportsmanship. Most saw it as a welcome sigh of relief for a sport that needed some good news after years of doping and scandal. Even this week, the Jamaican track team was making headlines for the wrong reasons -- a complicated doping case.

Then a group of athletes who were uninvited to the worlds by the country's track officials because they didn't participate in team training camp got reinvited at the request of international officials. Bolt made everyone forget about that and showed, once again, what a great sport track can be when the focus is on the track, not doping control and the meeting rooms. Bolt ran his latest unforgettable race at Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the history-filled home of the 1936 Olympics where Jesse Owens became the world's biggest track star. Bolt lives in Owens' stratosphere now, having set the 100 world record three times and also owning the 200-meter record thanks to the 19.30 he ran in Beijing to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old mark. Now he has added the world championship, last won by Gay in 2007, to his Olympic title. A Stanford professor estimated he could've gone 9.55 if he'd run full out through the line in Beijing. Bolt almost made that guy look like a genius. "He's like a created game person," American Darvis Patton said. "I can't imagine going 9.71 and not winning.

That will win every race in history except for today [and at the Olympics]." Tyson Gay set the American 100-meter record in 9.71 seconds Sunday, a time that would have set the world mark a year ago. Kirby Lee/US Presswire It's easy to see why Bolt is such a crowd favorite. He's a colorful character who loves to entertain. The track is his stage and he didn't disappoint Sunday. Before climbing into the blocks, Bolt gave spectators a quick wave and did his trademark bow-and-arrow pose. That drew big applause. Then the real show started. Unlike the Olympics, when he skidded from the blocks, Bolt burst out this time in his yam-colored Pumas, opening a sizable lead on the field after 20 meters. From there, it could have been a stroll in the park. But there was no letting up this time. Before crossing the line, he glanced to his right to check on Gay once -- not in the picture -- and then back at the clock. His face lit up as he spotted the digits "9.58" appear on the screen next to the track. The party was on.

He grabbed a flag and did a victory lap with countryman Asafa Powell, who finished with the bronze (9.84). They even stopped midway down the track and did a little dance number. Too bad the song wasn't from rapper Akon, who wrote about the sprinter in a song, the lyric going, "Quicker than Usain Bolt, the fastest thing runnin'." Next came pictures -- lots of flashes popping -- and hugs as Bolt greeted everyone who called his name -- and they were numerous. The entire victory lap took about 20 minutes. Or about 19:50.42 longer than it took to run his 100. Standing back at the finish line, waiting for him to finish up, was Gay. He paced around, clearly agitated. Not in anger at losing, though. No, he wanted off the track, but wasn't allowed by an official. Gay was quite complimentary of his rival in a race that lived up to the hype. "I've been telling you someone could run 9.5," Gay said. "I'm happy he did it, it showed a human can take it to another level.

Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to do it, but I still have confidence I can do it one day." Gay didn't have much of a chance. Not against Bolt. And certainly not with a groin injury that he admitted to Saturday. He said it was worse than he let on, but refused to use it as a convenient excuse. "I showed a lot of heart," Gay said. "I put it together the best I could." Powell was right beside Bolt his entire journey around the track, then through the mixed zone. For Powell, Bolt is a blessing. It takes all the pressure off his shoulders. He doesn't have to carry the weight of a country by himself. "He really knows how to perform under pressure," Powell said. "I need to take a page out of his book." That might not be a bad idea for all the sprinters. British sprinter Dwain Chambers, who tested positive for the steroid THG in 2003 and served a two-year suspension, got to see Bolt's spectacle from the back of the field. It was rather enjoyable. "As you get older, you start to realize when you're put into these situations that you can't be upset," said Chambers, who wound up sixth.

"You can't put that into words. Many guys said to me that it's demoralizing to be apart of a world-record race. For me, it was exciting." Usain Bolt MPH Usain Bolt MPH Carl Valle How fast is Usain Bolt? The purest question one can ask in sports is about how fast someone can run. For competition purposes, the 100-meter dash at the Olympics is an event that attempts to answer that question. Unfortunately, the time at the end of the race only shares how long it takes to get there and does not reveal an athlete’s maximum velocity. In 2009, Usain Bolt ran the world-record time of 9.58 seconds. Not only was that race in Berlin one of the greatest ever, it was the fastest recorded speed a human being has ever run in any conditions. Many sports fans want to know not only how fast Usain Bolt ran but also how fast other athletes are relative to the greatest living sprinter.

Analysis of the 2009 World Record On August 16, 2009, Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds with a +0.9 wind, a world record and the fastest a human has ever run. When we talk about how fast someone is, many different interpretations can be suggested, but most people look at maximal speed and not event speed. Each distance run has a unique time, but all events have a maximal velocity that can be calculated. When we glance at our dashboard while driving, the current speed in terms of miles per hour or kilometers per hour is displayed, and we can calculate those speeds by breaking down the Usain Bolt sprint. It is essential to know that to reach maximal velocity, humans need at least 60 meters of distance to accelerate to top speed. The 40 yard dash is a measure of acceleration, and while it’s more likely to be useful for team sports, many team sport athletes run fast enough to make the longer sprints needed to clock how fast they can run. The 100m dash is long enough that fatigue hits at the very end of the race, but no sprinter is saving energy by not running maximal speed.

