She's Being Called The Next Usain Bolt At Just 12 Years Old

Drawing comparisons to legendary athletes is a fool’s errand. How many times have we heard about “the next Michael Jordan?” But that hasn’t stopped critics from comparing 12-year-old Jamaican sprinter Brianna Lyston to Olympic sensation Usain Bolt.

Aside from the obvious similarities—both hail from Jamaica and run track—there’s one other thing they have in common. They both run so fast it seems as if they’re playing on an entirely different level.

Here is Lyston in her most recent race, smoking the field by more than half a second in the 200 meter:

Since watching a 12-year-old outrun a field of tweens doesn’t provide much context for Lyston’s achievement, let’s stack her up against the adults.

Usain Bolt’s 200-meter world record: 19.19 seconds

Florence Griffith Joyner’s 200-meter world record: 21.34 seconds

Brianna Lyston’s 200-meter personal record: 23.72 seconds (far faster than Bolt’s time at that age)

At 12 years old, Lyston is currently a second and a half from breaking the women’s 200-meter record set by FloJo, who was 28 when she set the record.

A lot can happen to a body and a person between the ages of 12 and 25, but Lyston appears to be a future champion.