The one sprinting record that eluded Usain Bolt attained by two other athletes

Despite a legendary career that saw him shatter world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, there is one remarkable feat that eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt never accomplished. Asafa Powell and Fred Kerley, however, have managed to achieve it.

Bolt, widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, still holds the title of the world's fastest man in history. His iconic world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100m and 19.19 seconds in the 200m, both set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remain untouched. He was also a key member of the Jamaican team that set the 4x100m relay world record of 36.84 seconds at the London 2012 Olympics.

While Bolt's list of accolades is extensive, including unofficial records like the 150m world best, he never managed to run under 9.80 seconds twice on the same day. This rare achievement belongs to his former Jamaican teammate, Asafa Powell, and American sprinter Fred Kerley.

Powell was the first to accomplish the feat on September 9, 2007, at the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy. He first set a new world record of 9.74 seconds in the heats and followed it up with a blistering 9.78-second run in the final later that day. Powell's career, which included an Olympic gold in the 4x100m relay at Rio 2016, was later marred by a doping ban in 2014, though it was reduced on appeal.

Nearly 15 years later, Kerley joined this exclusive club. On June 24, 2022, at the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, where he clocked an impressive 9.76 seconds in the semi-finals before winning the final with a time of 9.77 seconds. He went on to win the World Championships that year.

Kerley has since become a controversial figure after signing up for the Enhanced Games, an event that permits the use of performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision. His decision followed a provisional suspension from the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing three doping tests within a 12-month period.

The inaugural Enhanced Games are scheduled for 2026, promising substantial prize money and million-dollar bonuses for breaking world records.