How it unfolded
A year earlier in Beijing, Bolt had effectively eased up over the last 20 metres and still run 9.69, leaving everyone wondering how fast he could go at full effort. In the Berlin final he reacted in 0.146 seconds and this time held form all the way through the line. The time was 9.58 — a single 0.11-second cut to his own record, a bigger single-race improvement to the men's 100m world record than any since fully electronic timing began. Split analysis showed he hit a top speed above 44 km/h between 60 and 80 metres. America's Tyson Gay was second in 9.71, still the best time ever run by a non-winner and still the American record. Asafa Powell was third in 9.84. Four days later, Bolt ran 19.19 for the 200m at the same stadium, rewriting both records in the same championships. Both races were held in the very stadium where Jesse Owens had won his four golds 73 years earlier.
Why it still matters
Bolt's two Berlin records went seriously unchallenged for more than 15 years, an endurance without precedent in modern athletics. The race was also the sport's commercial peak — the men's 100m final became the single most-watched event across the Olympics and World Championships combined, and the sport has not drawn comparable attention since Bolt.