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Could Usain Bolt beat a Cheetah?

It’s the question on everybody’s lips.

 Having watched Bolt’s remarkable 9.58 second 100metre sprint on Sunday night I began to wonder whether the Jamaican could outsprint a cheetah.

Clearly Bolt needs a new challenge having destroyed the field in both the Olympics and the World Championships.

But could he realistically beat a cheetah?

Let’s look at it objectively. Bolt runs 100m in 9.58 seconds. A cheetah can cover 100m in just over six seconds (apparently) but from a running start.

In Manchester in the rain Bolt ran 150m in 14.3 seconds – the last 100 of which were in 8.6 seconds – so with both athletes from a running start the gap is two and a half seconds. And Bolt could probably have shaved a few tenths off that in ideal conditions.

Then there are other factors to take into account.

If it’s the Olympic final Bolt is used to the pressure, the crowds and the TV cameras. The cheetah is not.

The cheetah also won’t be use to running on tartan, and the lane system might throw the animal off course – there’s not many painted white lines in Africa.

But even after taking all that into account, the cheetah would probably edge it.

But what about the 200m?

Well it doesn’t look good there either. From a running start a cheetah can reach 200m in just under eight seconds - quicker than Bolt. So 2-0 to the animal kingdom.

There is talk of Usain stepping up to the 400m where he would be challenging Michael Johnson’s World Record.

In fact Johnson himself said after the Beijing Olympics: “I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t now move up to the 400m but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to break the world record in that.”

Johnson’s record stands at 43.18. Let’s assume Bolt can match that. He goes into the final 200m trailing by 12 seconds, but the cheetah can only reach maximum speeds for 250m and then tires. Indeed, a cheetah sometimes kills its prey and has to wait half an hour to eat while it regains its breath.

I’d fancy Bolt in this one – especially if he’s already lost the 100m and 200m. He won’t want to lose all three.

And Bolt would level the gold medal count at two each in the relay – I’m not sure a team of Cheetahs would pass the baton as well as a team of Jamaican sprint kings.

Alex James writes a weekly blog published every Monday on www.newportadvertiser.com

View his previous blog here