Chasing Usain Bolt

From early 2008 when he set his first world record until the end of 2017 when he finally announced his retirement, my summers largely consisted of chasing Usain Bolt, still the world’s fastest man. A couple times I actually caught him.

Like here.

This was taken 11 years ago today from my press seat at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships in Berlin when Bolt returned to the track a few hours after he clocked his otherworldly 9.58-seconds world record in the 100 meters. My habit of usually being among the last to leave the media tribune paid off here.

That record still stands; here’s a quick breakdown of what that performance meant more precisely:

Bolt covered the distance in 41 total strides at 4.28 strides per second, his average speed was 37.6 kilometers per hour, and he reached a peak speed of just under 46 Km/H.

Here’s my report of his Berlin 100m race for track and field’s international governing body, World Athletics. Four days later he’d break the record in the 200m, clocking 19.19. That record also still stands.