Featured Image Credit: MotionAthlete
Topics: Usain Bolt, Athletics
Nasir Jabbar
A 3D simulation has shown what would happen if the fastest athletes from different decades raced against each other - and the results are fascinating.
Bolt still holds the world records in 100m and 200m, which were both set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships.
His dominance on the track spanned two different eras, having also shone in the 2010s, including his stunning showings at the 2012 Olympics, where he won three gold medals. He medalled in the 100m, the 200m and the 4x100m relay.
But before Bolt, the likes of Carl Lewis and Maurice Green were the top sprinters around.
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Lewis, who was dubbed the 'Athlete of the Century' because he also participated in the long jump, set a blistering time of 9.92 seconds at the 1998 Olympics, while Green, who was known for his explosive starts, clocked an impressive 9.79 seconds, which was a world record at the time.
Jim Hines and Silvio Leonard were the men to beat in the 1960s and 1970s respectively.
USA's Hines was the first man to run 100m in under 10 seconds when he registered a time of 9.95 seconds in 1968.
And Cuba's Leonard recorded a time of 9.98 seconds.
Kishane Thompson, meanwhile, is one of the fastest sprinters around today, having ran 100m in 9.75 seconds at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston in June 2025 - the fastest time in the world since 2015.
What would happen if they all raced against each other in a 'fair' race? Well, YouTube channel MotionAthlete has pitted them against each other in a simulation and results are fascinating.
Of course, wind, shoes and altitude can influence performances, so simulation has removed wind and altitude, making it an even playing field for all the sprinters.
But, to no surprise, the 2009 version of Bolt won by an even bigger margin ahead of the other Bolt and his fellow countryman Thompson.