Three athletes have risen to the challenge, breaking Usain Bolt’s records and signaling a new era of speed in track and field.
Usain Bolt remains one of the greatest sprinters in history thanks to his electrifying speed and dominance on the track.
Usain Bolt made a name for himself during his prime days, setting records that stunned the world. His 100m world record of 9.58 seconds and the 200m world record of 19.19 seconds, both set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, still stand today.
However, a few of his junior records have already been surpassed but that does not away from the fact that he is a global icon. His legacy includes world records, eight Olympic gold medals and multiple World Championship titles.
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Many athletes have attempted to get to his level, targeting his senior world records but the new generation of sprinters has only gotten to break his other impressive records.
Pulse Sports will explore the three exceptional athletes, Gout Gout, Erriyon Knighton, and Wayde van Niekerk, who have managed to break Usain Bolt’s. These athletes are proof that anything is possible and that Usain Bolt’s senior world records will one day be broken.
3 Athletes who have broken Usain Bolt’s record
Gout Gout
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Gout Gout celebrates after winning the race in Brisbane. Image source: Imago
Gout Gout celebrates after winning the race in Brisbane
The Australian teen sensation is one of the most exceptional talents to have emerged in recent years. Gout Gout has had a steady rise to stardom for his incredible performances on the track.
He was born to South Sudanese parents who relocated to Australia and he continues to showcase his talent, slowly becoming one of the most promising athletes in sprinting.
One of Usain Bolt’s most impressive records as a teenager was his U16 200m record of 20.13 seconds that was set in 2003. For more than two decades, his record has stood but Gout Gout put an end to that with his impressive run last year.
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Competing at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane, Gout Gout clocked an impressive 20.04 seconds to cross the finish line first and obliterate the record. The achievement cemented his status as the fastest U16 athlete in history over 200m and put him in the spotlight as one of the most exciting young talents in sprinting.
There is no doubt that Gout Gout has a bright future ahead and many athletics pundits believe that he has the potential to challenge for medals at major championships and possibly break more senior records in the coming years.
Erriyon Knighton
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Erriyon Knighton at the 2023 Golden Gala. Image source: Imago
Erriyon Knighton is an American sprinter who continues to show the world what hard work and commitment can do. He has taken the world by storm with his exceptional speed.
Knighton was born in 2004 and transitioned from football to track and field where he has since become one of the most talked-about young athletes in the world.
As a teenager, Usain Bolt ran 19.93 seconds in the 200m, setting a world U20 record in 2004 and at the time, it seemed unbeatable.
However, Knighton surpassed this record not once, but multiple times. At the age of 17, Erriyon Knighton clocked 19.88 seconds at the US Olympic trials, breaking Bolt’s long-standing record.
Erriyon Knighton then clocked an incredible 19.49 seconds at the LSU Invitational. With a personal best of 19.49 seconds at just 18 years old, Erriyon Knighton is among the athletes who are closer to Usain Bolt’s 19.19-second world record.
Erriyon Knighton has also been a victim of being compared to Usain Bolt repeatedly. However, he has always downplayed the comparisons, noting that he is focused on creating his own legacy.
Wayde van Niekerk
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Wayde van Niekerk after a past race. Image source: Imago
Wayde van Niekerk
Wayde van Niekerk is a South African sprinter best known for his 400m world record of 43.03 seconds, set at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
However, he has also broken Usain Bolt’s world record, I thought you should know. Wayde van Niekerk managed to break Usain Bolt’s record in an unusual event, the 300m.
Despite the distance not being contested in major championships, Usain Bolt set the previous best time of 30.97 seconds in 2010 but the record did not last for long.
In 2017, Wayde van Niekerk ran a mind-blowing 30.81 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s mark and becoming the fastest man ever over 300m.
Although he is primarily a 400m runner, van Niekerk has expressed interest in competing more frequently in the 200m. His personal best of 19.84 seconds suggests that if he shifted focus, he could become a serious contender for the 200m world record as well.
Usain Bolt: Will his world records ever fall?
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Usain Bolt in action action at a past race. Image source: Imago
Usain Bolt: Will his world records ever fall?
Usain Bolt’s legacy as the greatest sprinter of all time remains intact, but the next generation of athletes is getting closer to rewriting history.
While his 100m and 200m world records still stand, sprinters like Gout Gout, Erriyon Knighton, and Wayde van Niekerk have proven that his records are not untouchable.
The records might seem unbeatable but youngsters are pushing beyond the limits of human speed. The question now is not if Usain Bolt’s records will fall—but when.
