Sprinter
Usain Bolt
Jamaican sprinter, 100 m and 200 m world record holder, eight-time Olympic champion
All evidence
27 records, newest first. Strength changes with age and weight class, so check the date and context before you compare.
2021
- 800 m2:40
“we clocked his unofficial finishing time at 2:40, three seconds behind the CarMax customer, who got her instant offer in 2:37”
2:40 = 160 s, timed by the magazine from his live stream; no official clock. He kept an easy pace the whole race, so it is not a max (effort working_set). Before the race he said his fastest 800 m in training was 2:05 (left out: no date).
2019
- 40-yard dash4.22 s
“Bolt, wearing a T-shirt, track pants and a pair of flat-soled Pumas, casually crossed the finish line with the very unofficial time of 4.22 seconds.”
Unofficial fan-event timing, not an NFL test. Matched John Ross's combine record of the time (4.22). Bolt later said 'I ran 4.22 in my sweats and some shoes' (Sportskeeda, 2024-03-05).
2017
- 100 m9.95 s
“In his final individual race, in the final, Bolt won the bronze medal in 9.95 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.8).
2016
- 200 m19.78 s
“Rio de Janeiro , Brazil 1st 100 m 9.81 1st 200 m 19.78”
Quote is a row of the Wikipedia competition-record table. Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.5).
- 100 m9.81 s
“At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bolt won the 100 metres gold medal with a time of 9.81 seconds.”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind +0.2).
2015
- 200 m19.55 s
“Bolt delivered in the final with his fifth fastest run ever for the 200 m at 19.55 seconds.”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.1).
- 100 m9.79 s
“Bolt leaned at the line to beat Gatlin 9.79 to 9.80 seconds.”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.5).
2013
- 200 m19.66 s
“Bolt ran a time of 19.66 s to finish over a tenth of a second clear.”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind 0.0).
- 100 m9.77 s
“In wet conditions, he edged Gatlin by eight hundredths of a second with 9.77 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.3).
2012
- 200 m19.32 s
“successful defence of his Olympic 200 metres title with a time of 19.32 seconds”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind +0.4).
- 100 m9.63 s
“he won the 100 metres gold medal with a time of 9.63 seconds”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind +1.5). Second-fastest 100 m ever.
2011
- 200 m19.4 s
“In the World Championships 200 m , Bolt cruised through to the final which he won in a time of 19.40 s.”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind +0.8). He was disqualified for a false start in the 100 m final at the same championships.
2010
- 300 m30.97 s
“300 metres in 30.97 seconds 27 May 2010 in the Golden Spike Ostrava”
Quote is from the Wikipedia personal-bests table; the World Athletics profile lists the same (30.97 NR, 27 MAY 2010). Wet weather; he said it left him with an Achilles problem.
2009
- 200 m19.19 s
“200 Metres Result 19.19 WR AR NR Date 20 AUG 2009”
Personal best and world record, as listed on the World Athletics profile (wind -0.3). Gold medal.
- 100 m9.58 s
“100 Metres Result 9.58 WR AR NR Date 16 AUG 2009”
Personal best and world record, as listed on the World Athletics profile (wind +0.9). Gold medal.
- 150 m14.35 s
“Bolt won the race in 14.35 s, the fastest time ever recorded for 150 m.”
150 m on a straight track. Dated by the IAAF race report that Wikipedia cites ('Bolt runs 14.35 sec for 150 m', 17 May 2009).
2008
- 200 m19.3 s
“setting a new world and Olympic record of 19.30 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind -0.9).
- 100 m9.69 s
“In the Olympic 100 m final (16 August), Bolt broke new ground, winning in 9.69 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list (wind 0.0). He slowed to celebrate before the line.
- 100 m9.72 s
“He ran 9.72 s with a tail wind of 1.7 m/s”
Wikipedia gives the date (31 May 2008) in the sentence before the quote. World record at the time.
2007
- 200 m19.91 s
“Bolt recorded 19.91 s with a head wind of 0.8 m/s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list. Tyson Gay won in 19.76. His 2007 best was 19.75 (Jamaican Championships, 2007-06-24).
- 100 m10.03 s
“In his debut tournament, he won the gold medal in a time of 10.03 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) season-best list (wind +0.7).
- 400 m45.28 s
“400 metres in 45.28 seconds 5 May 2007 in Kingston , Jamaica”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) season-best list. Quote is from the Wikipedia personal-bests table.
2005
- 200 m26.27 s
“he suffered an injury in the final, finishing in last place with a time of 26.27 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list. Not a full effort: he was injured during the race. His 2005 season best was 19.99 (London, 2005-07-22).
2004
- 200 m19.93 s
“taking the world junior record outright with a time of 19.93 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) season-best list (wind +1.4).
2003
- 200 m20.13 s
“equalled Roy Martin 's world junior record of 20.13 s at the Pan-American Junior Championships”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) season-best list (wind 0.0). Same season: 20.40 to win the World Youth title (2003-07-13) and 45.35 for 400 m at the Jamaican high school championships (2003-04-05).
2002
- 200 m20.61 s
“He won the 200 m in a time of 20.61 s”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) honours list. He ran 20.58 (then his best) in the first round on 2002-07-18.
2001
- 400 m48.28 s
“Bolt clocked a personal best time of 48.28 s in the 400 metres in the 2001 CARIFTA Games”
Date and time match the World Athletics profile (https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/usain-bolt-14201847) season-best list. Silver medal; the same meet gave 21.81 s for 200 m silver.