Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Carlin Isles to lose rugby's fastest title as 10.02 second Olympic sprinter enters sport

Carlin Isles (r) and Warren Weir (l)

USA Sevens star Carlin Isles appears set to lose his title as the fastest player on the planet as news broke that an Olympic Bronze medal sprinter is set to try his hand at the sport.

ADVERTISEMENT

CNN report this week that Jamaican Warren Weir, who picked up a bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2012 Olympics, is signing up for ‘The Crocs’ – his country’s national Seven team.

Weir will make his debut will be at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Baranquilla, Colombia, where he will get his first competitive taste of a sport he has little knowledge of, let alone experience.

Weir was injured at the Commonwealth games, and was invited to try out for the team, where he ‘learned the sport a little’.

The holder of the informal title of the ‘Fastest Rugby Player on the Planet’, Carlin Isles will have his work cut for him, at least in terms of sheer speed. Isles could also have laid claim – temporarily at least – to the title of the fastest in the NFL, having bagged a 4.22 second 40-yard dash, timed during a stint at the Detroit Lions, although it has never been entered into the official NFL record books.

Continue reading below…

Video Spacer

More recently he was timed at 37kmph at the World Series Sevens.

The American Sevens speedster officially clocked a 10.13 seconds 100 metres in his track and fields days, but debutant Weir shaved one-tenth of a second off that remarkable time, having been clocked at 10.03 for the 100 metres, and 19.79 seconds for the 200 metres, in which he specialises.

“I’d love to be that Jamaican that went to two Olympic Games for two different sports,” he told the Jamaica Gleaner this week. “That would be a major achievement for myself… if we got there and got onto the podium, that would be a wonderful story to tell.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“It has always been my greatest honor to represent Jamaica in any form,” Weir told reporters. “When I was approached about joining the rugby team because my pace would be an asset to the sport, I gladly took up the offer.

“My inclusion at the CAC Games as a rugby player must also not be seen as any kind of decision on my association with track and field as I am still a sprinter. I have just found another way to contribute to this country’s great sporting legacy and I see no reason to limit myself.”

ADVERTISEMENT

However, as with Isles to a degree, Weir’s lack of size might leave him vulnerable, even on the considerably less collision-based world of Rugby Sevens.

Isles – at 5’8 and 75kg – is small by Sevens standards, but he’s relatively heavily built in comparison to newcomer Weir, who stands 5’10 and just 71kg.

Isles and Weir at not the first sprinters to try their hand at the sport.

Disgraced British sprinter Dwain Chambers – who had a 100 metre PB of 9.97 seconds – made an unsuccessful attempt to play rugby league with Castleford Tigers, while an attempt to play in the NFL Europe ended when the league collapsed.

More recently former CFL Tevaughn Campbell has enjoyed some success in the Canadian Sevens programme. Campbell has clocked a 4.355 40 yard dash time, the fastest in CFL Combine history, and has also clocked a 6.77 60 metre time on the track.

With speed being a near essential ingredient of elite Sevens, inevitably it was going to draw the attention of sprint athletes. With the sport’s accession into the Olympics in 2016, the carrot has just become even bigger. Yet, while viral sensation Isles has now emerged as a legitimate rugby player and thrown off the moniker of the ‘one trick pony’, it was a lengthy process, and sprint athletes may find the adjustment is trickier than advertised.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Lions Share | Episode 4

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
SK 23 minutes ago
Harness Skelton's might and move Sua'ali'i: How the Wallabies can fix things for Test two

That fighting Aussie spirit really served them well last week when they were down 24-5 early in the second, to rally back to 27-19 and dominate the last quarter was really impressive. I dont subscribe to the thought that the Lions took their foot off the gas. The Lions are not flawless. This group goes through periods in matches where they run riot and then through other periods where their game almost devolves as they try to play too much and lose all momentum falling flat. The strongest most consistent part of their game is their defence. I feel like the weakest part could be their set piece especially that creaky scrum which really should be doing better against Australia. If this Lions side was playing against the Springboks or All Blacks they would not be winning collisions and their set piece would be under serious scrutiny. Australia must try to do better in the collisions and put more pressure on the Lions set piece. They must bring line speed and power to their defence. They cannot afford to give up any soft tries and they must bring urgency at the start of the game. They need to force the Lions to play on their terms and to play from behind. If the Lions race out to an early lead all bets are off, if they keep momentum for a protracted period the game will be up. Australia must spoil, harass, frustrate and compete in every ruck, maul, scrum and lineout. Its time to face the Lions head on.

34 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 45 minutes ago
Steve Hansen: The Boks are 'rolling the dice and so far they’ve got away with it'

As I said, always blame the ref. The Boks can't win unless the ref helped. It was a hooker and not a prop. You don't even have your facts straight. You just confirmed what I said idiot. Blame the ref for the try😂As for hate? I don't hate the AB's, just some of their fans like you. You don't look at the whole picture. All you see is AB's players. You don't look at the opposition. No, you see what you want to see and then open your mouth, spew drivel and then get heated up about it screaming hate. Yes, the Boks haven't won in NZ in awhile. Boo hoo, cry me a river. That will change. A very strong AB's side barely beat a weak C French team and you think they are in such a good place. I would not bleat such prowess if I were you. The Boks played against much weaker opposition and they were very disappointing. Lots to work on. However, we know what these Boks are capable of. We know what the youngsters are capable of. We know the depth we have and that depth is extreme. Lots of new youngsters bleeding through too. Better than most of the current AB's. Have you watched the URC? No. Japan league? No. English Premiership? No. You watch SR and you are awed by what you see. You think the world will fall at the AB's feet, that they will smash everyone in front of them(couldn't do it to a C French team). You are blind. Foolish. Big mouth and overhyping a team that is already out of time for the WC. At the most 17 Tests left to give players time to shine. Razor doesn't even have a full A team yet. Prospects yes. Possible future stars, yes. The Boks have about 3 teams, and about 3 teams with star studded youngsters that can shift up. What will the AB's do when there is injuries? Red card bans? AB's are good. They always will be. However, they are wafer thin in the talent department. As I said, I love the AB's, just not all its arrogant supporters of which you are one. You get good supporters, not you, and then bad woke idiots, that's you!

31 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Joe Schmidt reacts to Owen Farrell's Lions selection to face Wallabies Joe Schmidt reacts to Owen Farrell's Lions selection to face Wallabies