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23-year-old Georgia sprinter Matthew Boling, who made headlines for his impeccable speed, has decided to turn into a professional athlete. On Tuesday, the Georgia Bulldogs student announced that he will be competing as a pro athlete in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
In 2019, Boling went viral when he broke the 10-second barrier with a wind-aided 9.98 seconds speed at his high school’s 100m race, becoming the fastest all-conditions 100m time recorded by an American high school athlete.
Naturally, his timing drew comparisons with the greatest sprinter of all time, Usain Bolt.
He also went viral for recording a magnificent speed of 44.74 seconds in the 4x100m relay race that got Strake Jesuit College Preparatory a grand win.
Later on, in 2019, Boiling won four gold medals at the Pan American U20 Championships in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay.
Recently, the young sprinter also won gold medals in the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
After four years of making headlines with his running prowess, the sprinter has decided to make his professional debut ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Boling announced by sharing an X (formerly known as Twitter) video on Tuesday and captioned it:
"A new chapter begins," he wrote.
Moreover, Matthew Boling talks about his athletic journey so far in the video:
"I started this when I was 12 years old. From Houston, Texas to Athens, Georgia my dream has stayed the same. With that being said I will be going with my abilities, turning professional, and focusing on my Olympic dream."
He also thanked the people who supported him along his way and announced that he was starting a new chapter of his life:
"My time at the University of Georgia has been amazing and I wanna thank everybody who has helped me along the way. A new chapter begins," he concluded.
Matthew Boling on his comparisons with Usain Bolt
In 2019, when Matthew Boling raised eyebrows by running a stunning 9.98 in the 100m race, observers began to compare him to legend Usain Bolt.
Bolt is known for his mind-boggling 9.58s time record that he set in the finals of the 2009 Berlin World Athletics Championships.
However, Boling was not very pleased with his comparisons with ‘Lightning Bolt’. He told the media his thoughts about the comparisons:
"Usain Bolt is the greatest sprinter to ever do this," Boling said. "So I always take [the comparisons] as a compliment. But at the same time, there's only one Matthew Boling, and that's who I'm trying to be," Matthew Boling said.
Moreover, Boling’s unbelievable timing made him receive recognition on social media and also got him the opportunity to appear on CNN. He was named Gatorade national boys track and field player of the year.
The athlete also had the chance to win the ESPY award for best record-breaking performance but it was received by Saints QB Drew Brees.
