“I didn’t think I would run 19.19,” but the Jamaican sprinter did. Usain Bolt’s 19.19-second world record in the 200 meters has been one of the most impressive feats in all of sports for more than fifteen years. It is a bright line in the history books that no one has come close to erasing. But now, a new group of sprinters has joined the discussion, and it’s talking about the mark differently.

As reported by The Telegraph, American sprinter Kenny Bednarek has declared the record vulnerable, stating, “Right now, Bolt is the greatest ever. He is the top dog. He has the fastest times (9.58 seconds in 100 metres and 19.19 seconds in 200m, both set in the 2009 World Championships) in history. He is the greatest in history. But looking at the current lot of sprinters, I think I have a good chance of going after, I would say, his 200 metres (record). That’s way more attainable than 100 metres.”

Bednarek’s conviction is not mere bravado but a claim backed by his elite standing in the era’s most competitive event. He has won silver at the Paris 2024 Games behind Letsile Tebogo, who won the Olympic gold medal, and again at the 2025 World Championships behind Noah Lyles, who has won four world titles. Bednarek has seen the strength of the group testing the limits of the 200m up close and personal by standing on podiums with them.

He specifically named his rivals-turned-cohort as the ones capable of the feat. “Right now, the 100, I’m steadily getting better and better. My goal is just to hit 9.6 in the next few years. But in the 200 metres, I think that can go down any day. I mean, we have the right cast to do it. You’ve got myself, Noah (Lyles), (Letsile) Tebogo (2024 Olympic Games 200 metres champion). We need a perfect setting, and any of us can hit it,” Bednarek said.

The three athletes he picked make up a strong group, each taking a different road to the same goal. Noah Lyles has already matched one part of Bolt’s long career by winning his fourth straight world titles in the 200 m. Letsile Tebogo, the Botswana star, made a splash by winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris in 19.46 seconds. This time propelled him fifth on the all-time list and set a new African record.

Bednarek himself is always in the running for a medal, and he is the athlete who is most defined by the exciting gap between his current best and his ultimate goal. But what does Bolt think about his world records?

Usain Bolt is quite confident about his achievements

In his most recent public comments on the subject, Usain Bolt reaffirmed his position that his iconic world records are not in imminent danger. The former sprint star was honest when asked if today’s stars keep him up at night while he was in Tokyo for the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

“No, I’m not worried,” Bolt stated plainly at a promotional event.

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“I think the talent is there, there will be talented athletes coming up, and they will do well. But at this present moment, I don’t see any athlete able to break the record, so not worried.”

He admitted that technology will keep getting better, like with better track surfaces and shoes, and that his records would eventually collapse, but he stressed that there is still a big gap.

Bolt has previously drawn a distinction between his two marquee events, identifying his 200-meter record of 19.19 seconds as “definitely more vulnerable” than the formidable 9.58 in the 100m, which he believes will stand for years.

His current view, on the other hand, is one of quiet certainty. He watches the next generation follow his ghost not with worry but with the calm assurance of an athlete who believes his era was one of a kind and that his times are still ahead of history.