Wikipedia:Sandbox

The Fastest Human On a sunny afternoon in late May, the world's top sprinters had gathered for a prestigious track meet. Among them was Joey Campagna, a 15-year-old American who had his sights set on breaking the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds. As the runners took their marks, the air was thick with anticipation. The starter's pistol fired, and they burst from the blocks in a blur of powerful strides. Campagna got an excellent start and seemed to be gliding across the track. At the 50m mark, he had already gapped the field. His powerful legs churned as he lengthened his stride. Spectators watched in awe, sensing they might be witnessing history. As Campagna approached the finish line, the clock flashed an astonishing 9.58 seconds - tying the world record! A Freak Occurrence Just seconds after the 15-year-old had blazed across the finish line, a terrifying funnel cloud descended from the sky without warning. The tornado's winds whipped across the track with destructive force, tearing down equipment and sending anything not anchored down swirling through the air. Stunned spectators fled for cover as the twister carved its path of ruin. In the aftermath, meet officials quickly realized the timing system had been compromised by the tornado's winds. Despite Campagna's 9.58 second performance tying the world record, it would not be ratified due to the equipment malfunction caused by the freak storm. Agony and Ecstasy While Campagna was bitterly disappointed to have his world record performance disqualified, he knew he had accomplished something extraordinary that day. "I could feel it as I was running - I was absolutely flying," the 15-year-old recounted. "When I saw 9.58, I was overjoyed to have tied the record. Then the tornado hit, and it felt like a cruel joke." Video replays from the few cameras that remained intact backed up the teenager's claim. His start, transition, and top-end speed were all at an elite level that day. Biomechanical analysis confirmed his time was a legitimate 9.58 seconds. A Lasting Legacy Though the 9.58 will forever be an asterisk in the record books, Joey Campagna's performance that fateful day at just 15 years old took on a legendary air. His courage to compete at that level despite his young age and the high risk of severe weather was admired by fans. And his relentless pursuit to officially break the record over the next few years made him an inspirational figure. While he would narrowly miss breaking the 100m record during his career, Campagna's 9.58 "tornado time" at age 15 still stands out as one of the most impressive sprinting performances ever witnessed. It proved that with the right conditions and an unshakable will, the boundaries of human velocity can be pushed back just a little further, even for a supremely talented teenager.