So tired of hearing........

Bob Hayes didn't have world class speed; he had off-the-chart speed. Look at how he destroyed the field, coming from behind, in his anchor leg in the 4x100m at Tokyo in 64. Incredible performance. His leg was estimated to be in the region of 8.5/8.7s. For years he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's fastest human, achieving 26.8mph during a 7.8secs relay leg of 100y. Only Bolt, running on modern tracks with modern shoes (both of which Hayes didn't have the benefit of), has since run faster, clocking in at just over 27mph during his 9.58 100m wr.

Scorpion_runner wrote:

Yeah, they toss that phrase around like its nothing. 10.24 isn't even sub elite, because b sprinters run about 10.05-10.10, and then after 10.15, you have your C list sprinters.

The only football player to have true world class speed was Bob Hayes, and he is the only football player to win a super bowl and an olympic gold in 100m. Technically, he is the first sprinter to go sub 10.

Bob Hayes didn't have world class speed; he had off-the-chart speed. Look at how he destroyed the field, coming from behind, in his anchor leg in the 4x100m at Tokyo in 64. Incredible performance. His leg was estimated to be in the region of 8.5/8.7s. For years he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's fastest human, achieving 26.8mph during a 7.8secs relay leg of 100y. Only Bolt, running on modern tracks with modern shoes (both of which Hayes didn't have the benefit of), has since run faster, clocking in at just over 27mph during his 9.58 100m wr.

I ran with this one kid who claimed he had "Olympic level foot speed".

Like... Really?

Scorpion_runner wrote:

Yeah, they toss that phrase around like its nothing. 10.24 isn't even sub elite, because b sprinters run about 10.05-10.10, and then after 10.15, you have your C list sprinters.

The only football player to have true world class speed was Bob Hayes, and he is the only football player to win a super bowl and an olympic gold in 100m. Technically, he is the first sprinter to go sub 10.

Silly post . Renaldo Nehamia was world class what ever. James Lofton, Larry Burton - 1972 sprinter . Henry Carr, ffs. Some incedible athletes, and medalists. Jim Hines

Here's the wiki

And lets not Forget Jim Thorpe - though he was not that quick.

real mans wrote:

These are guys at the pinnacle of their (heavily sought after and competitive) profession. You’re an insurance salesman arguing the semantics of the term “world-class”.

Damn! Someone notify the burn unit.

A few things get lost in the Bullet Bob legend.

1. Why was he in lane one which was all beat for the obvious reasons? He would have ran faster in a middle lane.

2.On that amazing 4x1*** anchor, he didn't face anyone who had made the 100m finals. No Jerome, no Figuerola. If he would have needed to run them down, he would have and even a faster split.

3.He was only 21 or was it 22. Imagine if he could have stayed in the sport up into his early 30's like these guys today. What....9.85ish even back then?

I have no doubt if he was running today....9.6ish. I can't see him hanging with Bolt because of that monstrous stride he has, but on a par with everyone else. At 5-11 195 just as physically imposing as anyone.

*** our 100m sprinters Mel Pender and Trenton Jackson were injured in the heats, no relay for themso enter our 200m cats Paul Drayton and Richard Stebbins. That explains why we were behind, which was a good thing.