We are quite familiar with the fact that the World’s Fastest Man is Usain Bolt. He shot to prominence when he set the current world record in 2009 by running the distance in just 9.58 seconds at a blistering pace. Now, it seems that Bolt himself has some tough competition in the form of a high school student from America.
Identified as Matthew Boling, he is an Eighteen-year-old senior student at Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston, Texas. He took the entire world by storm by setting a new record for the fastest American under 20 to run 100m.
Much to everyone’s surprise, he ran the distance in just 9.98 seconds. He was just 0.4 seconds slower than the current World’s Fastest Man, Usain Bolt.
The breathtaking dash of the ever-so-talented young American sprint sensation has grabbed everyone’s eyeballs. Known for his incredible speed, Boling earned himself a new nickname “White Lightning”.
While Boling may have beat the current record for the fastest American under 20 to run the distance 100m, he is still not the official record holder. That title belongs to Trentavis Friday, who ran the distance of 100m in just 10 seconds in the year 2014.
This is due to the fact that Boling had an advantage of a 4.2mph tailwind behind him.
Recalling his incredible performance to the Houston Chronicle, he said: “It definitely felt good. My block start was pretty good and right out of the gate I knew it was going to be fast, so I decided to turn it up a little bit and ran my best. I was really happy with the time.
“I just have to get ready for that four seconds where I’m nervous and then, like, after that, it’s just smooth.”
Boling’s parents are proud of him, and LADbible reports that his father, Mark, told media reporters: “He just has a work ethic that is beyond anything I’ve ever seen from anybody.”
Watch the video below: