In 2008, during the Olympic Games in Beijing, Usain Bolt made history by becoming the first athlete to break the world record in the 100-meter and 200-meter races simultaneously. However, a year later, on August 20, 2009, at the Berlin World Championships, the Jamaican superstar ran the 200-meter event in 19.19 seconds, surpassing his own world record of 19.30.
The legend’s historic achievement, which has stood the test of time and continues to inspire the next generation of competitors, occurred fifteen years ago today.
Bolt’s track and field season in 2009 was particularly successful. He started strong, focusing just on the 100 and 200 meters. The Jamaican continued to dominate despite winning the Olympic gold medal in both events by easily defeating any rival he faced.
The World Championships in Berlin were the primary event of the year, but Bolt had previously demonstrated amazing form in the Jamaican Championships as well as the Athletissima Lausanne, better known as the Lausanne Diamond League.
When he arrived at the Olympiastadion, he was already a fan favorite and competed in the 100 meters. In the finals of that event, the world witnessed Bolt shatter his own world record of 9.69 seconds after racing a blistering 9.58 seconds.
Bolt achieved a double victory by breaking his own world record in the 200 meters with a time of 19.19 seconds. It was a dominant performance as the Jamaican sprinter led the race from the beginning and finished 0.62 seconds ahead of the second-place runner.
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Usain Bolt’s two world records from the 2009 Berlin World Championships have yet to be broken by a modern athlete and have stood for nearly two decades.
Many athletes have attempted to get near the mark, but none have been successful, since no one has ever run a sub-19.20 in the men’s 200 meters, except the Jamaican legend himself.
However, there are other potential contenders in the category for the world record, including Noah Lyles and the gold medalist Letsile Tebogo from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The American had aimed to run the 200-meter race in 19.10 seconds at the 2024 Olympic Games. However, he contracted COVID during the race, thwarting his efforts.
Despite this setback, fans can look forward to seeing both athletes compete in numerous upcoming tournaments. There is great anticipation for their performances, which may even rival Usain Bolt’s longstanding world record.
