Article

Usain Bolt

All hail the fastest runner in the history of the world. So how fast can the Jamaican go now?
Issue: Sep, 2009
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 The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held last month in Berlin will not be considered just another track meet filling up the athletics calendar in between Olympics. With two of the most important world records in track not just broken but practically shattered, the best sprinter to have ever lived managed to fill-up the 74,845-seat Olympiastadion, leaving no one wishing it had been an Olympic ticket. The next step? Bolt is reportedly considering the long jump – and we can't wait to see the unimaginable 9-metre number in the next event. 

 
 
Genetically blessed 
Hailing from Jamaica is a huge advantage. 20 of the world’s top sprinters have been linked to its ethnic origins and DNA tests have confirmed that 98 per cent of Jamaicans share the power-sprinting gene. Linford Christie, Donovan Bailey and the subsequently disgraced Ben Johnson all had Jamaican roots.
 
Early potential 
By 12 he had become the fastest 100 metre runner in his school’s history. By 15, Usain had grown to a height of 1.95m, which helped him the world junior championships in the 200m. Tale of Bolt’s phenomenal speed reached American colleges who offered Bolt track scholarships, but he resisted all overtures stating that he “wanted to continue training in his homeland.”
 
Perfect Stride
“His body placement was not ideal for sprinting,” Bolt's coach Glen Mills said about the tall and gangly young sprinter, “his head was back, his shoulders were well behind his centre of gravity, this resulted in him spending too much time in the air and over-striding.” Careful guidance resulted in Bolt achieving a the most efficient stride length compatible with his frame, according to Mills. 
 
Physique and technique 
 "I’ve never seen anyone so tall running so quickly, and getting all the technical aspects right," said Darren Campbell, an Olympic silver-medal winner at 200m, "at 86kg, his power to weight ratio must nigh on perfect. Sprinters work on bulk, but also stride length. Unfortunately for his more vertically challenged rival, Bolt has it all.”
 
Laid back attitude 
Known for his charming smile and pre-race and post-race "showmanship" (as well as mid race sometimes), Bolt has a laid-back attitude to training and life in general, as well as a liking for practical jokes. He even boasted he had a double helping of chicken nuggets just hours before his Beijing run. 
 
 
Proving science right
Following his 2008 world record, a thesis was published in the New Scientist Magazine calculating that had Bolt not decelerated, he could have run the 100 metres in 9.55 seconds – a close number to his most recent 9.58.