Olympics legend Usain Bolt told Mikel Obi he could have run faster than his world record set in Beijing 2008.
The fastest man in history, Usain Bolt, recently dropped a bombshell while chatting with Nigerian football legend John Mikel Obi.
In a conversation with the former Chelsea and Super Eagles star’s Obi One Podcast, Bolt, who believes he can still run sub-10 seconds, suggested that his awe-inspiring 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, could have been even faster.
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Usain Bolt on World Record
The Jamaican sprint icon reflected on his performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he first broke the world record with a time of 9.69 seconds.
According to Bolt, who went down memory lane in his career, that Olympic season marked the pinnacle of his physical condition throughout his illustrious career.
![Usain Bolt said he could have shattered the world record even more.](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/19072024/2a68a413-bfe7-4979-8d24-9af4e3fe716c.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
"I think it would have been faster than the world record because that year I think I was the fittest I've ever been, in my entire career," Bolt revealed.
He went on to describe a season unmarred by the injuries and niggles that often plague elite athletes.
![Usain Bolt (JAM) poses for a photo after winning the mens 100m at a world record time of 9.69 seconds during the athletics competition at the National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/21072024/20cdc4b9-e213-40ba-8d78-c7f854aa2c75.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
"That was the only season I've ever been through with no niggles, nothing," he added, painting a picture of an athlete in prime form.
Bolt's preparation for the Beijing Olympics was so advanced that his coach, Glen Mills, took the unusual step of giving him additional rest.
![Usain Bolt's famous and trademark celebration.](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/21072024/2d33c3c2-f885-4858-9dbe-88158decda56.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
"It got to the point where my coach gave me two days off," Bolt recalled. "I was so in shape he was like 'you know what? Take two days off' because I was so way ahead of the progress that we were making."
This revelation adds a new layer of intrigue to one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
![The iconic photo-finish from Usain Bolt.](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/21072024/e3e7b57e-22a1-4889-b742-be0901104e83.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
Athletics followers remember Bolt's 2008 Olympic final not just for the world record, but for his early celebration before crossing the finish line.
The sprinter's chest-thumping jubilation in the final meters has long been a subject of speculation about how much faster he could have run.
![](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/19072024/69f61bd3-651d-4837-bb41-0ad0a6ca93e2.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
Bolt's comments now confirm what many had suspected: that his 2008 performance had untapped potential.
"That's the level I was at, at the Olympics. I was just ready and on point," he stated, leaving fans to wonder just how fast he could have run if he had pushed through the finish line.
This insight into Bolt's career peak offers athletics fans a tantalising "what if" scenario and the margins at the highest levels of the sport.
With Bolt's 9.58-second world record still standing unchallenged, his recent revelation adds to the mystique of his unparalleled career.
![](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/25032024/2554f074-5d76-4523-a7c2-ca3ed07ea3a3.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
It leaves us with a lingering question: just how fast can a human being run 100 meters? Thanks to Usain Bolt, we may never know the true limit of human speed.
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