Usain Bolt Holds Longest 100m Record

Eight-time Olympic gold medallist, Usain Bolt, has now held the world record for the men’s 100-metre for the longest period in the event’s history–14 years, eight months and 23 days.

Bolt’s world record of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships final in Berlin on August 16, 2009, has surpassed the previous longest-held record in the same event, held by American Jim Hines.

Clocking the first sub-10 second 100-metres in history on June 20, 1968, Hines was a football player and track star who lost and then regained the world record on October 14, 1968.

Hines passed away last summer.

Now retired from professional track and field, Bolt stated in an interview in December that he was “not worried” about his records in the 100m and 200m sprints falling any time soon.

His world record marks of 9.58 seconds in the 100-metres and 19.19 seconds in the 200-metres were both set at the 2009 World Championships.