ATHLETICS
Will Usain Bolt return to the track to face Mbappé in a 100m sprint?
Who is the faster athlete....PSG and France striker Kylian Mbappé or retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt?
It all came about following a social media post from the BBC during the Champions League match between PSG and Real Sociedad last March: “Kylian Mbappé has registered an estimated speed of 10.9 in the 100 meters. It’s just over a second slower than Usain Bolt’s world record.”
The phrase went viral on social media and the now 37-year-old Jamaican responded sarcastically: “I started laughing as soon as I heard it.”
The unfortunate comparison provoked many comments from the world of athletics, all with a similar message implying that, comparing the speed of the 25-year-old French footballer with the king of speed as somewhat misguided. However, the idea of a 100m sprint between the two athletes has sparked the imagination and after Bolt laid down the challenge to the PSG star, the French player accepted.
At a promotional event for Nike and its ‘Inspired by KM’ foundation, Kylian has accepted the gauntlet laid down by the eight-time Olympic champion, who has also insisted that Mbappé is an athlete who “inspires” him.
“It would be fun, why not? Of course, I don’t expect much from the result,” said the footballer, who added: “Usain inspired everyone, and we have all woken up at dawn during the Olympics to watch him race. It’s wonderful that he says he admires me, I started to admire him first.”
The only thing missing is a date and place for a duel between Mbappé who is set to leave PSG at the end of the season and Bolt, who could put on his spikes 7 years after retiring.