UK-based sports firm dares compare Kylian Mbappe's 100m speed to Usain Bolt. Angry track fans react

Funmilayo Fameso 16:20 - 06 March 2024

Track fans have shown their utmost disgust at a post made by a UK-based sports firm that football star Kylian Mbappe was 'just over a second' slower than Usain Bolt.

Popular UK-based company BBC Sport has aroused the anger of track fans after comparing football star Kylian Mbappe's 100m speed to that of track legend Usain Bolt.

In a post by BBC Sport on their X page, they stated Mbappe's 100m time at 10.9 seconds was just over a second slower than Bolt's World Record of 9.58s.

Kylian Mbappe has clocked an estimated speed of 10.9 seconds over 100m 💨

That's just over a second slower than Usain Bolt's world record 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/EQ02SAIwjf
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 5, 2024

This post ignited track fans' anger, who understand the magnanimous difference between both times, and using 'just over a second slower' was a disrespect to Bolt's record and legacy in the event.

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For context, the 10.9 seconds clocked by Mbappe is slower than Sha'Carri Richardson's world title-winning time of 10.65 seconds or being in the top four of the women's 100m final at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Also, Mbappe's time will be ranked outside the top 5000 in the 2023 World Athletics men’s 100m ranking, which confirms how huge of a margin the difference is in the grand scheme of things.

Track fans have called for other sports to stop the disrespect on track athletes, who spend years improving and dropping their personal best times by a second or seconds, only to be compared to other sports personalities just because they have a fraction of speed in their legs.

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Here are some reactions below.

Time for a visual representation of what this looks like 👇 https://t.co/3aeGs8QfSb pic.twitter.com/chc5VQlHUl
— RoriDunk (@FitzDunk) March 5, 2024

I’m hella confused! https://t.co/YQ4AhnVT55
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) March 6, 2024

Usain Bolt is too far!
Sha'carri Richardson 🇺🇸 would beat him!

If he had been in the Budapest women's 100m final, he would have finished last.
Likely hand-timed, so it puts him more accurately at 11.2-11.3 electronic.

Last place in this race was 11.03s.pic.twitter.com/6juDTG6Nfl https://t.co/tn3rW3YsaY
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) March 5, 2024

For context, Mbappe would be ranked outside the Top 5000 in the 2023 World Athletics men’s 100m ranking with this time. Lol https://t.co/sxUKXdz6uJ pic.twitter.com/aUcP9dD3U9
— Deji Ogeyingbo (@deji_oges) March 5, 2024

Did I miss the memo where everyone agreed to start making meaningless Usain Bolt comparisons? https://t.co/JZbqB5vNmy
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) March 5, 2024

Mbappe is fast but this comparison makes no sense. A 1.3-second difference is massive and there are 40+ high school kids in Texas alone that ran faster times than this in 2023. https://t.co/xnKnmuDMZB
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 6, 2024

Let’s rewrite this:

Kylian Mbappe has clocked an estimated speed of 10.9 seconds over 100m.

That would put him =63rd on the WOMEN’S 100m all-time list 😊 https://t.co/S77r0KUsBm
— Owen M (@_OwenM_) March 5, 2024

1.3 seconds is a massive difference in the sprinting world 😂 https://t.co/R3nMWEGlnM
— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) March 6, 2024

These are the fastest women in the world in 2023

Literally at least 20 women in the world would beat him in a one-on-one. https://t.co/tn3rW3YsaY pic.twitter.com/APft7JEUfO
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) March 5, 2024