'How fast can the human being go?'

I read this in this International Herald Tribune tonight after Usain Bolt bested Michael Johnson's 200-meter world record that many thought would never be broken.

These are the words of a fellow competitor:

"It's ridiculous," said Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, who finished seventh in the race. "How fast can you go before the world record can't be broke? How fast can the human being go before there's no more going fast?"

As I've watched Bolt in the Beijing games, I have often wondered the same thing. Had Bolt ran through the finish line in the 100-meter final, as he did in the 200, he could have run somewhere in the neighborhood of 9.5 seconds and at over 30 MPH.

That is just unthinkable.

Bolt is not just the fastest man in the world, he is the fastest man EVER in the world.

Just think for a moment that Bolt ran nearly half of a second faster in Beijing than Carl Lewis's best 200-meter performance, and Bolt had the wind at his face!

100 years ago a Canadian named Bobby Kerr won gold in the 200 meters with a time of 22.6 seconds.

Today, that time wouldn't have gotten Kerr a lane in the women's 200 meter final.