NIKE’S Usain Bolt-beating sprint shoes could be BANNED from the Tokyo Olympics, because they help 100-metre runners too much.
The controversial shoes are being branded as an Usain Bolt-busting solution from Nike – but the American company are set to shelve the shoes with World Athletics approval unlikely.
The Nike Zoom Air Viperfly was launched last year but has hit a bump in the roadCredit: Nike
Rival companies are also coming up with shoes that have similar technology – with Adidas among the chasing pack.
What are the Nike Zoom Air Viperfly spikes and will they be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics?
Nike’s cutting-edge running spikes are designed specifically for 100m sprinters.
All sprinters wear footwear with small metal spikes on the bottom for better grip.
Over the last few decades, manufacturers have found ways to make the foot plate more rigid and lighter, which has been approved by athletics officials.
But the Nike shoes are thought to have a mechanism under the ball of the foot that acts like a springboard, generating more power in the sprinter’s stride.
Currently, we will NOT be seeing these spikes at the Tokyo Olympics, if it goes ahead in the summer of 2021.
According to the Times, Nike have shelved plans for the shoes to be used in Japan.
What shoes did Usain Bolt run his 100m and 200m world records in?
Retired Jamaican track icon Bolt ran 9.58sec in the 100m in 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin.
He then went on and broke his own 200m world record, setting an all-time fastest of 19.19sec in the half lap sprint.
Bolt wore Puma spikes his whole career and was endorsed by the German company since his earliest days as a promising young teenager.
Usain Bolt broke the 100m and 200m world records in Berlin in 2009, which still stand todayCredit: AFP – Getty
Usain Bolt is rightly regarded as the greatest sprinter of all timeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
