In 2018, The Telegraph predicted four young sprinters who could challenge Usain Bolt's records, but their careers have taken different directions.
Usain Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 as a legend with eight Olympic gold medals and world records in the 100m and 200m, which have yet to be broken after 16 years.
However, of the four athletes selected as his "successors," only one has achieved great success. Here's how each one's career has unfolded:
Reece Prescod
In 2018, Reece Prescod was seen as one of Britain's biggest hopes in elite sprinting.
His personal best in the 100m is 9.92 seconds.
He won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships.
However, Prescod has yet to compete in an Olympics, while his teammate, Zharnel Hughes, has had more success.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown
Japanese athlete Abdul Hakim Sani Brown rose to fame when he won the gold medal in the 100m at the 2015 World Youth Championships, with a record time of 10.28 seconds.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he qualified with a time of 9.99 seconds, but was unable to shine due to injuries.
At Paris 2024, he set a personal best of 9.93 seconds, but failed to qualify for the 100m final.
At 26 years old, he still has the potential to achieve further successes.
Clarence Munyai
South African sprinter Clarence Munyai surprised the world when he set the national 200m record with a time of 19.69 seconds in Pretoria.
He participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and passed the first round as one of the fastest qualifiers.
However, in the semifinals, he could not repeat his success and came in sixth.
He attempted to qualify for Paris 2024 with the 4x100m team, but South Africa finished sixth in the qualifying stage and did not make it to the Olympic Games.
In 2024, he recorded a weaker time of 21.75 seconds in the 200m, but hopes for improvements.
Noah Lyles – Bolt's true successor
Among the four sprinters mentioned, Noah Lyles has been the only one who has lived up to expectations.
Won the gold medal in the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Although he was diagnosed with COVID-19 before the 200m final, he competed anyway, but was unable to win a second gold medal.
He has set a personal best of 19.31 seconds in the 200m, becoming the third fastest sprinter in history at this distance.
He has stated that he aims to break Usain Bolt's record of 19.19 seconds, saying: "I know I'm going to break it."
Overall, only Noah Lyles has reached the level of a true champion, while the others are still struggling to reach the top of world sprinting. /GazetaExpress/
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