What appears to be a galloping gait by Bolt is not without precedent. I personally saw Bob Hayes at the Mount San Antonio Relays in 1962 winning the 100 yard dash. His gait was an even more pronounced gallop and it did not seem to bother him a bit. View his anchor leg for the 4x100 meter relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on Youtube. His split was 8.8 seconds!
4
What a pleasure to see this poor cripple overcoming his handicaps!
7
Usain bolt, one of the greatest runner in the history, is being questioned by many researchers of his secret to his running pace despite dealing with scoliosis.
Running, is one of the greatest sports of all time. However, not many could apprehend Bolt’s “unprecedented speed”. This idea intrigued me as running in a certain pace could help me release my stress and maintain my health. Despite having one leg shorter than the other as a result of scoliosis, Usain bolt could maintain his speed according throughout his performances.
Science has taught researchers that runners would have to deliver the same amount of forces on both legs (heel) to do a quick sprint. Since Bolt’s leg is shorter than the other, this idea is not possible. And yet, he is known as the quickest runner in the history (recorded in the guiness book record). He would have to deliver a bigger amount of force to his longer leg comparing to his shorter leg.
Without being said, this is a miracle. He should “donate his forces to science”.
Running, is one of the greatest sports of all time. However, not many could apprehend Bolt’s “unprecedented speed”. This idea intrigued me as running in a certain pace could help me release my stress and maintain my health. Despite having one leg shorter than the other as a result of scoliosis, Usain bolt could maintain his speed according throughout his performances.
Science has taught researchers that runners would have to deliver the same amount of forces on both legs (heel) to do a quick sprint. Since Bolt’s leg is shorter than the other, this idea is not possible. And yet, he is known as the quickest runner in the history (recorded in the guiness book record). He would have to deliver a bigger amount of force to his longer leg comparing to his shorter leg.
Without being said, this is a miracle. He should “donate his forces to science”.
4
Mauricio Lima's photograph of the 200-meter race at the 2016 Rio Olympics is one of the most beautiful, compelling photos I have seen in a long time. Thank you for including it in the article!
3
Regardless, Bolt is the greatest sprinter of all time. Let's leave it that that.
2
Like most people, I watched Usain Bolt in awe as he broke into the spotlight in 2008. It's interesting here to read some of the current information in sports biomechanics on his stride. What's not noted is how long takes for Bolt to get his un-even legs out of the starting blocks. Put bluntly, Bolt's starts are terrible. He typically begins races far behind his competitors. Bolt's finishes also aren't so good. He loses many fractions of a second checking his place or time. Bolt's starts are certainly forgivable. His finishes are most always frustrating, because of the times he could accomplish. With a little more focus, a sub-8 100m has always seemed within reach. The middle part of a races is sublime though. To see Bolt check other lanes and watch him run down his competitors is almost worth the frustrations. Usain Bolt is the greatest sprinter in a couple generations, but someone will take his records within a generation. With Bolt, I always think of the times he could've posted, instead of the time he has.
3
This article made me think of the fact that some exceptionally fast freestyle swimmers also have an asymmetrical, sort of galloping stroke, e.g., Michael Phelps, even though conventional wisdom has it that a symmetrical stroke is the way to go.
2
Please keep in mind that our awareness to our body can be enhanced when were not symmetrical. For example, it was the yoga studio that allowed me to really know my scoliosis and my nose deviations. Within three years I could practice asanas second to none and my breath (pranayama) remains to this day, full of consciousness (not including sleep (I'll probably die in my sleep)). Perhaps, Bolt intuitively knows more about pushing off the ground, breath, and overall awareness of what's up on the track, due, in large part, to his asymmetry. He seems to focus on consciousness as he runs, you'll seem him scanning the track, upping his awareness.
2
Having been a runner for 60 years at age 80, I see Senor Bolt seeming to get a lot more propulsion from his upper body than most of us, like a swimmer or a trout. Whatever, he needs to have his body examined as he enjoys retirement.
1
"Bullet" Bob Hayes, the world's fastest man back in the 1960s (and then a Hall of Fame football player) also had a very uneven stride.
