# At what point will world records stop being broken...consequences?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 14, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743 "2016-08-14T00:14:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/21 "2016-08-15T13:56:35Z")
There are an immense number of sporting events, so there are always records that can be broken. There will also be records that cannot be broken, but you don’t notice the non-record-breaking events. You notice the record breaking events.
Despite the title of msith537’s article, last night Wayde van Niekirk absolutely annihilated the record in the 400-metre race. It was an awe-inspiring performance. So the night had one record broken, and we’re seeing swimming records broken still. The 100m record didn’t get broken, but I suspect there’s still some room for i9mprovement on Usain Bolt’s 9.59; if he can do that, someone can do 9.58, and I honestly think 9.5 will be cracked before I die. But on the flip side, as pointed out, most of the field event records were set by cheating East Germans and Soviets back in the day, so they’ve held up forever and might always hold up.
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### Author:  [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/22 "2016-08-16T03:13:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> There are an immense number of sporting events, so there are always records that can be broken. There will also be records that cannot be broken, but you don’t notice the non-record-breaking events. You notice the record breaking events.
>
> Despite the title of msith537’s article, last night Wayde van Niekirk absolutely annihilated the record in the 400-metre race. It was an awe-inspiring performance. So the night had one record broken, and we’re seeing swimming records broken still. The 100m record didn’t get broken, but I suspect there’s still some room for i9mprovement on Usain Bolt’s 9.59; if he can do that, someone can do 9.58, and I honestly think 9.5 will be cracked before I die. But on the flip side, as pointed out, most of the field event records were set by cheating East Germans and Soviets back in the day, so they’ve held up forever and might always hold up.
But at some point that has to stop, right? We won’t see a sub-9 100m time, right?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/23 "2016-08-16T03:23:54Z")
> [@UltraVires](#):
>
> But at some point that has to stop, right? We won’t see a sub-9 100m time, right?
[World Records: Fossils, stagnation & a tale of two drugs.](http://sportsscientists.com/2016/08/world-records-fossils/)
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/24 "2016-08-16T03:27:31Z")
> [@Cugel](#):
>
> Hard to say never, but it seems there’s been just a single instance of the men’s long jump being broken in last 48 years, and that was 25 years ago.
>
> Let’s unzombie this thread in 2041 and see where we’re at.
And the 48-year-old record, set by Bob Beamon, was at least in part the result of the thin air in Mexico City.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/25 "2016-08-16T03:31:41Z")
> [@UltraVires](#):
>
> But at some point that has to stop, right? We won’t see a sub-9 100m time, right?
It’s only a matter of time before we see a man run a marathon in under 2 hours. Just when I think that record is impossible to break, by either men or women, someone comes along and does it.
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/26 "2016-08-16T18:04:35Z")
One thing I see happening as world records get harder to beat: we’ll see more statistics on how good a sub-record performance was. In the 2100 Olympics, we may hear commentators say “That’s the best time since 2056!” “That’s right, Bob. She just beat 99% of historical gold medal finishes.”
On the other hand, we may find that some unbeatable records are variants of the impossible four-minute mile.
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-will-world-records-stop-being-broken-consequences/762743/27 "2016-08-16T23:43:05Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> And the 48-year-old record, set by Bob Beamon, was at least in part the result of the thin air in Mexico City.
Bob’s is the Olympic record. But Mike Powell 8.95 m (29 ft 41⁄4 in) has the world record(1991), just FYI.
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