Run-Down Forums

[Conway]

This past weekend 16 year old Usain Bolt ran a 45.23/20.25 double in teh Jamaican version of a high school championships ... This is the same kid who won teh World Junior champs last year easing at the finish ... A 6'5" phenom ... While the world is eyeing Justin GAtlin ( I among them) this kid is on his way ... The sprint world would see a wholesale change at the top by 05 ...
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Conway
Speed Thrills

[Dan]

I saw that mentioned on the t-and-f list. 16 years old! I didn't know he's a whopping 6'5" though, wow.

Oh, and the 200m was supposedly wind legal.

Dan
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[Conway]

Rces were legal .. He is the fastest 16 year old in history at both distances ... At his current rate of progression the sky is the limit ... Justin what do you think ?? I say not being in the US and getting better nurturing than prodigies do here, he may be a candidate for both WR's by the time he is 25 if not sooner ..
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Conway
Speed Thrills

[Justin]

Usain Bolt was born 21 Aug 86. He won the WJC 200m last year in 20.61 after a world age-15 best of 20.58 in the heats.

He is 6'4" and still growing.

His 20.25 is a world age 16 best, beating the 20.29 run by Clinton Davis (USA) in 1983. The 45.35 is not a world age 16 best though - remember Obea Moore? He ran 45.14 at age 16 in 1995.

Reports suggest Bolt ran hard through the line in the 200m (despite winning by 1.0 secs) but eased down the home straight in the 400m, celebrating as he did. He may have run close to 45.0 had he not done this.

Clearly Bolt is an incredible talent. It is not certain that he will get commensurately faster as he gets older - he may just be extraordinarily mature - and many pitfalls await between now and stardom. Neither Clinton Davis nor Obea Moore ever improved on the times they ran at age 16. On the other hand, he may be the new Michael Johnson and Tommie Smith rolled into one. I hope so!

Justin

[Conway]

I forgot about Obea Moore's 45.14 ... Yeah I know the history on previous phenoms ... But this is truly the first outside of teh states ... I'm wondering if this will aid in his development ???
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Conway
Speed Thrills

[Dan]

I think a major question will be what he does for college. If he follows the path of many Jamaicans and runs for a SEC school, then he may be no different than the handful of previous US sprint phenoms, many of whom have not panned out...

Of course, rate of physical maturation is the biggest unknown at this point, as Justin said.

Dan
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[X King]

I think that Usain Bolt is an absolutely fantastic talent. If he keeps his passion for the sport, and continues to make the right choices he will go very far. Prehaps the next Michael Johnson... And he maybe become better than Johnson... Who knows...
And yes the 200m was supposedly legal. I read that the Wind reading was a close shave at +1.9m/s.
And it was reported that in his 400m race he slowed down with 30m from the line. So approxiamtely he could of run in the 44.9-45.2s range if he hadn't of slowed dramatically.

X King
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Doubt whom you will, But never yourself.
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Anon.

[Conway]

BASed on his current rate of prgress he should be well under 45 and 20 BEFORE he is of college age ... He will have already competed in at least one Olympics and one Worlds by then ... My guess is that he will not compete for a college .... Don't forget this is the day of professionalism ... And unlike previous phenoms he has other choices ... And with Jamaica being somewhat in a drought of sorts, I would expect that great care will be taken with Usain ....
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Conway
Speed Thrills