Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds has stood untouched for 16 years, but the sprint legend just admitted he could have gone even faster, per TheTimes. Faster than the greatest sprint ever run? That’s what Bolt believes, and science might back him up.
When Bolt stunned the world in Berlin in 2009, his Puma spikes had none of the advancements that dominate today’s sprinting landscape. No carbon plates, no super-charged foam, no bounce-enhancing design tweaks. His size 13 spikes carried a simple nylon plate with thin rubber covering the heel. Yet, he still blew away the field and etched his name into history.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man of all time, could have run even faster if he had access to PUMA’s current-day innovation, according to a new study by world-renowned researcher, Wouter Hoogkamer and members of the PUMA innovation team.https://t.co/kfrFLvrXzi pic.twitter.com/ATdXmu38Lh
— Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) September 11, 2025
Speaking at a Puma event in Tokyo, Bolt didn’t hold back. “I probably would have run way faster if I had continued,” he said, noting that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s later-career success was helped by cutting-edge shoe tech. Though he joked about not testing them himself to avoid hamstring pulls, Bolt acknowledged what everyone can see. The shoes work.
The science of faster than fast
Curious just how much faster Bolt might have been, Puma turned to Wouter Hoogkamer, a biomechanics expert from the University of Massachusetts. His analysis suggested that with the company’s new Forte NITRO spikes, Bolt could have hit 9.42 seconds. That would shave off a staggering 0.16 from his already mythical record. While the study hasn’t been published yet, Hoogkamer’s previous work with Nike and Adidas gives his projection plenty of weight.
Bolt, now 39, hasn’t raced at a world championship since retiring in 2017, but he’ll return to Tokyo to present the 100m medals this weekend. And he’s already looking at who might carry the torch next.
Australia’s 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout has drawn comparisons to the Jamaican icon. With dazzling times and the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon, expectations are sky-high. Bolt, though, offered a word of caution. “If he continues on this track it’s going to be good, but it’s all about getting everything right. The transition to senior from junior is always tougher.”
For now, Bolt’s 9.58 still looms over the sport. But with tech evolving and a new wave of talent rising, the conversation has shifted from whether anyone will catch him, to whether anyone could ever match what Usain Bolt might have run in today’s era.