Figure 1: The velocity and distance chart for Usain Bolt’s 2009 100m race in Berlin. Note the distance (horizontal axis) and the velocity in meters per second (vertical axis) showing top speed at the 60-70m race segment. Usain Bolt reached his top velocity at approximately 60 meters as shown in the figure above. The X axis is the race distance with 5 meter intervals. To smooth out the data, 5 meter intervals or 2-3 steps enhances precision and better helps visualize the race. The Y axis is velocity in meters per second, a natural pairing to the distance horizontally. In track and field, all distances are metric, and velocity is described by sharing how fast one is going per second by listing the precise distance in meters. For simplicity, a 100-meter race is usually broken down into 10-meter segments, the approach we will use here to make the numbers easier to work with. After we break down the race in more detail and get the final speed, we will then convert the metric time into imperial units for American readers but list all units for deeper understanding.

Peak velocity is hit somewhere between 60 and 70 meters into the race, and sport scientists use videos and sometimes laser equipment to estimate speed. In athletics (track and field), all the scientists have for the most part is a video and the chronometer that is synced with the digital film. Using tools similar to Dartfish and other video analysis software, experts in biomechanics break down the race into 10-meter increments and the time it takes to get to each part of the race. Conveniently, the race is 100 meters, so slicing up the sprint into ten segments is nice and neat from a mathematical standpoint. From a quick look at the chart, one can see that the early part of the race takes longer as it’s slower, but at the three quarter mark Usain Bolt, like most sprinters, reaches maximum velocity. To acquire top speed, as most do in sprint races, the approach is to see how long it takes to get from point A to point B, specifically the fastest part.

It’s believed that, in most races, athletes can only hold their max speed for a few steps; a 10 meter segment is long enough to represent what an athlete can hold, but not so long that slower steps will decrease their average speed in the segment. One can drill down to the fastest step in the race, but the difference between the fastest step and the next few are so small it’s not worth it. In summary, top speed is only held for a very brief time, but 10m is adequate to prevent misrepresentation. Converting Splits to Maximum Speed The fastest split for a flying 10m segment ever attained is estimated to be 0.81 seconds, attained by Usain Bolt during the finals. The conditions of the race were historical, since the previous year Tyson Gay had been injured, and all three fastest men in the world were lined up for an epic showdown. To most sprint coaches who live in a world of splits and other forms of race analysis, the 0.81 did not require a second thought to appreciate the speed Usain attained in the finals.

Splits are common numbers seen time after time with coaches, but to the average person, the only splits are laps around a 400-meter track for pacing. A 10-meter segment is a little different. When converting from a 10-meter split to meters per second, the math isn’t hard, but most want to know how many miles or kilometers per hour someone can go. We are all familiar with automobile velocities from speedometers, and modern bikes and even GPS tools with smartphones provide real-time speed. Most sports are starting to get into more athlete data, and players are tracked in either kph or mph using video or GPS sensor data. Figure 2: The split velocity chart is a conversion table for all coaches, not just track coaches, to see familiar speeds athletes can achieve. The faster the athlete, the more distance they need and the further the transmitters if using Freelap timing. The yellow line is what Usain Bolt is capable of doing, and the red line is a speed barrier that, so far, nobody in soccer has broken. Remember that game situations, surfaces, fatigue, and other factors limit what athletes can do in games.

The table is a perfect way for coaches to not only see maximum speed but also create fitness profiles and other conditioning metrics based on how much speed someone can maintain. For the purposes of this article, Usain Bolt hit roughly 27.6 miles per hour, or 44.4 kilometers per hour if you are reading from somewhere outside the USA. Another perspective can be taken by measuring out 12.35 meters, and that is how much ground Usain covered in one second, or just a blink of the eye. Everything is relative, though; as impressive as Usain Bolt is, we humans are not fast runners compared to other land animals, and from the interview with Bill Pressey , one can deduce that we are slow animals. We are not as fast as other two-legged creatures such as the ostrich and kangaroos, but we are a rare species in that we are mammals that use two-legged locomotion. Parting Thoughts How fast athletes can run is fascinating, and Usain Bolt’s speed is the fastest anyone has run in any conditions.

As mentioned earlier, wind that is too fast from behind is considered illegal, as just a stiff breeze greater than 2.0 meters per second will prevent a track event not able to from being considered for a record. In the past, races that were significantly wind aided resulted in times that appeared to be fantasy, such as the race in El Paso in which Obadele Thompson ran a 9.69, a performance worthy of science fiction. Years later, Usain Bolt shattered that barrier and ran an 0.81 within the legal limits for wind, becoming the world’s fastest man. What will it take to run faster? The Freelap Receiver is set for 0.78, as we think it impossible for an athlete to run faster during practice in the near future—but who knows what can be done with talent and hard work. Excel Spreadsheet Coaches and athletes interested in converting splits to velocities can download this excel file for speed estimation of conditioning and other calculations . Please share so others may benefit. 39

Question: Who set the world record in the 100m dash, with a time of 9.58 seconds?
Answer: Usain Bolt