Tyreek Hill Loses Track Race Despite Being ‘The Fastest Man On Earth’
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill competed in his first track meet in nine years on Saturday and the results were not what he had hoped for. Hill ran a 60m time of 6.70 in the 25-29 age division of the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships, tying him for 213th place in the world this year in the event.
After the race, Hill took to Twitter to express his disappointment with his time, saying “Never racing again, had me out there looking wild.” Nicknamed “Cheetah” due to his speed, Hill sometimes calls himself “the fastest man on Earth” and it appears he was expecting to run a time closer to his 6.64 best from 2014.
The career runners were quick to react when news of his entry in the event was announced on Friday. Marvin Bracy-Williams Jr., a 2016 Olympian in the 100m and 200m, joked on Twitter, writing “cmon dawg,” with laughing emojis. Hill responded, “I know how to stir the pot.”
Hill had a successful career as a sprinter in high school, running a 20.14-second 200 meter dash. The automatic qualifying time for the Olympic Trials that year was 20.55. He went on to compete for Oklahoma State and made the NCAA Indoor Championship finals in the 200, finishing fifth.
Hill’s personal best in the 100m is 10.19 seconds. He also ran a wind-aided time of 9.98, which doesn’t stand for official purposes due to a a 5.0 meter/second tailwind.
The Pros Weigh In
Michael Johnson, a legendary sprinter who won four Olympic gold medals and 8 World Championships gold medals during his career, noted that Hill’s performance brought the wideout more exposure, but doesn’t necessarily shine a light on the athletes who sprint professionally.
In February, Hill sent out a tweet challenging anyone to race him. Trayvon Bromell, the reigning US champion (9.76 100m sprinter), quickly responded that he’d race Hill over 60 meters with the winner taking home $10,000. That race never occurred.
Jasmine Todd, a 2015 World Championships silver medalist, weighed into the conversation, encouraging Hill to try “calling out” the three high school boys who ran faster than him on Saturday at New Balance Nationals. Also competing in the long jump, she holds a personal record of 10.92 in the 100m dash.
In January 2020, Hill said he wanted to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Ato Boldon, a four-time Olympic sprint medalist, called Hill’s chances of qualifying for the trials “a long shot.” Hill didn’t end up pursuing any Olympic competition.
It appears that, for now, Hill will be focusing on his NFL career. He has certainly made a name for himself as one of the fastest athletes in any sport, but it looks like he just isn’t “track fast” enough to compete with the elites of the sport.
