While I don’t think it will be too accurate in predicting who will win the men’s 100 meter sprint tomorrow night, I thought it would at least be fun to try and predict the results using the internet.

Using Google search trends, which you can compare search trends, Asafa Powell gets 4.0, Tyson Gay 2.0 and Usain Bolt gets 1.0. Powell is four years older than Bolt which would explain the higher number of searches. Usain Bolt has the highest peak however, when he set the world record on June 1st, 2008.

Google search results:

Next I did a search on the number of web pages that mention each athlete. Here are the results:

706,000 for “asafa powell”
622,000 for “tyson gay”
1,640,000 for “usain bolt”

I think this is interesting because Bolt is 4 years younger than Powell and Gay.

Injuries are common for athletes, so let’s throw in the keyword injury.

424 for “asafa powell injury”
914 for “tyson gay injury”
3 for “usain bolt injury”

Tag Cloud

The tag cloud on our site shows Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt to be about the same, with less mentions to Tyson Gay.

Daily Searches

Finally I have used keyword tracker to take a look at the number of daily searches:

Asafa Powell: 138
Tyson Gay: 319
Usain Bolt: 263

Tyson Gay wins this test, but I have a feeling this could have more to do with his name.

Conclusion

I don’t know what this little test proves, if anything. Asafa Powell has a longer history on the web, but Bolt’s recent world record saw him have a huge burst in popularity. I am going for a Bolt, Powell, Gay finish.

Mini Profile

Asafa Powell

Height: 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight: 88 kg (194 lb/13 st 12 lb)
Born: 23 November 1982
Country: Jamaica

Tyson Gay
Height: 5′11
Weight: 165
Born: August 9, 1982
Country: United States

Usain Bolt

Height: 6′4″
Weight: 198 lbs
Born: 21 August 1986
Country: Jamaica