'Tall people can't do' - American sprint legend Maurice Greene on why Usain Bolt was an anomaly

'Tall people can't do' - American sprint legend Maurice Greene on why Usain Bolt was an anomaly

Evans Ousuru 16:40 - 27.02.2025

American sprint legend Maurice Greene has explained what sets Usain Bolt apart from other athletes.

Former Olympic champion Maurice Greene has claimed Usain Bolt is a unique sprinter who used his physical attributes to rule the world.

Bolt, the three-time Olympic 100m champion, surprised the world with his blistering pace and record-breaking exploits, despite his height.

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Greene called Bolt an ‘anomaly’ because of his ability to accelerate despite his height of six foot five. “He was able to do things at his height a lot of tall people can’t do,” he told talkSPORT.

Greene cemented himself as sprinting royalty, breaking the 100m world record with a time of 9.79 seconds in 1999, when he beat the previous record of 9.84 held by fellow American Donovan Bailey and became the first person ever to run under 9.8 seconds.

Greene is also a five-time World Champion, winning the 100m three times, the 200m and and 4x100m relay once each.

Bolt then took over the spotlight, with his 16-year records in 100m and 200m yet to be broken since they were set in 2009. Regarding whether Bolt's records could be broken in the near future, Green said: “I never say anything is impossible, even when I was competing I was like it's always about breaking barriers.

“They said we wouldn’t be able to run 9.7, and then I was able to run 9.7. It’s about believing that you can do something impossible or believing in yourself that you are capable of doing something.”

Bolt ran a time of 9.72, then 9.69 and finally 9.58 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Since Bolt retired in 2017, sprint-mad Jamaica have failed to replicate their form of yesteryears.