Usain Bolt's unusual physics
Historically, sprinters were thought to need a lower center of gravity. Usain Bolt proved this wrong in Berlin in 2009, using his long legs to cover 100 meters in just 41 steps, while his competitors took 44 to 45 steps.
The physics of the foot strike
Inside the sprinter's muscles
The art of the starting blocks
Legends of the track
dash Adjust the runner's stride and posture to learn how the fastest humans accelerate forward.
dash The Science of Speed
Hit the ground! Hit the ground! Five times heavy, fly right back.
dash Known as the "Pocket Rocket," Fraser-Pryce dominates through an incredibly rapid stride frequency.
Relay mastery: Japan won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics 4x100m relay using a highly optimized underhand pass, beating teams with faster individual runners.
dash Flo-Jo's 1988 records remain untouched due to her unique combination of strength and perfect technique.
An athlete who competes in running races over short distances at maximum speed. In 2009, Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt set the 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds in Berlin.
How did Japan's 4x100m relay teams win Olympic medals despite lacking sub-10-second individual runners?
Who was the first Asian-born sprinter to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash?
How many steps do typical elite competitors take to complete 100 meters, compared to Usain Bolt's 41?
Which country's relay team is famous for mastering the highly technical underhand baton pass?