Time for some clarifications on last week’s article On Top End Speed and Speed Endurance.
In the article Usain Bolt 100m 10 meter Splits and Speed Endurance, I wrote at the time 0.83 was the fastest record split before Usain Bolt ran 0.82 (from 50-80m) at the 2008 Beijing OG. He subsequently ran 0.81 splits at the 2009 Berlin WC.
The chart were ONLY for World Records. Okay, I had to put Carl Lewis’s 9.92 because that became the unofficial official WR after they wiped out all of Ben Johnson’s records.
And I put Maurice Greene’s 2001 Edmonton WC because that could have been a WR had it not been for his leg injury sustained in the race. That race had a potential of 9.72 if he ran the last 20m in 0.85 like he did in 1999 Athens!
Fastest Recorded 10 meter splits from non-WR
Maurice Greene does have some merit to his bragging rights. He ran 0.82 between the 50-60 meters at the 1999 Rome GP meet where he ran 9.85. Mo also ran 0.82 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics winning Gold in 9.87.
So when Mo claimed he had the fastest top end speed at the time, he actually was telling the truth.
Lest We Forget
Let’s not forget Ben Johnson. (I’m sure the anti-drug readers want to forget about him!)
He ran 0.81 into a -1.3 headwind at the 1986 Zurich meet. Marian Woronin, the first white man to run under 10.000 (with a 9.992) is also featured in this YouTube video “sandwiched” between Ben and Carl Lewis, just like Christophe Lemaitre between Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt in Paris!
In this video from YouTube, check out Ben Johnson from 60-80m! He just pulls away from the field with amazing ease.
When you run relaxed and all the front side and backside mechanics are in place, good things happen.
Jimson Lee
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Sr Jimson Lee i watched now this race of Ben Johnson , really i never saw it before, and is very interesting.
If you has this 0.81 split in the race, perhaps you have all splits?
I can look that surely Johnson run a very slow last 10-15m because he has big advantage.
So would be very interesting see all splits for know perhaps his possible time if he run fast until the end.
In adittion with -1.3 wind this time is very fast, although everybody know that Johnson with his doping lost his prestige.
But for analize the splits and the speed like in this website, i think that is very good.
Thats crazy speeds!!!
0.81 10m split = 12.35m/s = 44.44km/hr
@Noel – check out
https://speedendurance.com/2009/08/30/usain-bolt-tyson-gay-broke-the-44-kph-speed-limit/
Can you confirm that this actually is a 0.81 split time? Do you have any source? 0.81 in a -1.3 headwind sounds too good to be true..
The race where BJ practiced to lift arm for his Seoul 88 race ??
The 0.81 for Ben Johnson in Zurich 1986 comes from Charlie Francis’ video analysis. A lot of split-times come from video as it’s all we have. It’s best though if frames and camera angles are stated so we can derive just how accurate the work is
Carl had a 0.80 in his 9.80w from Tokyo’91 Worlds quarter-final. I cannot remember whether it was for 50-60m or 60-70m section
Tyson’s 9.68w to win 2008 US Trials had back to back 0.80 also I believe (from USATF Studies)
For Bolt and Tyson to be hitting 0.80-0.81 consecutively with little wind is a sign of things to come
There is no doubt in my mind Ben could run in the 9.5s today with the technology and fast tracks. Charlie Francis, who is still recognized as the greatest sprint coach, said Ben was capable of 9.6s and that is now 25 years ago.
Also, if anyone thinks the athletes today are not on ‘something’ you’re very naïve. Ben got caught that was the problem. We seem to forget all the other athletes like Gaitlan, etc. who also tested positive.
@bobbymike, to quote Victor Conte, it really is a level playing field, but it’s not the playing field you think it is.
Ben Johnson 9.5? heheh i dont think it.
Some people thinks that down 0.1 or 0.2 seconds is very easy, when down 0.01 is a good work.
I only see to Johson 9.6 high in our days and with doping, no more.