Matthew Boling is crushing stereotypes in under 10 seconds

Matthew Boling is crushing stereotypes in under 10 seconds
Jeff Eisenberg
Yahoo SportsMay 3, 2019, 7:46 AM PDT

Matthew Boling has quickly emerged as a budding superstar in the world of track and field. (Courtesy of USATF)Althea Thomas was driving home from a track meet last Saturday night when her phone started buzzing nonstop.

Aided by a tailwind of just over twice the legal limit, the 18-year-old phenom ran the 100 meters in 9.98 seconds, the fastest all-conditions mark a high school sprinter has ever recorded at the distance.

No high school sprinter has ever cracked the fabled 10-second barrier during a wind-legal race. Only Trayvon Bromell had done it under any conditions while still in high school, posting a wind-aided time of 9.99 seconds at a 2013 meet.

There's reason to believe there is plenty more left in Boling's legs. Throwing down a blazing time in track and field's glamour event has tripled Boling's followers on Twitter and transformed him into a YouTube sensation, but in reality, it may not even be his most impressive mark of the year.
The University of Georgia signee boasts high school track and field's fastest wind-legal times in both the 100 (10.22) and 200 (20.58), both achieved in mid-March at the Texas Relays. At the same event, he also won the long jump with a wind-legal mark of 26 feet, 3.5 inches, the seventh-best distance in high school track and field history.

"Most young prodigies do not pan out, but most of those athletes weren't doing this well in so many events," said Ato Boldon, a four-time Olympic medalist in the 100 and 200 meters and NBC's top analyst for track and field. "He's an all-around athlete. He's that good in four different events. The reason I think he'll defy the odds is he's a better athlete than most of the prodigies that have not gone all the way."

The most surprising aspect of Boling's ascendant spring has been his rise to prominence in the 100 meters. As recently as last season, track and field's signature race wasn't really part of his repertoire.
In his junior year at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, Boling emerged as one of high school track and field's top long jumpers and quarter milers. He won a Texas 6A state title in the long jump, finished one hundredth of a second shy of another one in the 400 meters and helped the U.S. 4x400-meter relay capture silver at the U-20 World Championships in Finland.

It was Boling's success in the 400 that first enticed Georgia to offer a scholarship last summer. Not only was Boling's personal-best time of 46.1 seconds impressive for a high school junior, Thomas also came away amazed at how he maintained his running form and stuck to his race strategy while competing internationally for the first time last summer.

"Having a white American sprinter do well is good for the sport," Boldon said. "I like people to have to let go of their tightly held beliefs. I like stereotypes to be crushed.
"The best thing about Matthew is that it's not like he's good for a white sprinter. This kid is good period. I didn't become enamored with him because of his color. I became enamored with him because of his ability."
What should help Boling stay focused and grounded is that he possesses a uniquely goal-driven mentality instilled in him by his family.

Where he still has the most room for growth in the 100 is with his start mechanics, no surprise considering the event is still very new to him. Boldon estimates he could run a wind-legal sub-10-second time right now just by cleaning that up.
"If he cleans up the first 15, 20 meters of his race, then he'd really be off to the races," Boldon said. "He has loads of top-end speed and his acceleration is phenomenal."
Where Boldon envisions Boling making the biggest immediate impact for USA Track and Field is in the long jump. Thanks to the combination of Boling's increasing speed and Georgia's recent history of developing horizontal jumpers, Boldon believes that the 18-year-old could contend for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2020 in the event.
It may take a few years longer for Boling to develop into a contender for Olympic and World Championship teams in the loaded sprint events, but he has the raw ability to achieve that too someday.
"He's in a position to run the type of times needed to win national championships and have a pro career," Thomas said. "His potential is limitless."

https://sports.yahoo.com/matthew-boling-is-crushing-stereotypes-in-under-10-seconds-144656305.html

A white dude?

Aw hell naw

9.98 is just astonishing in high school. It's an all time record. That's just an amazing time for a high school kid. There are Olympians who don't run that. He should get stronger and faster in College as the years go by. Yes I am kind of surprised to see a white kid run that fast. LOL. I guess it's the stereotype that they don't run fast. Usually they don't..... But I guess he is a really big exception to that. The times are just amazing. People have to realize this is HIGH SCHOOL. He would out run most if not almost all College guys RIGHT NOW. He hasn't even hit a College program yet to refine his technique and form and get stronger and more explosive. He has a full scholarship to University of Georgia. They are supposed to have a good track program and good coaching. So he should likely get better.

Originally posted by Ronnie49Lott:

Matthew Boling is crushing stereotypes in under 10 seconds
Jeff Eisenberg
Yahoo SportsMay 3, 2019, 7:46 AM PDT

To be that far ahead of the pack in a 100M race at a major high school meet is pretty rare. This dude has serious wheels. The kid in 2nd had a really good time and still got BTFO.


For comparison's sake, Usain Bolt didn't break 10 seconds in the 100 until he was already into his 20s. With this time, this kid would have placed 7th in the 100M at the 2016 Summer Olympics and he just started running it recently.

He's juicing for sure

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

He's juicing for sure

All the juice in the world isn't going to make you that much faster than other top end competitors, many of whom are undoubtedly supplementing as well. This kid is just a freak.


Irs crazy how he goes from being part of the pack and suddenly it looks like he hits the NOS and peaces out on everyone. If he stays healthy then he'll definitely have a shot to win big on the international stage.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
He's juicing for sure

All the juice in the world isn't going to make you that much faster than other top end competitors, many of whom are undoubtedly supplementing as well. This kid is just a freak.

Irs crazy how he goes from being part of the pack and suddenly it looks like he hits the NOS and peaces out on everyone. If he stays healthy then he'll definitely have a shot to win big on the international stage.

It's ridiculous to claim such things IMO with no evidence to back it up. He has never tested positive for that. Just throw **** against the wall and see if it will stick. Anybody can take cheap shots like that. Maybe he is just fast. It could be that too.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

It's ridiculous to claim such things IMO with no evidence to back it up. He has never tested positive for that. Just throw **** against the wall and see if it will stick. Anybody can take cheap shots like that. Maybe he is just fast. It could be that too.

At that level I'm sure a not insignificant amount of athletes are taking PEDs but you don't go from average or even top notch sprinter high school sprinter to breaking 10 seconds in the 100m after a juice cycle. You've got to already be at an elite level of ability that few will ever reach. Even with a tailwind, that is a stupid fast time.

Originally posted by Bluefalcon61:

A white dude?

Aw hell naw

You think he is "whiting up"?

Do it in the playoffs

Originally posted by Bluefalcon61:
A white dude?

Aw hell naw

Rap game Rickey Henderson..

White Lightning

The 49ersWebzone does not recognize the concept of breaking a stereotype.

Originally posted by TheRambler:

The 49ersWebzone does not recognize the concept of breaking a stereotype.

If India starting representing in track and field, that might break down the stereotype wall. Until then, hell naw prevails.