Olympic icon Usain Bolt remains the fastest man on earth, but John Ross is the newest fastest man on turf — football turf that is.

Ross set the NFL Scouting Combine record for the 40-yard dash on March 4 with a blistering 4.22 seconds on the artificial surface at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Coincidentally, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound former University of Washington wide receiver predicted he would run a sub 4.3 time and was wearing bib No. 42.

He cramped up following his record run and passed on his second attempt.

Ross’ 4.22 time broke the old mark of 4.24 shared by Chris Johnson in 2008 and Rondel Menendez in 1999 on the same indoor track.

The Combine has been used as a pre-NFL draft evaluation tool since 1982 and has been held in Indianapolis since 1988. The 40-yard dash is the premier event.

The partial automatic timing device currently used at the event was first employed in 1999. Prior to that, 40-yard dashes were manually timed, often producing faster clockings due to human error.

Bo Jackson covered the distance in 4.12 in 1986 and Deion Sanders stopped the watch in 1989 at 4.27.

Because of the difference in timing procedures, it would be foolish to compare football to Olympic-style track and field results.

Usain Bolt won the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics at 100 meters — the shortest distance event in the Olympics — and holds the world record for the event: 9.58 seconds.

Track and field timings are fully automatic, meaning start and finish.

NFL Combine times are partially automatic.

The start is hand timed, with the clock starting when the runner raises his second hand off the ground from a three-point stance.

This eliminates the accepted 0.24 reaction to a starter’s gun that is applicable to track. In converting hand times to fully automatic, 0.24 seconds are added.

The fastest track man to make the NFL was the late Bob Hayes, who won the 100 meters during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 in 10.06. Hayes went on to become a star wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys.

Jim Hines, a 1968 Olympic champ in the 100 meters, played briefly in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs, but with little success.

Central Virginia has a few claims of fame of its own to the Combine’s 40-yard testing.

In 1996, Bryan Still from Huguenot High School and Virginia Tech ran the fastest 40 yards in camp at 4.36.

Former Petersburg High School and Hampton University athlete Jerome Mathis was clocked at 4.26 in 2005.

Only Ross, Menendez and Johnson have run faster than Mathis.

Ross, from Long Beach, Calif., is something of a medical marvel. He underwent reconstructive surgery for a torn ACL in 2015 and missed the University of Washington’s entire 2015 season. He returned in the fall to catch 76 passes for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning All-Pac 12 honors.

Now prior to the NFL Draft on April 27 through 29, Ross is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery for a torn labrum.

His lack of height and medical issues are working against him, but his record-busting speed can’t be overlooked.

After his epic run, Ross — wearing Nike shoes — showed he has a quick wit to match his rapid feet.

Adidas had promised it would award an island to whoever broke the record wearing its footwear.

In a post-race interview with Michael Irvin of the NFL Network, Ross quipped, “I really can’t swim that well, and I don’t have a boat … so I wore Nikes.”