Heard of Usain Bolt? Obviously, you would’ve if you were an avid track and field fan. Indeed, the Jamaican’s career is undeniable, and despite years of retirement from the sport, he continues to hold two world records in the men’s 100m and 200m, a feat no other athlete has attempted to surpass yet.

Bolt’s name stays on the top of many rankings, and until now, there have been rarely a few who have surpassed him in any certain condition. However, a statistic has come up, pointed out by a track and field analyst, that showcases Bolt being outshined by one of his former Jamaican teammates and rivals in the 100m distance.

Beating Usain Bolt is a feat in itself

Before the start of any season, numerous factors are taken into account in order to qualify for a major event. Indeed, these athletes have to go through track meets that will act as qualifying rounds for the main trials, which are always the National Championships of their respective countries. And when it comes down to a 100-meter distance, the community looks forward to an athlete keeping their timing below the 10-second mark. Indeed, many athletes pursue the “sub-10” to prepare themselves for a major run. While Usain Bolt did shine with his pace at the major events, he has fallen short in this specific ranking, which included the top three runners who have the highest sub-10 performances throughout their careers.

As reported by Kemal Forde on X, the track analyst revealed that Bolt’s teammate Asafa Powell is at the top of the list, with 97 sub-10 performances in his career. But how many does Bolt have? With just 52 performances, Bolt shares third position with Maurice Green from the United States, but Justin Gatlin, another American legend, surpasses him with 64 sub-10 performances.

All of these aforementioned track stars had a reputation for shattering world records in the distance. However, let’s compare Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt in the 100m. Both Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt had a stellar career, not only as teammates but also as strong rivals, given that track is an individual sport. So when did Powell capture that 100m world record? Back in June 2006, Powell ran a blistering 9.77 in Zurich, breaking the world record of Tim Montgomery. In the same season, he acquired the World Athlete of the Year award, considering his many gold medal performances.

However, Bolt consistently set the standard in every major championship round, despite Powell’s usual faster pace. Indeed, his career was very promising, but later on, he succumbed to numerous injuries that caused him to miss multiple track meets. During this time, Bolt surpassed his fellow Jamaican and broke the 100m record multiple times, finally settling at 9.58 seconds at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. Powell never had any personal grudge, and watching Bolt achieve success also propelled him to at least run times near to his teammate’s, which he successfully did.

Apart from being teammates and rivals on the track, Bolt and Powell shared a friendship. Both of them were always seen together, enjoying other events and occasions. With his extensive experience, Powell has consistently offered valuable insights over the years. Recently, in the months leading up to the Paris Olympics, he made a bold prediction that ultimately proved to be accurate.

But there can be only one king in the jungle

The Paris Olympics brought the track community a lot of action and, before that, a lot of promises. And the 100m world champion from Budapest, Noah Lyles, made a bold claim that he will try to break Usain Bolt’s 200m world record. The athlete’s all-time best in the 200m distance is 19.31, but his confidence was bolstered by his dominance in the events leading up to the Games.

Many people expressed their opinions about the American runner’s determination, and Asafa Powell was also informed about these statements. So during an interview with Citius Mag, the Jamaican opened up, stating, “The only record I see, possibly, somebody going close to maybe the 200m, personally because you can run faster in the 200m and the 100m I think, 9.58 you know…it’s going to be there for a very very very very very long time.” And guess what happened? No one even came closer to both the 100m and the 200m records set by Bolt at the Paris Olympics.