3D simulation shows how 100m and 200m race between Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles would go
We may never get to see a prime Usain Bolt go up against Noah Lyles in person, but a 3D simulation has given a glimpse into how a race may look.
Lyles earned his status as the fastest man on the planet when he took home the gold medal in the men’s 100m final in Paris.
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The American crossed the line with a blistering time of 9.79 seconds to set a new personal best.
Lyles was on the fortunate side of a photo finish, as Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson won silver while the United States’ Fred Kerley earned bronze.
But what would the event have looked like had Jamaican sprint king Bolt competed in the race?
Well, wonder no more because MotionAthlete on YouTube created a 3D simulation of a race between the pair.
Granted, the finish was pre-determined based on Lyles’ 100m time at the Olympics and Bolt’s world record time of 9.58, which he set in 2009.
But it still made for a fascinating insight into how the race would play out.
Both men were decked out in their respective American and Jamaican suits, with a virtual crowd gathered trackside to watch.
From the get-go, Bolt exploded out of the gates and builds a gap Lyles simply cannot close for the rest of the distance.
It is quite remarkable how far Bolt appeared to finish ahead of Lyles, despite just 0.21 seconds separating the pair based on their best times.
The simulations weren’t limited to just the 100m race.
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MotionAthlete decided to visualise what a 200m event between the two would look like.
Bolt, again, holds the world record over 200 metres with a sizzling time of 19.19 which he clocked in 2009.
As for Lyles, he was vocal about his ambitions to become the first American male in 40 years to claim the sprint double at the Olympics by winning the 100m and 200m.
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In a 2023 interview, Lyles ambitiously claimed he was ‘going to break’ Bolt’s record.
Unfortunately for Lyles he was unable to see his goal through as he finished third with a time of 19.79.
He even required medical attention on track afterwards as it was later revealed he raced with COVID.
Lyles’ time in the 200m final was short of his personal best, which sits at 19.31.
So, how would Lyles go against Bolt on the longer distance?
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Yes, spoiler alert, Bolt would win.
But Lyles, who lined up in the outside lane, enjoys a better start and holds a slender lead over Bolt.
Yet the Jamaican begins to hit his stride at the 150m mark.
MotionAthlete added in extra savagery as Bolt looks directly to Lyles on the right, having done so at competitors during the Rio 2016 Games, as he is about to pass him and kick into a higher gear.
With 50m to go, Bolt takes another glance to his right only to see Lyles is not there as he sprints toward the finish line.
Lyles impressively managed to decrease the gap in the final metres but it would not be enough against Bolt.
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Unfortunately we will have to wait until 2025 to see if Lyles can improve on his 200m personal best.
While in attendance at the US Open women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, Lyles was asked if he’d be back on track at any stage later this year.
“No, no, no,” Lyles said.
“I ended my season. You know, we just decided that after the COVID situation, we were just going to call it there and I didn’t want to keep pushing.
“Plus, I wouldn’t have time to come out here and enjoy the gold medal tour, as I call it.”
