Usain Bolt tied the NFL’s 40-yard dash record looking like he’d just popped out to the shops for some milk in trainers and joggers.
The fastest time for the 40-yard dash was set at 4.22 seconds by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross in 2017, but the former Olympian made the record look easy to beat as he took on the sprinting challenge ahead of the NFL’s Super Bowl LIII.
Bolt retired from sprinting in 2017, but he’s clearly not lost any of his skill.
Check out his incredible speed here:
The 32-year-old tied the record wearing joggers and trainers rather than the much more suitable spikes. Although they probably would have helped propel him forward and make him even faster, Bolt proved he didn’t need them to match Ross’ time.
Admittedly, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that the eight-time Olympic gold medallist and 100 metre sprint world-record holder managed to match the 4.22 time, as many people on social media were quick to point out.
One sarcastic Twitter user wrote:
BREAKING NEWS: Fastest man alive is fast.
While another commented:
just gets out of bed and rips a 4.22
However, when you consider the fact the 32-year-old has retired, and NFL players are considered among the most athletic people in the world, it’s a pretty awesome achievement for Bolt.
Defending the runner, one person tweeted:
I mean, he’s 32, running in regular shoes, lets up before the end, and is still faster than all the elite athletes in the prime of their NFL careers. It’s impressive.
Another person pointed out that the gold medallist had to slow down towards the end of the sprint to ensure he didn’t leave a Bolt-shaped hole in the wall, meaning he might have been even faster if there was enough room.
They wrote:
Imagine if they gave him sufficient space for a runout so he didn’t have to slow down at the finish line.
Bolt and Ross have certainly set a high bar for the sprint; we’ll have to wait and see if anyone’s able to beat it!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.