1
The correction says .097 and .085 seconds on the respective feet - thousandths. The article says hundredths. It's a BIG difference, and the error is symptomatic of the mathematical illiteracy that plagues our country.
Strike times and stride anomalies notwithstanding, Usain Bolt is an athletic phenomenon: supremely disciplined, focused and fit. He obviously enjoys winning, and retirement only makes sense when injuries and age make the prospect of his continuing dominance in the sport increasingly difficult. His records, however, may endure as a testament to how exceptional an athlete Usain Bolt truly is - whether due to his wonky stride, his scoliosis, or to his champion's heart.
Strike times and stride anomalies notwithstanding, Usain Bolt is an athletic phenomenon: supremely disciplined, focused and fit. He obviously enjoys winning, and retirement only makes sense when injuries and age make the prospect of his continuing dominance in the sport increasingly difficult. His records, however, may endure as a testament to how exceptional an athlete Usain Bolt truly is - whether due to his wonky stride, his scoliosis, or to his champion's heart.
11
Have you looked at the old films of Seabiscuit (the horse)? PBS did a show showing his "winging" gate, which today would disqualify him from racing. Obviously, he won anyway. Perhaps Mr. Bolt has the same winning qualities.
8
I was going to say the same thing. It was the first thing I thought of.
This reminds me that Bill Rodgers, the four-time winner of the New York Marathon in the 1970s, was reported to have 75% slow-twitch muscle fibers where most of us have something like 50%-50% fast-slow. Biology is destiny for many people.
7
Well, at least it's now true that only someone genetically gifted for the precise requirements of their sport -- running, swimming, golfing, even soccer -- can be the world's best. It is no longer sufficient just to train hard and try hard.
1
As I understand it, the one variable that determines one's speed is a chicken and egg relationship - length of time in contact with the ground. Apparently, the amount of time someone like Bolt or "Bullet" Bob Hayes or Jessie Owens or Armin Hary(!) is in the air is the same as your ordinary, everyday bloke. Of course, Bolt moves a considerably farther distance in that air time. What's different is ground contact time. The more force, the shorter the time on the ground and the farther one is airborne, resulting in more force, the shorter the time on the ground, etc.
3
It seems the key to thrust is running more on front of foot and not the heel. As this may tend to use the calf muscles more which are capable of lifting 1000 or more pounds and perhaps pound for pound the strongest muscles in the body. Calf machine workouts use the toes and front part of the foot and not the heel...
1
Thanks for this article! I am at long last vindicated over a $100 bet I "lost" 10 years ago on this matter.
3
A similar phenomena that Bruce Lee first demonstrated and which drew the attention of western biophysics and martial artists in the 1970's was referred to as the 'One Inch Punch'. I note that Lee's One Inch Punch generated such force and torque in a strike of only one inch distance that he could shatter one inch thick hardwood boards, or put away opponents who were many times his size.
I note that in 2014 William Herkewitz in an article in Popular Mechanics describes a project by a Stanford bio-mechanical researcher ,Jessica Rose, in which her analysis of Lee's One-Inch Punch seems to come to some of the same conclusions that the more recent analysis of Usain Bolt's unique gait pattern seems to come to, including: Lee's punch, like perhaps Bolt's gait strike with his right foot, is a result of a full body reaction that focuses very minute and subtle weight shifts and major muscular adjustments that occur at the moment of peak acceleration at each interval along the line of force- from foot to pelvis to spine to shoulder to arm and wrist to fist in Lee's case; from spine, to pelvis to knee to ankle to foot in Bolt's case. Also, like Bolt's foot strike research indicates, Rose points out that another phenomena that gave Lee's fist strike such power was the fact that Lee was able to retract his strike at such an incredibly rapid rate, which seemingly was able to greatly compress the energy at the moment of impact.
