2009 World Athletics Championships - Berlin

Daniel Booth37 said:Forget about the competition. Yesterday, Bolt pulled Tyson Gay along; it wasn't Gay pushing Bolt. That 9.71 belongs to Bolt, not Tyson. Bolt runs as fast as he pushes himself... yesterday, all those stories about some epic showdown just sank into the water because there really wasn't a duel to begin with.

And you seem to think sports are only for people who have zero competition. First of all, do you really believe Bolt's antics before a race mean he isn't thinking about his rivals? Bolt's 9.58 was at least partially due to how competitive Gay's 9.71 was.
If they had let some absolute monster chase him down from behind, he would have run a 9.45... I'm certain of that. But not because he's playing games with the beast, but because he'd be running for his life.
It's not that his competition is some terrifying monster, but if it were... the results might actually be even better...

I think Tyson Gay put what I was trying to say much more clearly and concisely:

"It showed a human can take it to another level."

That’s really it. This goes beyond sports, mostly because he stands so far above everyone else. I can't really think of any champion in any field where the achievement felt like it transcended the sport itself. Competitive athletics, including basics like track or swimming, usually just boils down to beating an opponent. That opponent might be the person in the next lane or a record set thirty years ago. But Bolt isn't really fighting anyone; none of the other sprinters' results even belong in the same category, which is actually kind of sad. Tyson Gay ran a new world-no-Bolt record last night, and I guess people just don't seem to care about that.

Daniel Booth37 said:This goes beyond just sports, mainly because he stands above all the other athletes...

You're using some serious propaganda-style rhetoric there, man. You really shouldn't be talking like that...

northerncanyon54 said:you're using some pretty extreme propaganda-style rhetoric there, man... that's probably not the best way to put it.

That kind of extremist rhetoric assumes one person or group is inherently superior, but I think I'm just commenting on what we all witnessed last night. I guess you could say Bolt is just a genetic outlier; he has a natural gift, and I'm honestly just glad he competes in a sport where that talent can really shine.

I mean, look, just like I have zero faith in how consistent those results from the late Florence Griffith Joyner were, I’ve got the exact same doubts about these recent numbers from Bolt. Someone actually pointed out that you just can't break that 10-second barrier without some kind of help from doping—it's just not happening naturally. And honestly? These times are looking freakishly, abnormally fast.

I was totally hunting that world record, and man, I actually pulled it off! Honestly, I’m just so stoked with myself. We’re living through a massive moment in history right now, though who knows what kind of crazy stuff happens tomorrow, right? For me, it was just one hell of a ride. This is huge back home in Jamaica. I showed up with one goal: execute. And I nailed it. There were Seven guys and not Just Tyson running in this Final with me, and I treated every single one of them like a threat. Oh, and yeah—my folks are here in the stands. I grabbed some nuggets for lunch earlier. The First Phone call i Got was fra a TV station in JAMAICA and The second fra Our Prime Minster. I seriously didn't see this coming. I just locked in and went out to do my job; I never dreamed I’d shave another 0.1s off my own WR. But hey, anything can happen if you're feeling it. I didn't let any nerves get to me before the gun went off—I save all my worrying for when I'm not competing. The crowd was absolutely electric, seriously, the energy those guys pumped into me was unreal. Now, the hunt is officially on for the 200m gold.

Is that what they call "doping"? 😁

Daniel Booth37 said:That kind of rhetoric assumes some sort of inherent superiority of an individual or a race, whereas I’m just commenting on what we all witnessed last night. Bolt is a genetic outlier; he possesses a natural gift, and I'm honestly just glad he competes in a sport where that can actually be showcased.

She isn't assuming anything, she's stating it as a fact—just like you are. If you've watched as much sports as you claim, you’d probably be making these exact same arguments after any other athlete's success, if internet forums had even existed back then...🤷
There is a massive difference between being genuinely thrilled, which most people here are—myself included—and flatly insisting that this moment is absolutely unique and impossible to replicate, especially given how controversial one of these track disciplines can be...

Scott Cruz73 said:Just as I have my doubts regarding the consistency of the late Florence Griffith Joyner's records, I find myself skeptical of Bolt's recent performances. There is a prevailing sentiment that breaking the ten-second barrier is impossible without performance-enhancing drugs. These specific times seem unnaturally fast...

🤦 🤣
This is easily the most absurd thing I've heard lately... I haven't laughed this hard on this forum since someone claimed LeBron James was an untalented hack...🙏

Sam Long5 said:I haven't had a decent laugh on this forum since some guy claimed LeBron James was a talentless hack...🙏

Did Dr. S touch on the NBA at all? ☕

Check out this wild breakdown by segments—it really shows how he absolutely dominated every single part of the race. Honestly, if he’d had a better reaction time instead of just being 6th off the blocks, he probably would've clocked a 9.55 or even a 9.54.
But wait, here's the kicker: Bolt actually became the first person ever to dip under the 9.5 mark in the 100m yesterday. He his 100m in a mind-blowing 9.426. 🙏

Brian Doyle6 said:I think Bolt absolutely smoked Gay yesterday—it’s hard to see him making any more progress after a showing like that...

