Usain Bolt vs. Carl Lewis: who`s better?

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, 25, has no rival among competitors at the IAAF World Championship in Daegu late this month.

The holder of world records in the men’s 100 and 200 meters, Bolt was named “athlete of the year” by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 2008 and 2009.

Can Bolt be considered the greatest sprinter in history? Before his emergence, the achievements of American speedster Carl Lewis, 50, remained a sacred arena that nobody seemed to be able to touch in the foreseeable future.

Starting with the long jump at age 13, Lewis eventually began competing in sprinting and quickly stood out from 1981 at age 20. He won the Triple Crown of the 100 meters, 400-meter relay and long jump at the Helsinki World Championships in 1983, the first major competition that he took part, in emerging as a global star.

Lewis shined even more at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984.

His strength was his steadfastness. As he got older, he rapidly lost his edge in sprint races but won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the long jump, the sport that started his career as athlete at age 35.

Just like Lewis, Bolt also exploded onto the global track and field scene while young. The Jamaican became the youngest to win the top prize in the men’s 200 meters at the World Junior Athletic Championships in 2002, when he was only 16. He also became the first sprinter to run the 200 meters in under 20 seconds.

Bolt’s debut in major competitions was rather humble compared to that of Lewis. Bolt took part in the 2007 Osaka World Championships but won just the silver in the 200 meters and the 400-meter relay.

There was no match for Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, however, as he won the 100 and 200 meters and 400-meter relay. He also broke world records in the three races, something that was unprecedented.

A year later, Bolt broke his own records in the 100 and 200 meters in the Berlin World Championships, again shocking the world.

If records are merely considered, Bolt beats Lewis yet comparing two athletes from different eras is meaningless. The tracks for athletics in the 1980s were not as elastic as they are now, and there were no running shoes based on cutting-edge science.

Lewis is considered the world’s top track and field athlete of the 20th century according to the IAAF. All eyes are on if Bolt, the best sprinter of his generation, will become the top sprinter of the 21st century.

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