I note that in 2014 William Herkewitz in an article in Popular Mechanics describes a project by a Stanford bio-mechanical researcher ,Jessica Rose, in which her analysis of Lee's One-Inch Punch seems to come to some of the same conclusions that the more recent analysis of Usain Bolt's unique gait pattern seems to come to, including: Lee's punch, like perhaps Bolt's gait strike with his right foot, is a result of a full body reaction that focuses very minute and subtle weight shifts and major muscular adjustments that occur at the moment of peak acceleration at each interval along the line of force- from foot to pelvis to spine to shoulder to arm and wrist to fist in Lee's case; from spine, to pelvis to knee to ankle to foot in Bolt's case. Also, like Bolt's foot strike research indicates, Rose points out that another phenomena that gave Lee's fist strike such power was the fact that Lee was able to retract his strike at such an incredibly rapid rate, which seemingly was able to greatly compress the energy at the moment of impact.
5
Fascinating. I hadon't scoliosis, and instead of running fast I had major back surgery and am lucky I can walk! Go Usain, and this article is fascinating.
4
97-hundredths of a second, compared with 85-hundredths of a second for the right leg.
This must be when he is walking, not running.
This must be when he is walking, not running.
2
exactly what I was going to write. 97 thousandths must be what they were going for?
1
You know, this may sound crazy, but I wonder if his scoliosis could have a positive effect on speed--maybe the slight bend in his spine contributes a spring effect compared to a rigid, straight spine?
4
Normal spines are neither rigid nor straight, there are natural curves built in.
1
Like a cheetah.
1
William:
To clarify Mary's point: normal spines have natural front-to-back curves built in. Scoliosis is a sideways curve, usually with a twist.
To clarify Mary's point: normal spines have natural front-to-back curves built in. Scoliosis is a sideways curve, usually with a twist.
One of the best Brazilian footballers had a deformed spine, a right leg that bent inwards, and a shorter left leg (2.3") that curving outwards. Nicknamed Garrincha, I remember reading that these "anomalies" conferred advantages on the pitch such as accelerating around a bend.
5
What amazes me, taking of thus data into consideration, is that Bolt's knees have held up. Peak force more than 1,000 pounds!
7
Check back in 30 years.
4
Finally, what I find so enjoyable about watching Bolt apart from the fact that he is truly a gifted athlete is the ease in which he enjoys what he does. He truly is having fun out there and brings us all along for the ride. I hope that these last few races find him in good form, and as he takes his exit from the world stage success in these final runs, and to your future sir. all the best. Its been a blast.
16
I wonder if having that leg length discrepancy could have helped Mr. Bolt on the curve of the 200m.
If scoliosis is the true cause of his leg length discrepancy then he might benefit from lateral trunk stretching on the right side. But I wouldn't mess with anything until after he retires.
He is the fastest human ever recorded. He's doing something right.
If scoliosis is the true cause of his leg length discrepancy then he might benefit from lateral trunk stretching on the right side. But I wouldn't mess with anything until after he retires.
He is the fastest human ever recorded. He's doing something right.
4
Don't 200m sprinters run a curve to the left? That would put his shorter right leg on the outside. Seems like it wouldn't confer an advantage; although, as you say, he seems to be doing just fine.
Don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but the marathoner Bill Rodgers ran with an unusual arm swing, and it was determined that this was an automatic compensation for a leg length discrepancy that he didn't know he had. No one advocated corrective therapy for the guy as he was one of the best at what he was doing!
8
This reminds me of how Bill Rodgers, the great American distance runner, used to run. He had a similar defect in his upper body, and it translated into a funky stride that every coach he had tried to change. Rodgers resisted the change and won multiple Boston Marathons. Only later did they examine his stride using biometrics, and it turned out that his weird "flapping arm" was a natural compensation for a different condition.
A lot of people who never ran in competition, though, (I ran at the Division I level) think that training techniques, work ethic, "the brain," etc, are what win races. Runners like Usain Bolt and every world class runner have that dedication and effort, but they also have genetics, and in this regard track is the most selective sport in the world. Look at the way their feet hit the ground. You cannot be a world class sprinter and not have your feet hit the ground in a supinated manner, of the kind that wears out your shoes on the outside of the ball of the foot. In fact, we used to call the top sprinters "ultranated," because only the ball of the foot and the toes hit the ground. If you are a runner and you roll to the outside of the ball, then unless it causes pain, don't try to change it. Supination is the gift of speed, so don't buy special shoes to become normally pronated. And if you are pronated like the majority, you will never be truly fast, so just accept it and train for the 5Ks. No marathons please--they are injury machines.