Yeah, you could see it all over his face... just pure disbelief at what was happening out there.

He was running a world-class race in his own right, but standing next to a guy like Bolt, he didn't stand a chance—and I suspect he knows it, too.

The experts missed the mark completely—Bolt is just a physical freak of nature built for this sport. Americans (and everyone else, really) have spent decades hunting for sprinters like Tyson Gay or Powell, so they’re probably scrambling now to find anyone even remotely close to Bolt. There’s no need to rush the lightning bolt—this record was a solid run, but it wasn't some massive, explosive leap. He’s still got a tenth of a second, maybe more, tucked away in terms of pure technique and raw power, since he wasn't even pushing his absolute limit at the finish. In this game, he's basically the Isinbayev of pole vault—you can only catch him when he's sleeping.

Gay—definitely the best "old school" runner we've seen so far. Americans put a ton of work into his conditioning (I'll mention Powell, who clocked a 9.72 once). He used Bolt's slipstream quite well and gave it everything, but he simply can't generate that kind of velocity. Credit where it's due, but against this beast? No chance. Probably not even in the 200 meters.

wiredseal7 said:Probably wouldn't even touch 200 meters.

Of course, there's no real debate there, but whether he can dip under 19.30... that's the real question. That record is a bit more of a headache than the 100m one...

Top 3 from 2009:

19.58 Tyson Gay
19.59 Usain Bolt
19.98 Wallace Spearmon

wiredseal7 said:The experts were dead wrong—Bolt is just physically built different for this sport. Americans (and everyone else, really) have spent decades hunting for sprinters like Gay or Asafa Powell, so they’re probably scrambling now to find anyone who actually looks anything like Bolt. There was no need to rush the lightning bolt—this record was solid, but he wasn't even redlining. He still has a tenth, maybe more, left in the tank technically and physically since he didn't even kick into high gear at the finish. In his discipline, he’s basically what Isinbayev is to pole vault; you can only catch him if he's sleeping.

Gay was definitely the best "old school" runner we've seen; the US put a ton of work into his conditioning (not to mention Powell hitting that 9.72 once). He used Bolt's slipstream well and gave it his all, but he just can't hit those top speeds. Respect to him, but against this beast? No chance. Probably not even in the 200m.

It’s totally possible coaches will start telling kids, "Sorry kid, you're just too short for sprinting." 🙂

Word is Bolt needed half a stride less than he did in Beijing—41 total—and after the 60m mark, his strides are hitting about 2.85m.

It would be pretty wild to watch a Bolt vs Michael Johnson showdown in the 200m today, especially since the latter has legs half the size...

Daniel Booth37 said:If you actually bother to look at the bigger picture (which I know you won't, because you haven't seen anything yet), you'll get it. I don't even feel like getting into the specifics. I'll just say this: enjoy what you're watching lately, because these are performances that transcend sports. Just soak it in. One day, you'll be telling your kids you saw him live.

Suppose they end up crucifying him. Would you even believe he was the reincarnation of Jesus?

Noah Ross7 said:If they somehow crucified him, would you actually believe he was the reincarnation of Jesus?

Nah, I guess that would just be Bolt on the cross.

Noah Ross7, quit playing around. 9.58. Seriously.
I mean, I still remember the 1990 SP in Tokyo (or maybe it was '91 🤔) when Carl Lewis clocked a 9.86. Back then, nobody thought anyone would touch that record for at least another decade or two... The previous record holder was Calvin Smith at 9.93.
Yesterday, Daniel Bailey and Richard Thompson were absolutely flying. Asafa Powell actually ran two hundredths faster than Carl Lewis.

But Bolt? He was about 20 meters ahead. Just cruising.

The guy is already one of the greatest sprinters to ever step on a track—and that’s being pretty conservative if you ask me. Sure, people will say he might be using something to get there; results like that always invite a little suspicion... But if he's clean, then I’m going to do what Brian Doyle6 says—I'm going to sit my kids down one day and tell them how I watched Usain Bolt at the absolute peak of human performance.

@Alex Cook/">@@Alex Cook.

I'm not saying Usain Bolt isn't the greatest sprinter to ever do it. But claiming he's the greatest athlete of all time? I guess that's a stretch.

That’s a bit of a stretch, I gotta agree. At the very least, it feels pretty unfair to all those absolute legends out there... not to mention how much of a losing game it is trying to compare athletes from completely different sports.

Alex Cook said:I have to agree, that feels like a bit of an exaggeration. At the very least, it doesn't seem fair to all those other legends out there. And honestly, trying to compare athletes from completely different sports is such a thankless task to begin with...

Well, even if it is a thankless task, it's just impossible to do accurately...