Put him in modern shoes on a modern track with starting blocks and modern training & nutrition and he’d beat anyone
Bolt was so, so dominant, to the extent that he's actually become underrated. He's a tenth of a second better than anyone else in history.
THIS!
People understand that Bolt was good. The best, even. By far. His name is literally synonymous with speed.
But this guy was just.. unbelievably good. The fact that a sprinter this good even existed boggles the mind. If Bolt had never existed and you had told me about a sprinter that accomplished what he did in an insanely competitive era of running I would have called you crazy and have you taken away.
Bolt was just so much better than everyone else. No one in the modern era has even come close. His 9.69 in Beijing is still the greatest race ever run in the history of the sport.
Bolt is so good that people don't understand how good he is. He is so good that he is underrated.
I know he has the world record, but people like Asafa have run way more sub 10s in the 100m, and Gatlin has more longevity over the event.
A guy who sets WRs while mugging for the camera instead of leaning is an easy #1 in my book. He was even challenged really. Totally different body type and athlete.
Jesse Owens lost a lot to Ralph Metcalf and Eulace Peacock, once losing to Peacock five races in a row. Bummer because of injury Peacock missed out on those 36 Olympics.
Owens actually a better long jumper there he rarely loss, Peacock beat him once,
Ato Boldon used to have Ato,com a forum to talk sprinting, I met a lot of sprinters and fans out of the Caribbean there. A friend of mine named Carlos (met him at Ato.com) was behind this....
Caribbean Track & Field forum (a sub division of Talawah.com) is a forum based website devoted to the discussion of track and field with a piercing emphasis on the results of athletes from the Caribbean, born & raised or athletes of Caribbean heritage. The forum features many knowledgeable and experienced "forumites" who contribute their wealth of knowledge on a regular basis.
The forum is hardly restrictive as anyone is open to view the msg board. However, only registered users are permitted to contribute to the topics discussed. Fortunately, registration is free (you only need a username, password and email address & bingo!)
The forum is mangaged by a handful of moderators who do their best to ensure that only the most accurate information is shared on the site. (yeah right..) All in all, if you're hungry for the latest track and field gossip or results Caribbean Track and Field forum should definitely be your first stop, especially if you're trying to find a free link to watch a european track meet online!
I was the mod on a site called Sub10 went by Brutal, Good times for all of us sprint geeks,
Anyway,,,,
A lot of those guys knew Bolt personally, actually hung out with him, all of them saying the same thing ......the guy detested dopers and cheats. I do believe Bolt is just that good to the point of never feeling a need to cheat. All those years of training as a 200m sprinter and that 6-5 stride is what seperated him from all the rest.
This post was edited 9 minutes after it was posted.
I was really rooting for Tyson Gay back in the day to take down Bolt. He was just more humble, and I like to root for the Americans. A healthy Tyson would have won the Olympics and Worlds the last 2 years, if he was in his prime. Unfortunately he peaked against the GOAT.
Unless GOAT status is explicitly defined in quantifiable terms, it's impossible to agree on who's the GOAT of anything. What I read on GOAT threads on this website is squabbling about a GOAT of something-or-other that never goes anywhere. It quickly unravels into "who's my favorite sprinter / miler / marathoner, etc?" Having a favorite is just fine of course, but please folks, stop with the GOAT stuff. It's just a waste of time.
Oh, yeah - no doubt. He took the WRs to levels no one thought possible, he was amazingly dominant, and he did it for a long time, including multiple WCs and Olympics. Plus, he was such a joyful competitor, with such charisma.
1. Lewis competed 25 years before Bolt .The sport evolves
Lewis invented the super-float that Bolt emulated. His WR in 1991 must have been one of the best last 90m ever, after he just about fell on his face out of the blocks.
They are still the only two sprinters I've ever seen able to do that high-stepping overdrive thing.
I know he has the world record, but people like Asafa have run way more sub 10s in the 100m, and Gatlin has more longevity over the event.
A guy who sets WRs while mugging for the camera instead of leaning is an easy #1 in my book. He was even challenged really. Totally different body type and athlete.
No kidding. When he tore his top off in self-approbation after that FS in Daegu, I thought "Wow, that's a human being?" He was so sway-back it was unreal.
Unique in so many ways. I wish he would re-involve himself with the sport as a commentator or some sort of ambassador, but he seems to have other fish to fry.