The prospect of Henry racing against Usain Bolt

Former Arsenal player Thierry Henry once expressed his opinion when compared to track and field legend Usain Bolt.

Henry is famous for his impressive speed. Photo: Reuters .

During his playing days, Henry was famous for his impressive sprints that left opposing defenders in a state of shock. According to statistics, in 1998, he reached a top speed of 39.2 km/h – a number that many people associate with professional 100m runners.

Notably, this speed is faster than Usain Bolt's average speed when setting the world record at the Olympics, at 37.5 km/h. However, Bolt once reached a maximum speed of up to 44.7 km/h - a difference enough to confirm the difference in class between the two sports stars.

In the documentary "La Vie Sportive" broadcast ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Henry frankly admitted that he would have no chance of winning if he seriously confronted the sprinters.

“You have to know your limits. I play football, it's a different world . I don't have professional running techniques, I just run by instinct,” Henry said.

Henry admits it is difficult to beat real athletes. Photo: Reuters .

The former Arsenal striker also emphasized the technical differences between football and athletics: “They are trained thoroughly, from starting techniques, strides to breathing. Athletes calculate every step. I never think about that.”

Henry also shared that in football, sprint situations usually only last about 40-50 meters, far from the standard of a 100 meter race.

When asked if he could have become an athlete if he had trained properly, Henry admitted: “I only know what I have done. I don't know if I could have been a sprinter. I never thought about anything other than football."

Henry said he has always had respect for Olympic athletes – who spend their entire careers perfecting every step, rather than relying solely on instinct like he did at his peak.

Mbappe's speed On the morning of September 6, Aurelien Tchouameni made a long pass for Kylian Mbappe to accelerate and score a goal to help France beat Ukraine 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe.

Source: https://znews.vn/vien-canh-henry-chay-dua-voi-usain-bolt-post1590655.html