Bolt 'not worried' today's stars will break records

TOKYO -- In the 16 years since Usain Bolt posted his satellite records successful the 100 and 200 meters, cipher has truly travel adjacent to toppling them.

One of track's all-time greats and possibly inactive its most-recognizable prima said helium looks astatine today's apical sprinters and doesn't expect that to alteration anytime soon.

"No, I'm not worried," Bolt said astatine a Puma lawsuit Thursday, 2 days earlier the commencement of satellite championships. "I deliberation the endowment is there, determination volition beryllium talented athletes coming up, and they volition bash well. But astatine this contiguous moment, I don't spot immoderate jock capable to interruption the record, truthful not worried."

Bolt acceptable some records -- 9.58 successful the 100 and 19.19 successful the 200 -- astatine worlds successful Berlin successful 2009.

Since then, lone 1 different runner, Yohan Blake, has cracked 9.7 successful the 100, and lone Blake has tally faster than 19.3 successful the 200.

American Noah Lyles is the lone sprinter to beryllium outspoken astir putting Bolt's marks successful his sites. Lyles caused a disturbance successful 2023 erstwhile helium said helium was reasoning astir times of 9.65 and 19.10, saying, "I person a bully crushed to judge I'm going to bash thing I've ne'er done before."

Lyles pulled disconnected a Bolt-like feat by winning some sprints astatine worlds that year, but helium has yet to surpass the 19.31 helium ran astatine the 2022 worlds to interruption Michael Johnson's long-held American record.

This year's fastest 100 meters was posted by different Jamaican, Kishane Thompson, whose 9.75 makes him a favourite heading into Sunday's last expected to see Lyles, American Kenny Bednarek and different Jamaican, Oblique Seville.

Bolt predicted a 1-2 Jamaican finish, with Thompson and Seville astatine the apical of the podium.

"It's each astir if they tin execute -- not perceive to the sound and spell execute," Bolt said.

With his upright stride and 6-foot frame, Australia's 17-year-old Gout Gout has drawn comparisons to Bolt, successful portion due to the fact that Gout is somewhat up of wherever Bolt was, time-wise, erstwhile helium was 17.

Could Gout beryllium the antheral to interruption 1 of Bolt's records?

"It's ever casual erstwhile you're younger," Bolt said. "The modulation to seniors from juniors is ever tougher. It's each astir getting the close coach, getting the close radical astir you."

Bolt said improvements successful way surfaces and shoes -- Puma, for instance, released results of a survey that concluded helium would've tally 9.42 successful Berlin wearing today's shoes -- marque it inevitable his records volition autumn someday. Just not now.

"Everything evolves successful life, radical trying to get better, trying to get faster," helium said. "It's not going to beryllium a astonishment if it really happens."