Ever since Usain Bolt retired in 2017, every sprinter has been compared to the Jamaican legend. His 9.58-second world record, set in 2009, still stands despite attempts from stars like Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman, and Fred Kerley. So when Lyles posted a world-leading time and helped make 2026 the deepest men’s 100-meter season ever, many expected praise. Instead, some fans brushed away the feat, insisting that this generation will never achieve anything like Bolt.

The discussion began when Track & Field Gazette posted on X on August 3 the top men’s 100m times for the 2026 season. Lyles was the fastest man in the world this year after winning the USATF Championships in New York on July 25 in 9.79 seconds. Behind Lyles was Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who ran 9.82 seconds at the National Stadium in Kingston on June 19.

Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme followed with 9.83 seconds at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, while Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi recorded 9.84 seconds in Lexington, Kentucky. Ronal Longa of Colombia and Lachlan Kennedy of Australia tied for the fifth spot on the list at 9.85 seconds. Ronnie Baker and Kenny Bednarek recorded 9.88 seconds, while Collen Kebinatshipi, Sam Blaskowski, Courtney Lindsey, Kadrian Goldson and Bayanda Walaza all had 9.89 seconds.

The list also showed 48 men have broken the 10-second barrier this season, the highest number ever recorded in a single year. But, instead of just celebrating because the season was so deep, some fans were quick to recall the Bolt comparison. One fan commented on the post: “Still not Bolt or even Tyson Gay 9.69 (2009).“

This is the argument for many critics: until someone can beat the best times of all time, then this generation’s best times cannot be compared to Bolt’s. Bolt’s era changed sprinting forever.

His 9.58 world record from Berlin in 2009 remains the fastest time ever recorded. Just weeks later, Tyson Gay ran 9.69 seconds in Shanghai, matching Yohan Blake’s 9.69 from 2012 as the second fastest time in history. Asafa Powell also reached 9.72 seconds in 2008, while Justin Gatlin clocked 9.74 seconds in 2015.

Since then, no sprinter has come anywhere close to rivaling Bolt’s time. The next-generation runner-up who was the closest is Jamaican runner Kishane Thompson, whose time was 9.75 seconds – set on 27 June, 2025.

There has, however, been no shortage of sprinters openly challenging the legendary Usain Bolt 9.58-second world record.

Noah Lyles has been the loudest voice when it comes to trying to break Bolt’s records. He has also made it clear that the world record is one of his targets and that he aims to break it “as soon as possible. Lyles does not claim he has the capability to break 9.58, but he feels he has the ability to beat history. His personal best is currently 9.79, leaving him 0.21 seconds away from Bolt’s mark.

Another fan comment read, “Not always about times, the race itself also matters. Bromell beat Lyles a month ago.” A third comment went, “His top-end speed is still climbing. His acceleration phase has always been his weakness [compared] to pure starters like Coleman or Seville.”

Kishane Thompson also joined the discussion with one fan’s comment: “Where is Kishane? When the world needed him the most he vanished.”

After clocking 9.75 seconds in 2025, Thompson became the closest active challenger to Bolt’s world record. The Jamaican sprinter showed confidence in his ability, saying, “Even if I break the world record, it wouldn’t surprise me because I am that confident.”