"They say he 'nearly' broke the record"- Fans react to world athletics' subtle jibe at Usain Bolt vs Kylian Mbappe

Fans have given mixed reactions to World Athletics' Instagram post about comparisons between Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, and star French footballer Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, who is one of the fastest footballers in the world, recently clocked a speed of 10.9 seconds over 100m in a Champions League match between Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Real Sociedad.

BBC stated that the French footballer was just over a second slower than the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, who has a world record of 9.58 seconds for the 100m race. Although Mbappe's speed is impressive for a footballer, it is considerably slower than most professional sprinters.

World Athletics highlighted the comparison between Bolt and Mbappe on Instagram with a sarcastic comment that read:

"10.90? That's cute"

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, one of the greatest sprinters of all time, reacted with a laughing emoji:

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's reaction

Danish athlete Mett Laugesen Graversgaard posted that while no one is saying Mbappe isn't a great athlete, it is disrespectful to compare his speed to Bolt's.

"For the football players getting offended by this: No one is saying he isn't a great athlete or is fast for a football player being. But to compare him with Bolt, and say that 1.3 sec is close to beat him, is just disrespectful to our sport...It is just non comparable," Graversgaard stated.

Mette Laugesen Graversgaard says Bolt and Mbappe shouldn't be compared.

A fan noted that:

"They are comparing a person who doesn't even practice athletics, if he practised maybe it would be better apart, he did it on a soccer field, after having already run, with a ball, with a player's mark because they believe that Usain Bolt was so bad at soccer? Exactly because I didn't practice the same thing with Mbappe."

A fan's post.

Another fan posted:

"and they say he "nearly broke the record."

A fan's reaction.

Usain Bolt believes his 200m world record will be broken before 100m

The Jamaican sprint legend holds the world record for men's 100m and 200m sprints. Bolt initially achieved the world record in 100m at the 2008 Reebok Grand Prix, when he clocked 9.72 seconds. At the Beijing Olympics, the Jamaican athlete won a gold medal in the 100m.

Usain Bolt at the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas - Race

Bolt, 37, has the title of "the world's fastest man", with a time of 9.58 seconds in the 100m and 19.19 seconds in the 200m race. He told Olympics.com in December 2023 that it's a great title, saying:

"It's something that I enjoy even if I say it's not the most important - it's always the medals, but it's a great title to have."

When asked about which record would go first, Bolt, an eight-time Olympic champion, replied:

"I think the 100m's going to be harder to break because it's quicker, and if you make a mistake during the race you're not going to get it. It's a lot more technical so I think maybe the 100m's going to go last."

Bolt, also called the Lightning Bolt, retired in 2017.