Usain Bolt's long-standing 100m world record will be beaten this year
Usain Bolt’s 100-metre sprint world record could be beaten this year, according to an expert.
Bolt, now 39, set the current 100m record (9.58 seconds) at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin, where he also set the current 200m record of 19.19 seconds.
Since then, many have tried, and all have failed to run faster than the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, including current Olympic champion Noah Lyles, who boasts a personal best of 9.79 seconds, achieved at the 2024 Paris Games.
Meanwhile, several others, such as Bolt’s fellow Jamaicans Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson, have also recorded lightning-quick times of 9.77 seconds.
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And while no human has broken Bolt’s nearly 16-year-old 100m record, human-like robots may soon be able to replicate the Jamaican’s sprint time.
According to the founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, Wang Xingxing, humanoid robots will soon run the 100-metre distance in under 9.58 seconds.
“In a few months, by around mid-year, humanoid robots globally — especially in China — may run faster than humans,” Wang said at the Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum last month. “Their 100-metre sprint times could drop below 10 seconds.”
What is a humanoid robot?
A humanoid robot is a human-like machine designed to resemble the human body, with limbs, a head and feet.
Their design and use of artificial intelligence allow them to navigate unusual terrain, such as stairs, unlike previous robots.
Humanoids are set to be used in warehouses, construction sites and even emergency response once the technology is sufficiently developed, with China leading the way in global development.
But is Bolt worried that a human could soon better his records with super spikes and even super tracks, all posing threats to his record?
Speaking to ESPN in 2025, the Jamaican said: “No, I’m not worried.
“I think the talent is there; there will be talented athletes coming up, and they will do well. But at this present moment, I don’t see any athlete able to break the record, so I’m not worried.”
One man who has been tipped to run Bolt’s records close is Australia’s Gout Gout.
The 18-year-old has already recorded impressive times at junior level and also equalled the fastest legal 100m run by an Australian on home soil, clocking 10.00 seconds (+0.9) in his first race of 2026 back in February.
“It’s always easier when you’re younger,” Bolt said of Gout Gout last year. “The transition from juniors to seniors is always tougher. It’s all about getting the right coach and the right people around you.”
But who else has Bolt backed to possibly break his record?
Speaking to The Fix Podcast in 2025, the Jamaican backed Seville as the man who could finally break his record.
“I feel like Oblique can do it [break my record],” said Bolt. “If he can stay fit during the season and get it right, I feel he can do it. Because I am sure there is something there — the ability to do it.
“Some of the time Oblique can be fragile. It’s a matter of the work situation or whatever, but if he’s doing enough work, he can do it.”
Topics: Usain Bolt, Athletics
Luke Davies