Runner Dylan Sorenson just set a new world record for the fastest mile while dribbling a basketball. Inspired by ESPN’s recent Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, Sorenson paid homage to the basketball legend by donning a Jordan jersey, and breaking the existing record with a new best time of 4 minutes 37 seconds.
“I grew up playing basketball,” he says in the IGTV video documenting his run — which he completed on his 30th birthday. “I’m from Indiana, which is, if you’ve ever seen Hoosiers, you know that in every other state it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana.”
Sorenson coaches track and field at the University of Carolina, which he says has the “most iconic basketball program in the world,” and so when his milestone birthday came around, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to try this challenge.
“Two of my greatest passions in life have been basketball and track and field,” he says, “and so I thought what better way than combining both of them to celebrate my 30th birthday.”
He adds that he’s “been training really hard” ahead of the run, but that he was only able to get his hands on a basketball and practice the dribbling part about a week beforehand: “I haven’t quite had the typical preparation one would in pursuit of a world record, but that’s why this is an atypical world record.”
The previous world record for fastest mile while dribbling a basketball was held by runner Thomas Schauerman, with a time of 4 minutes 52 seconds. Schauerman set that time just days after two-time Olympian medalist Nick Symmonds broke the record, with 5 minutes 29 seconds — although Symmonds admitted at the time to having exhibited less-than-perfect dribbling technique.
“The turns were especially challenging. I almost lost the ball a few times on the curves,” he said. “I would have benefitted from using my left hand, but I’m just not that coordinated. I wasn’t so much dribbling as pushing the ball forward.”
Sorenson had better enjoy his victory while he can; with the record having been changed three times in the last year, it’s likely somebody else will come along soon and attempt to set a new, even better time — especially after writer and self-proclaimed “mediocre runner” Malcolm Gladwell issued this challenge on social media: “Could any NBA player beat this??”
Could any NBA player beat this?? https://t.co/KLRM2uGcS5
Source: Read Full Article