Back then, Bolt captivated global viewers with a stellar 100m run in Beijing, blitzing through the finish line in a record-shattering 9.69 seconds to leave Richard Thompson trailing and smashing the world record he himself set despite slowing at the end to revel in victory.
The eggheads at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo reckon Bolt could have notched up an even crazier sub-9.60 time if he hadn't eased up.
But Bolt didn't stop there; he outdid his legendary feat come the London games four years on, storming past his competitors with a 9.62-second tear through the track and securing back-to-back sprint titles, a first since Carl Lewis. Post-race, he delivered his famously cocky proclamation: "I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live."
At the towering height of 6'5, the sporting giant made his last Olympic mark in 2016, soaring to gold with a blistering 9.81 seconds, setting an epic benchmark at the Summer Games. On each glorious occasion, he nabbed not just the 100m top spot but also snagged 200m victories, inspiring the likes of Lyles who dreamed of mimicking the sprint doubles, reports the Mirror US .
"I try to be a showman - some people criticize me for it, some people love it," Lyles confessed to Sky Sports regarding his trademark confidence. "They're watching because they want to see who's going to be the fastest. And that's what I want to bring. I want to bring entertainment to it. I know that just because I win it doesn't mean that I'll gain fans. I need to keep going. I want track and field to be known for, not just it's a fast race. I want you to enjoy the whole spectacle of it, the entertainment part of it."
Then, after his narrow clinch of the 100m title, Lyles emerged as the solid bet to grab the 200m crown, potentially becoming the first legend since Bolt, and the inaugural American since Lewis, to land the coveted "sprint double."
Bolt's supremacy in the 200m was also marked by obliterating a 12-year world record in Beijing and then decimating his own time at the World Athletic Championships, a record which still stands unchallenged.
Lyles ended up in third place in the 200m event in Paris. After the race, he revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and decided to withdraw from the 4x100 relay later in the Games.
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