# Usain Bolt sets new 100m record at 9.58

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [August 17, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701 "2009-08-17T05:45:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701/1 "2009-08-17T05:45:54Z")

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Exactly one year after his amazing 100m run at the Olympics Bolt has [broken](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/sports/global/17track.html?_r=1&hp)his own record by more than 1/10th of a second.

To understand why this is such an amazing performance just take a look at the [progression](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_100_metres_world_record_progression)for the 100m record probably the most prestigious in all of track and field. The record has fallen by roughly a second over 100 years, around 1/10th of a second per decade. In the 70’s and 80’s it appeared stuck in the 9.90’s and you might have been forgiven for thinking that the limit of human speed had been reached. Then Carl Lewis breached the 9.90 mark with 9.86 in 1991 and the record gradually began falling again but only to 9.77 by 2005.

Bolt was the first to break 9.70 at the Olympics last year and now he has shaved a 1/10th of a second all by himself in just one year. It probably ranks along with Beamon’s long jump at Mexico City as one of the greatest record-breaking performances in athletic history.

And you have to wonder where he will stop. At 22 he is quite young for a sprinter and has several years to improve. He should be able to break his record again some time. Could he possibly breach the 9.50 mark?

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**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701/2 "2009-08-17T06:06:29Z")

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There’s a thread on it already.

> **[World Athletics Championship (spoilers)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=528346)**
>
> 100m men’s final Usain Bolt just won the 100m in a time of 9.58 seconds. I don’t think anybody has ever taken more than a tenth of a second off the 100m record before, their own record or otherwise. The guy who came second ran 9.71. Bolt always...

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**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701/3 "2009-08-17T06:15:32Z")

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Thanks. Mods please close this thread.

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**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usain-bolt-sets-new-100m-record-at-9-58/506701/4 "2009-08-17T20:41:23Z")

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Thread closed due to request by OP.