Records are created so they can be broken; at least, that’s what they are meant to be in concept.
When U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles edged out Jamaican sprinter Jishane Thompson in the finals of the 100-meter dash at the Paris Olympics to secure the first gold medal of his career and end a 20-year drought for the United States, he set a personal best time of 9.79 seconds.
However, not only was he unable to reach the Olympic record of 9.63 seconds ran by Jamaican legend Usain Bolt in the 2012 Games, but he also didn’t come close to the world record, also set by Bolt.
Bolt sat on the throne of the Olympics’ 100-meter dash for three consecutive editions in 2008, 2012, and 2016. His presence commanded respect as his speed was unlike any other. His greatness as the fastest man alive only built itself up even more when he set a new world record of 9.58 seconds in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
Seeing how Lyles nor Thompson got close to that time, fans took to social media to reflect on how iconic Bolt was at his prime.
Here are some of the reactions that fans had towards Bolt’s Olympic and world record times being hard to beat:
The more you watch the 100m, the more you’ll realise how great Usain Bolt was pic.twitter.com/YW1DX997AL
— Rotondwa ✪ (@_BoxlogiK) August 4, 2024
Usain Bolt was part of the reasons it took them 20 years. https://t.co/73U5xcjnE7
— Ab. (@Abiodun0x) August 4, 2024
Usain Bolt. Still the fastest man alive. Still the greatest ever. 😊 #GOLD #OlympicGames #Olympics pic.twitter.com/TjzacmDyy1
— Kᗩᖇᒪ ᑎOᐯᗩ 🕶 (@KarlNova) August 4, 2024
The more you watch the 100m, the more you’ll realise how fast Usain Bolt was running.
— patty. (@jesuispattieb) August 4, 2024
I don’t think there will ever be a human being capable of breaking Usain Bolt’s record, it’s ridiculous. Especially when you consider that Noah Lyles just won the 100m in 9.79 and Bolt beat that by a whole 0.21 seconds. pic.twitter.com/R5Sc9SI7Wo
— KUSH (@KUSH23TV_) August 4, 2024
Usain Bolt you’ll always be famous. pic.twitter.com/aYO9sDW9ay
— 天蝎座 (@UtdEIIis) August 4, 2024
This is Arguably the greatest 100M sprint in Olympic History. Usain Bolt’s record might never be broken actually…. INSANE 💥🤯🎯🔥🐐 pic.twitter.com/dD4dR2nClM
— Mancunian (@UTDXMancunian) August 4, 2024
No one can touch Usain Bolt. The greatest there will ever be.
— Ben Mattinson (@Ben_Mattinson_) August 4, 2024
I remember where I was when Usain Bolt made history pic.twitter.com/KKy2h54dLf
— The Jobfather™️ 🇯🇲🇨🇦🇬🇧 (@TheJobfather__) August 4, 2024
All I know is that 9.58 Usain Bolt record is still very safe. All of you and your “that record will be broken this Olympics” were smoking crack.
— Weffrey Jellington (@jeffwellz) August 4, 2024
Usain Bolt running the 100m in 9.58 seconds is one of those records that I believe will never, ever be broken.
— Laurie (@LFCLaurie) August 4, 2024
Always and forever the true Goat 🐐 pic.twitter.com/9I0Myy7VKu
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) August 4, 2024
