Usain Bolt is widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, but he almost never competed in the event that made him a legend the 100-meter dash.
Despite holding world records in the 100m (9.58s), 200m, and 4x100m relay, Bolt originally specialized in the 200m. His coach, Glen Mills, pushed him toward the 400m, believing it would improve his performance in the 200m. However, Bolt had other plans.
In 2007, a year before his Olympic debut, Bolt made a bet with Mills: if he ran a fast 100m time, he would continue in the event; if not, he would move up to the grueling 400m. Mills was skeptical, expecting a slower time.
“After the World Championships in Osaka, my coach said I needed to hit the gym and take on another event he wanted me to run the 400m,” Bolt shared on the ‘Ready Set Go’ podcast. “I told him, ‘Let’s make a bet. Let me run one 100m race. If I run fast, I stick with it; if I run slow, I’ll do the 400m.’”
Competing in Greece alongside Wallace Spearmon, Bolt aimed for 10.1 seconds, believing it would be fast enough to justify staying in the 100m. When he clocked 10.03 seconds, he knew he had won the bet. “I told my coach, ‘You can’t say no now.’ Back then, 9.8s and 9.7s were rare, it was mostly 9.9s. If I had run 10.2, I’d have been a 400m runner instead,” Bolt admitted.
Appearing on the podcast with longtime rival Justin Gatlin and Bahamian sprinter Rodney Green, Bolt’s revelation left them stunned. Gatlin remarked, “If you had run 10.22, we would have seen a 400m Bolt instead of a 100m Bolt. He would have never run the 100 again.”
Bolt agreed, adding, “I would have been good at the 400m too, but I hate the training. You would have never seen me in the 100m it would have just been the 200m and 400m, like Michael Johnson.”
After winning the bet, Bolt burst onto the scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, securing his first of eight Olympic gold medals. He went on to dominate the 100m and 200m for three consecutive Games, cementing his place as a track and field legend.
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