Sprinter who 'beat' Usain Bolt's 100m record rejected chance to feature for his country at the Olympics
A sprinter who was claimed to have technically beaten Usain Bolt's 100-metre world record decided against attempting to represent his own country at the Olympics.
Bolt set his iconic record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
The previous world record had been set by the Jamaican himself just a year earlier at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where Bolt ran a time of 9.69 in the 100 metres final.
Back in February 2020 - months before the Tokyo 2020 Games were due to begin - an Indian sprinter named Srinivas Gowda ran a time which was meant he was technically quicker than Bolt.
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There were a few caveats involved, however. Gowda ran a total of 142 metres in a time of 13.42 seconds which, converted to 100 metres, would have seen him cover the Olympic distance in around 9.45 seconds.
The other caveat is that Gowda was a buffalo racer - a sport in which competitors sprint with two buffalo that are tethered together. Races are ran in a paddy field - a flooded field which can be used to grow crops - while sprinters also compete on heels rather than toes.
The governing body for Kambala (the name of the sport) were quick to play down any comparisons with Bolt, telling BBC Hindi: "They [Olympic monitors] have more scientific methods and better electronic equipment to measure speed."
Still, the world was alerted to Gowda's accomplishments, and the prospect of the Indian competing in the 100 metres at the Olympics was quickly brought up.
Excitement will have been raised further by the fact that the continent of Asia is traditionally not successful at sprint races at the Olympics. China's Su Bingtian is the only Asian sprinter to ever reach a 100-metre Olympic final.
Gowda could not take up an offer from the country's sports minister to compete in national track trials, which would have given him the opportunity to compete at a COVID-rescheduled Tokyo Games in the summer of 2021.
Explaining why he rejected the offer, Gowda indicated that the differences between Kambala and track sprinting meant he would have had no realistic chance of success: "Kambala and track events are different and those who have done well in one cannot replicate in the other.
"Many who have achieved in track events have tried Kambala and have not been successful. In Kambala we run on heels whereas in a track it is on toes.
"Never in my dream did I think that I would be so famous. The credit should go to my buffaloes. I could achieve this only because they co-operated with me."
He also told BBC Hindi that a leg injury was another factor behind his decision not to take up the offer.
India went on to win one gold medal at Tokyo 2020, with Neeraj Chopra winning the men's javelin throw final.
The nation did not win gold at Paris 2024, but will fancy their chances of adding to their all-time haul in Los Angeles in three years' time.
Cricket is one of five new or returning sports set to feature at the Games - a stand-alone game was played between Great Britain and France all the way back in 1900, with Great Britain winning - with India likely to be among the major favourites for the tournament. It will be played in the T20I format.
Virat Kohli was cited last summer as a key reason behind the inclusion of cricket at the Olympics, given his huge followings on social media, though the India legend is unlikely to participate in the men's event he has already retired from the T20I format.
There will be a men's and women's competition, with India also likely to be in contention to win that but set to face strong competition from the likes of Australia, currently the number one ranked team, and England (Team GB).
Topics: Olympics, Athletics, Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Ryan Smart