Usain Bolt's historic title, top world records under threat

Photo montage of Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt(R)

ATHLETICS Usain Bolt's historic title, top world records under threat

Moses King 15:12 - 17.08.2023

Records are expected to fall in Budapest as elite athletes take on the opportunity to write history.

The 2023 World Athletics Championships, slated for August 19-27, 2023, will bring together more than 2,000 athletes from 200 countries with the ultimate prize and history up for grabs.

Records are expected to fall in Budapest as elite athletes take on the opportunity to write history.

World record setters will receive a special award of $100,000 (Shs365m) plus a cash prize of $70,000 (about Shs256m) for winning gold.

Here are some of the top athletes expected to set new World Records.

Noah Lyles - Men's 200m

Noah Lyles at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon

American sprinter Noah Lyles has set his sights on breaking Usain Bolt's long-standing 200m World Record in Budapest.

The American sprinter took to social media to announce his ambitious goal to beat the 14-year-old record.

He stated that he would run 19.10 seconds to beat Bolt's record of 19.19 seconds set at the 2009 World Championships.

In July, Lyles posted 19.47 at the London Diamond League, with personal best coming at 19.31 to win the world title.

In the 100m, Lyles predicted he would run 9.65 seconds which is 0.07 seconds short of Bolt's 9.58 seconds, a world record also set in 2009.

Will he walk the talk?

Faith Kipyegon - women's 1500m/5,000m

Couples in Kenyan sports
Faith Kipyegon celebrates as she crosses the line to victory during the Diamond league | Photo Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto Faith Kipyegon and Timothy Kitum among couples in Kenyan sports.

Two-time Olympic and 1500m world champion could shave off a few seconds of the three world records she set this year.

She broke the 1500m world record posting a time of three minutes 49.11 seconds at the Florence Diamond League before winning the 5,000m in Paris in an astonishing 14 minutes 5.20 seconds in June.

She then beat Ethiopia's Sifan Hassan's mile record by almost five seconds, clocking four minutes 7.64 seconds in July.

Enjoying the form of her life, Kipyegon is at her peak and could shatter her records.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen - men's 1500m

Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the World 5000m title in Oregon

Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen already set a world record this year in the two-mile distance.

Britain's Jake Wightman beat the 1500m Olympic champion and world 5,000m gold medallist to settle for silver in 1500m last year in Oregon. With the absence of Wightman, all eyes are on Ingebrigtsen in Budapest.

Karsten Warholm - men's 400m hurdles

Karsten Warholm made his 2023 debut clocking 45.31s

Back from injury, Norwegian Karsten Warholm won the 400m in a time of 45.94 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics.

In July, he posted a time of 46.51 in Monaco, proving that he is finally back at his near-best.

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