The 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which concluded on Sunday 23 March, reignited an intriguing debate on why the fastest sprinters in history—including Usain Bolt missed the 60m, one of indoor track’s most electrifying events.
The undisputed king of sprinting, Usain Bolt holds the world records in the 100m at 9.58 seconds and 200m at 19.19 seconds.
As revealed by talkSPORT, the absence of these legendary sprinters from the 60m raises fascinating questions about speed, biomechanics, and the unique demands of short-distance racing.
Usain Bolt’s 6ft 5in frame, while an asset in longer sprints, worked against him in the first explosive steps. Scientists have long noted that his towering stature made his reaction time and initial acceleration slower compared to shorter sprinters. By the time he hit full stride, he was unstoppable—but in a 60m dash, the race is often decided before that top speed kicks in.
Bolt’s fastest 60m split in a 100m race was 6.31 seconds—close to, but not faster than, the current world record of 6.34 seconds, held by American Christian Coleman since 2018. Technically, Bolt could have broken the 60m World Record.
However, the fastest 60m split ever recorded belongs to China’s Su Bingtian, who blazed through the first 60m of his Tokyo Olympics race in 6.29 seconds—faster than Bolt’s best. This suggests that while Bolt had the raw speed, his start mechanics may have kept him from dominating the 60m.
Similarly, women’s 100m and 200m world record holder, Florence Griffith-Joyner never competed in the indoor 60m. Given her explosive starts, she might have been a force—but like Bolt, she focused solely on outdoor sprints.
Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu claimed gold in the 60m, equaling his personal best of 6.49 seconds to narrowly defeat Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy.