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Usain Bolt had no hesitation in shutting down any suggestion that last year’s Olympic 100m final outshone the 2012 showdown in London. The Jamaican sprinting legend, who dominated that race to secure his second consecutive Olympic gold, took issue with the idea that the latest final was the greatest of all time, per TalkSport.
Noah Lyles secured victory in the 100m final last year by the slimmest of margins, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere .005 seconds. The result wasn’t even immediately clear, with Lyles anxiously pacing the track before the scoreboard finally confirmed his time of 9.784 seconds—just ahead of Thompson. American Fred Kerley completed the podium in 9.81 seconds, with the top seven finishers separated by just .09 seconds.
The razor-thin margins fueled debates over whether this was the most competitive 100m final in history. Some even suggested it rivaled Bolt’s legendary 2012 race, which featured one of the strongest lineups ever assembled. But Bolt wasn’t buying into that narrative.
“Nobody in That Race Would Have Medaled”
Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast alongside former sprinter Rodney Green and five-time Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin, Bolt scoffed at the notion that the 2024 final could compare to the 2012 edition.
“Do you guys really think the last 100m was the best one?” Bolt asked. “I’m curious, do you really think so after what we performed in 2012?”
Green acknowledged that Asafa Powell’s injury in 2012 may have skewed the perception of that race, but he still recognized its historic significance. Gatlin, who claimed bronze in London, doubled down on the uniqueness of that lineup, comparing it to an unprecedented clash of generational greats in basketball.
“The lineup in that race was unheard of,” Gatlin explained. “When you look at any other sport—NBA, NFL—the greatest players don’t usually compete in the same generation. Michael Jordan didn’t play with LeBron, and Kobe played only some with LeBron. But in 2012, we were all there together.”
Bolt took it one step further, bluntly stating, “Nobody in that race (2024 final) would have gotten a medal in the 2012 final.” Of course, this includes Lyles.
Gatlin fully agreed, even declaring that he would have taken gold if he had been in last year’s field. Usain Bolt, always one to elevate his era, laughed and added, “Justin, they wouldn’t have caught you, they’d have been chasing tails.”
With such strong endorsements from two of the greatest sprinters ever, the debate over the best Olympic 100m final may not be as close as the race itself.
