World champion sprinter issues Bellerin & Walcott €42,000 race challenge

After the winger claimed he and his Arsenal full-back were quicker than Usain Bolt over 40 metres, top British athlete Richard Kilty has told them to prove it

Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott have been challenged to a £30,000 (€42,000) sprint race by the world and European indoor 60 metre champion after the Arsenal pair were labelled "faster than Usain Bolt".

Walcott said last week that Bellerin had usurped his previous Arsenal record over 40 metres of 4.42 seconds – a quicker mark than that clocked officially by Bolt during his 100m record-breaking run of 9.58secs.

Reports claiming the Arsenal duo may be swifter than the six-time Olympic gold medalist have been wildly dismissed by professional sprinters, with former British athlete Craig Pickering questioning the reports.

Richard Kilty, who won gold over 60m at last year's World Indoor Championships before adding the European title in March, has now challenged the Arsenal duo to prove their true pace.