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A new scientific study has predicted that Usain Bolt would have run the 100m in 9.42 seconds in super spikes – an astonishing 0.16 faster than his current world record set in 2009. But one man who isn’t arguing is the legendary Jamaican himself.
Bolt, who is in Tokyo to present the medals for the 100m final at the world athletics championships on Sunday, said he wasn’t surprised with the findings. “I fully agree with it,” he said. “Because one athlete that continued after I retired was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and she got faster with the new spikes. I probably would have run way faster with them too.”
The study was conducted by Wouter Hoogkamer and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, who conducted research on the original Nike Vaporfly super shoes in 2016 and have since analysed leading shoes from all the major brands.
Hoogkamer and his team were contacted by Puma, who funded a study into what Bolt might have achieved if his size-13 spikes had come armed with bouncy foam and a carbon plate. Their 21-page study, using data from 15 athletes and a series of complex equations, makes the case that the Jamaican would have been considerably quicker.
Not that Bolt has tried Puma’s latest sprint spikes. “I haven’t tried the new shoes,” he said. “I don’t want to pull my hamstrings. But the shoes are clearly good.”
Bolt has not attended a world championships since he last competed in the 2017 event in London but said he was looking forward to seeing his country’s star athletes in action.
“I think it is more stressful than me watching my fellow Jamaicans run than when I actually competed,” he said. “I have seen Shelly-Ann and the other guys compete down the years and I have always got so nervous watching them.
His prediction? That Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville will both beat the reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles in Sunday’s 100m final.
“Kishane and Oblique have already shown they are in shape. They should be 1-2 because they have proved throughout the season that they are on top and are running fast. Now it’s just about one of them executing and it should be fine. I’m very confident that they can get it done.”
Bolt also clearly believes that his 9.58 second record will stay for some time – especially since it has been 13 years since someone last ran inside 9.7 secs.
After admitting that he would prefer one of his own children to break the record, he conceded that he was not holding his breath.
“I’ve always hoped that maybe one of my kids, my boys, will do track and field,” he said. “I don’t know. They’re not showing any talent yet. Hopefully, they’ll get better, we’ll see.”
