At the Paris Olympics, the men’s 100m final saw all finalists clock sub-10-second finishes, with the top six surpassing Usain Bolt’s peak speed of 27.8 mph. Despite these impressive feats, none came close to breaking Bolt’s iconic 9.58-second world record. This highlights that sprinting excellence isn’t just about raw speed but also about maintaining consistent acceleration, stride efficiency, and race strategy. Lyles’ gold medal win at 9.79 seconds underscores this complex balance.