Despite retiring from the track in 2017, Usain Bolt still faces numerous challenges to compete. These challenges come from other sports stars who have always wanted to take a leap of faith and race the greatest sprinter of all time.
A few weeks ago, Jamaican cricket legend Chris Gayle claimed that he challenged Bolt to a 100-meter dash following their friendly cricket match, but the sprint icon never showed up. This friendly feud between them is still ongoing, as the Batsman was recently spotted practicing for the track duel on Instagram, which drew the attention of Jamaican sprint stars and fans.
The cricket icon appears on the track to the tune of his own song, “Star Athlete.” Before getting down to business, Gayle does a few poses to increase the anticipation for the track duel. He ties on his bright orange PUMA track shoes and prepares for his run on the track.
Gayle additionally shows his black shirt, which bears the popular phrase “In God We Trust.” The cricket legend also put a caption explaining his ambitions in a short note:
“Prepping for the big one…my aim 9.55 #SomebodyGotToCome4Th Anuh me! #StarAthlete “
The current 100-meter world record was established by Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Championships. The Jamaican legend ran an astounding 9.58 seconds, surpassing his previous record of 9.69. However, watching Gayle promise to go for a 9.55 has piqued the track icon’s interest, and he has also left a sarcastic comment on the Instagram post.
“Still need to know who’s coming 4th.”
In the previous interview, Chris Gayle also challenged other Jamaican sprint stars to race. This makes Yohan Blake even more excited about the friendly competition.
“Come on, Chris! Sprint and let us witness your speed in action!”
This challenge, however, has drawn not only track stars and fans but also Yuvraj Singh, the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup winner and Indian cricket icon.
“I see where this is going.”
A fan adores Gayle but pointed out that he is in the wrong territory.
“We can all agree that you’re a star athlete the baddest cricketer the G.O.A.T ..wrong stadium mi G.”
The official West Indies Cricket account also commented on the Instagram video, expressing their excitement for the friendly challenge.
“Sign us up for a front row seat!”
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Aside from the jokes, Gayle isn’t the only one who wants to break the 100-meter world record; numerous track stars have been striving for a long time. Bolt’s world records have stood the test of time, with only a few athletes coming close. However, an American track standout has a vision of breaking Bolt’s 200-meter world record.
Noah Lyles aiming for Usain Bolt’s 19.19-second mark
At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, the spectators were treated to two world records by the same individual. Usain Bolt dominated the 100-meter and 200-meter races, setting world records that no athlete has yet surpassed.
However, the 2024 season will feature the Paris Olympics, and many track stars are eager to achieve great things this year. Noah Lyles has long expressed a desire to win these honors, and he came close at the 2022 World Athletics Championships when he broke the American record set by Michael Johnson, running an astounding 19.31 seconds.
With that time, he climbed the rankings to become the third-fastest man in the 200-meter category, attracting the attention of Bolt. However, the track star is aiming for a 19.10-second time this season and has yet to demonstrate his abilities in the category.
