TRACK & FIELD
The global launch of SPRINT included a glitzy premiere in New York City
Women ’ s 100m World Champ Sha ’ Carri Richardson is one of the big stars of SPRINT
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The Speedsters
of SPRINT
A new docuseries on Netflix offers a unique look behind the scenes of the lives and times of the world ’ s fastest sprinters , many of whom we will be watching in action at the upcoming Paris Olympics . – BY SEAN FALCONER with WORLD ATHLETICS
On 2 July , a new series called SPRINT : The World ’ s Fastest Humans hit screens around the globe via Netflix , with the sixpart docuseries following the lives of top athletes such as Sha ’ Carri Richardson , Noah Lyles , Marcell Jacobs and Shericka Jackson as they navigate the rollercoaster ride of being among the fastest sprinters of all time . SPRINT shines a spotlight on their lives – both on and off the track – as never seen before , delving deep into the personas , relationships , rivalries , trials and tribulations behind the race to become a global champion in the 100m and 200m .
The series was shot in 2023 and provides unique insight into the exhilarating realm of sprinting , where every millisecond counts , and takes viewers across the world on the sport ’ s premier one-day athletics meeting circuit , the Wanda Diamond League , as the athletes battle it out towards the pinnacle of the 2023 season , the World Athletics Championships in Budapest , Hungary . Many of these same athletes are currently doing final preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics , so this series provides an incredible look behind the scenes of what they would likely have been doing , thinking and saying this year as well .
Star-studded Line-up
Some of the female athletes featured in the first season of SPRINT include :
• Sha ’ Carri Richardson , the World 100m Champion , who recently stormed to the US title in Eugene in a world-leading time .
• Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce , the Jamaican sprint great who will be competing at her fifth Olympics in Paris .
• Elaine Thompson-Herah , Jamaica ’ s five-time Olympic gold medallist .
• Shericka Jackson , the second-fastest 200m sprinter in history , who recently retained her
Jamaican 100m and 200m titles . ISSUE 170 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Amongst the male athletes that appear in the series are :
• Noah Lyles , the five-time World Champion who completed a 100m and 200m double at the recent US Olympic Team Trials .
• Zharnel Hughes , the British record-holder guided by Usain Bolt ’ s former coach Glen Mills .
• Marcell Jacobs , the Italian record-holder on the hunt for a second consecutive Olympic 100m crown .
• Fred Kerley , the 2022 World 100m Champion , who is looking to go one better in Paris than his Tokyo Olympics silver .
Also offering unique insight into the exclusive world of international-level sprinting are retired legends of the track like Usain Bolt , Allyson Felix , Ato Boldon and
Trailer Time
Check out the official trailer by Netflix for Sprint : The World ’ s Fastest Humans .
Michael Johnson , who between them have a total of 73 Olympic and World Championships medals !
Stories Behind the Racing
SPRINT shines a particular spotlight on the rivalry between Lyles , Kerley and Jacobs in the lead-up to last year ’ s World Championships . It reveals , for example , how Lyles overcame serious health concerns in his teens to become the current ‘ poster boy ’ for sprinting . Similarly , the growth and evolution of Richardson is another key storyline in the series .
The series comes at the perfect time – both for the sport and for the digital age – according to Lyles . “ Being part of SPRINT was an incredible experience ,” says the current World Champion at 100m , 200m and 4x100m . “ When I imagined the day where a docuseries would be created , I didn ’ t envision me being the first person it would be about . But sprinters are like rockstars , and we live in the age of technology and social media , so it ’ s a part of our lives , and we need an example of how the sport can go with it .”
One of the legends featured in the series is Ato Boldon , the 1996 Olympic 200m silver medallist , and he forecasts that it will help expand the fanbase of the oldest sport in the world . “ We know we have some of the best athletes in the world , but we also have some of the best personalities in the world . I look at this series and think this is going to grow our audience and engage more fans that we didn ’ t even know we could get .”
Unique Sprinting Mindset
Many of the stars of SPRINT have already made their mark in the 2024 season , and now have their sights set on glory at the Paris Games , in the No . 1 Olympic sport . The series also highlights the challenges that these athletes face just getting to that level of racing , but this is just part of what they do , says Lyles . “ It takes a different mindset to be a track athlete . If you don ’ t have main character energy , track and field ain ’ t for you . The only question that remains is , who wants it more ?”
The first season of SPRINT can be streamed or downloaded from Netflix , and you can find out more about the series at https :// worldathletics . org / videos / sprint
Images : Courtesy Netflix