‘The Execution Was Everything’ - How a Bet Inspired Usain Bolt to Set The Mind-Boggling 9.58s 100m World Record

Usain Bolt has explained how a bet inspired him to excecute the perfect race when he stormed his way to setting the 9.58 second world record in the 100 meters.

Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt has revealed that a friendly wager with his coach Glen Mills and agent Ricky Simms served as the surprising catalyst behind his jaw-dropping 9.58-second 100m world record at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Bolt, who already held the title of the world’s fastest man, wasn’t just racing against competitors that day—he was racing against himself. 

Having first claimed the record with a 9.72-second run at the 2008 Reebok Grand Prix in New York, Bolt broke his own mark a few months later with a 9.69 at the Beijing Olympics. But Berlin would be something else entirely.

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That day, he was racing against a field of elite spriters that included eventual silver medalist Tyson Gay, who ran a bind-boggling 9.71 seconds, and bronze medalist Asafa Powell.

“Being on the line, I was very, very confident because I was coming off a record year. I was in great shape,” Bolt recalled to World Athletics.

 “We actually made a bet to see how fast I was going to run. That is how confident I was in winning. It was me, Ricky, and my coach.”

And win he did—setting not only a new world record but redefining the boundaries of human speed. 

At the Berlin showdown, Bolt’s average ground speed clocked in at a staggering 37.58 km/h, peaking at 44.72 km/h between 60 and 80 meters—unreal numbers befitting a man many consider superhuman.

But it wasn’t just his physical prowess that propelled him to greatness. It was focus, strategy, and a keen sense of his own capabilities.

“The execution was everything,” Bolt explained. “I tend to look across because if you get a look of me through the camera, you can see me glancing across to make sure I was leading, and after 70 meters, I started looking at the clock to see how fast I was going to run.”

While Bolt believed he had nailed the race, his coach wasn’t fully convinced.

“For me, we kind of knew I was in great shape and I was going to run pretty well because I could tell and I was better than the year before. 

“I think my execution was good, but my coach says it was not perfect, but I won, so it does not matter.”

What started as a bet among friends ended as one of the most iconic performances in sports history. 

And though Bolt’s world record still stands, it’s the confidence and competitive fire behind that run that truly sets it apart.

Because sometimes, all it takes to make history is belief, preparation, and a little wager.