Usain Bolt Never Competed in the 60m, But Could He Have Broken the Record?  

The World Athletics Indoor Championships serve as a reminder that the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt, never competed in one of its marquee events the 60m sprint.

Despite holding world records in the 100m and 200m, Bolt never attempted the shorter 60m race. Similarly, the women’s 100m world record holder, Florence Griffith-Joyner, also never tested her speed in the event.

For Bolt, his relatively slow reaction time and acceleration out of the blocks may have been a factor. Scientists believe his 6-foot-5 frame made it difficult to reach top speed as quickly as smaller sprinters.

Currently, the 60m world record belongs to American Christian Coleman, who set the mark at 6.34 seconds in 2018. Before that, Maurice Greene held the record at 6.39 seconds since 1998.

 

Could Bolt Have Set a 60m Record? 

Technically, yes. When Bolt broke the 100m world record in 2009 with a stunning 9.58-second run, data showed he covered the first 60m in just 6.31 seconds faster than Coleman’s record. His time could have been even quicker had he raced specifically in the 60m event.

In a recent interview on ‘The Fix’ podcast, Bolt reflected on his peak form in 2011, believing he could have lowered the 100m record even further if not for an injury. “That year, I was floating. I was running very well, and the coach was excited. It was the first time I heard him say we were going to race and break the world record,” he recalled.

However, the fastest 60m split ever recorded actually belongs to China’s Su Bingtian. During the Tokyo Olympics, he ran the first 60m of his race in a blistering 6.29 seconds.

Jeremiah Azu Shines in 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships

At the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu captured gold in the 60m event. He matched his personal best of 6.49 seconds, narrowly edging out Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy.

Reflecting on his victory in an interview with ‘talkSPORT’, Azu shared his surreal experience: “Sometimes, we just treat the next day as normal, but then you get a moment where you realize what you’ve actually done. You just think, ‘What on earth is going on?’ It’s like a dream but it’s real.”