Monday, August 17, 2009

Usain Bolt Is Fast


Ho hum, Usain Bolt won another big race.

Ho hum, Usain Bolt broke the world record in the 100 meters...again.

Ho hum, Usain Bolt makes you wonder if a human being can actually run that fast.

It seems that's where we are these days when it comes to Mr. Bolt. The aptly-named track star added another notch to his belt on Sunday, winning the 100m dash at the World Track Championships in Berlin in a world-record time of 9.58 seconds.

9.58. In the 100 meters. That's just silly.

Ever since bursting onto the scene a few months before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Bolt has quickly established himself as one of the preeminent showstoppers in recent memory. Every race he runs has to be witnessed, just in case he decides to break another record. After smashing the world record in Beijing (despite slowing up at the end to celebrate), people wondered how fast he could possibly go.

Well, now we know...I think.

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he reset the world record sometime soon. The guy hasn't even been running the 100m distance for two years (he's a natural 200m sprinter), yet he's already broken the world record three times. It's hard to say whether or not he's perfected his technique in the shorter distance, but I would lean towards "no" considering the short amount of time he's had to learn the nuances of running 100 meters.

So, what's next for Bolt? I have no idea, but I do know that I'm prepared for anything this point. A sub-9.5; another 5 races at sub-9.6; new world records; it's all in play. He's rewriting the theory of human speed all by himself. He's lowered the 100m world record time more in the last year than all of the record-breakers had in the 17 years prior. Think about that. If he runs anything in the 9.4 range, I might pass out. That's just unheard of. Yet, with Bolt, it seems entirely possible.

I can't forecast what lies ahead for Usain Bolt or the 100m world record, but I do know that I'll be watching. He has a knack for making history every time he hits the track.

~~ Lank

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