Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, one of track and field’s most decorated athletes with eight Olympic gold medals, previously had one of his Beijing 2008 gold medals stripped due to a teammate’s doping violation, while a potential technological breakthrough might now threaten his long-standing world records.
Bolt, 38, remains the current holder of both the 100m and 200m world records. His journey to sprint dominance began when he first broke the 100m world record with a time of 9.72 seconds at a New York Grand Prix, before improving to 9.69 seconds during the Beijing Olympics. He ultimately established the current record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Though Bolt initially won nine Olympic gold medals, his medal count was reduced after the Jamaican 4×100-meter relay team from Beijing 2008 was disqualified. Teammate Nesta Carter received a doping sanction nine years after their world-record performance of 37.10 seconds, resulting in all four team members losing their medals.
Bolt responded philosophically to the medal loss: “I am disappointed based on losing a medal, but it won’t take away from what I have done throughout my career, because I have won my individual events and that’s the key thing.”
Meanwhile, Bolt’s 100m world record faces a new challenge from technological innovation. Hong Kong-born sprinter-turned-entrepreneur Alvina Chen has developed what’s being called the world’s first digital “smart track” with a British-based team of experts. The surface is claimed to be “20 percent faster than the Paris Olympic track.”
“There is the potential for early nine seconds, if not sub-nine seconds for a human,” Chen explained. “We see how running shoes have evolved a lot, training methods and nutrition… but one thing that hasn’t changed pretty much is the track surface – that hasn’t changed for like 60 years, from the 1968 Olympics.”
Chen’s company, Feldspar, reportedly has held “positive talks” with World Athletics regarding the ratification of this revolutionary track technology. If approved, it could significantly impact Bolt’s legacy by potentially helping current sprinters like Noah Lyles challenge his long-standing records.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7m7dvJuyA7h5XMc22i
