The global stage of sprinting has seen its fair share of legends, with none shining brighter than Usain Bolt. The Jamaican phenomenon left a legacy of sheer dominance, his lightning-fast speed redefining the limits of human potential. Bolt’s performances not only etched his name into history but also set a gold standard, inspiring athletes worldwide to chase his records. In the United States, a new prodigy appears to be rising to the challenge.

Enter Ajani Dwyer, an 18-year-old sensation rapidly making waves in the NCAA sprinting scene. Dwyer burst onto the radar with a stunning performance at the Bison Opener in Bucknell, where he clocked a personal best of 6.55 seconds in the 60-meter event. This remarkable feat places him as the third-fastest U-20 athlete in U.S. history—a monumental achievement for such a young sprinter.

Dwyer’s electrifying debut has ignited hopes that he could become America’s next sprinting superstar, potentially challenging global stars like Gout Gout. His performance has not gone unnoticed as Track and Field Gazette shared a video of his blazing run on their official X account, captioned, “18-year-old Ajani Dwyer us makes his NCAA debut at the Bison Opener in Bucknell, clocking a PB of 6.55s over 60m! Third fastest ever by a U.S. U-20 athlete.”

The 18-year-old participated in Washington Township High School in New Jersey and became a first-rank holder in the 55 m sprint in his high school. With that, he has set a new record in a 55 m event in New Jersey state with 6.18 seconds. For the unversed, when Usain Bolt was 15 years old, he became the youngest world junior gold medalist in the 200 m event.

Earlier this year, Dwyer participated in the South Jersey Elite meet at Delsea and recorded his fastest wind-legal time of 10.38 seconds (with a 2.0 tailwind). Though this tailwind time is behind Usain Bolt’s time, the wind speed also differs—Bolt has 9.72 s (1.7 m/s tailwind). Dwyer also won silver in U20 events at the Millrose Games 2024 and finished the race in 6.76 seconds.

Meanwhile, the 16-year-old Gout also won silver in the 200 meters and represented Australia at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships. Gout has also broken the 56-year-old national record with 20.04 seconds in the 200-meter All-School Championships in Brisbane.  Dwyer can also be compared with legends like Trayvon Bromell, who became the first U.S. sprinter to win a U20 world title in the 100m, and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, who became the youngest of the 100m world champions.

It is safe to say that Gout and Dwyer are the new sensations of this generation and fighting tough for their respective countries.

Ajani Dwyer—the next big thing!

Ajani Dwyer continues to make waves in the world of sprinting, excelling in shorter sprints like the 55m and 60m while showcasing immense potential in the 100m. With a high school personal best of 10.21 seconds, Dwyer has already etched his name into the record books, holding the fastest 100m time in state history (recorded without wind gauge).

As a senior at Washington Township, Dwyer set the track ablaze with his record-breaking performance in the 100m dash, blazing past competitors during the South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals at Pennsauken. Adding to his impressive resume, he clocked a remarkable 10.24 seconds in another race, a time that ranks as the 10th fastest in the U.S. this year, according to MileSplit’s national database.

The current official New Jersey state record stands at 10.22 seconds, set by Jamar Ervin of Camden at the 2000 Meet of Champions at South Brunswick under a 2.0 wind reading. While Dwyer’s recent 100m time wasn’t recorded under wind gauge conditions, it remains his fastest performance to date and a testament to his immense talent.

Though it’s still too early to predict if Dwyer will reach the legendary status of Usain Bolt, his exceptional speed and record-breaking performances strongly suggest a future filled with promise. With dedication and continued growth, Dwyer could become a defining figure in the next generation of sprinting greats.​