A lot of people who never ran in competition, though, (I ran at the Division I level) think that training techniques, work ethic, "the brain," etc, are what win races. Runners like Usain Bolt and every world class runner have that dedication and effort, but they also have genetics, and in this regard track is the most selective sport in the world. Look at the way their feet hit the ground. You cannot be a world class sprinter and not have your feet hit the ground in a supinated manner, of the kind that wears out your shoes on the outside of the ball of the foot. In fact, we used to call the top sprinters "ultranated," because only the ball of the foot and the toes hit the ground. If you are a runner and you roll to the outside of the ball, then unless it causes pain, don't try to change it. Supination is the gift of speed, so don't buy special shoes to become normally pronated. And if you are pronated like the majority, you will never be truly fast, so just accept it and train for the 5Ks. No marathons please--they are injury machines.
4
We posted about Rodgers at the same time! Funny how that is.
5
Good old Rodgers! Cool guy, he was a blast to watch. A CO during the war, worked in a hospital and kept running.
Extremely interesting article. Respectful research deserving high praise. But I would prefer Mr. Bolt not to commit his body to unlocking some secrets that may have advanced his speed to the fastest human on earth. The Science is neglecting the incredibly hard mental and physical training Mr. Bolt has dedicated his life to and trying to explain a part of his success on a physical attribute. Nike will begin development, if not already, of shoes that are 1/2 inch lower than the other, etc. Relax Mr. Bolt, enjoy retirement and watching many other runners devote their lives to the sport and in quest of breaking your records one day on their own strengths! P
9
The Jamaican dominance in the sprints is most likely due to doping. The doping chemists are much better (and better paid) than the testing chemists.
8
Really? Are you suggesting that a poor country can better afford to dope their athletes than America can? By the way, did you just make this up or do you have proof?
10
No, nobody has proof, but it's obvious. Carter, Powell, Simpson...
There are no world records in sports that mainly measure speed, endurance or power.
There are no world records in sports that mainly measure speed, endurance or power.
Peace & Love -
We live in a country where "I dunno. That's what I'm hearing. That's what people are telling me" is the new standard of credibility. If you are questioning JMC's statement, then you are probably a fake news liberal medium.
We live in a country where "I dunno. That's what I'm hearing. That's what people are telling me" is the new standard of credibility. If you are questioning JMC's statement, then you are probably a fake news liberal medium.
2
In nearly all sports, there is a "natural" side. It's why in baseball right handers throw and bat right handed--mostly, but every once in a while you have a guy who throws right and bats left, and vice versa. In basketball, players are known for developing strong moves to one side or the other at first; the really great ones learn to go to either side, but they have to learn how.
You get power and agility with one side and maintain stability and balance with the other. This really works well in sprints, where explosiveness and consistency out of the blocks is so important. An uneven stride would make much more of a difference in longer races, especially in terms of injury. That's actually been the most remarkable thing about Bolt--staying at the top for so long without getting hurt. He's obviously smart about taking care of his body.
You get power and agility with one side and maintain stability and balance with the other. This really works well in sprints, where explosiveness and consistency out of the blocks is so important. An uneven stride would make much more of a difference in longer races, especially in terms of injury. That's actually been the most remarkable thing about Bolt--staying at the top for so long without getting hurt. He's obviously smart about taking care of his body.
2
I call this type of running "flying". Way back in high school I ran the 440 yard dash. I was only 5' 7" tall and could outrun guys much taller than I. Basically, you spend as little time on the ground as possible by bouncing off hard on your toes and using your arms to keep you in flight. You don't think about it though; you just fly!
6
ok lets do the maths:
you write that the left foot is on the ground 97 hundreds of a second,
with approx. 40 strides that means the left foot is on the ground 20 times 97 hundredths of a second, equivalent 1940 hundredths of a second equivalent 19,4 seconds just for the left leg. So how does Bolt manage his records (9,58 seconds) please enlighten us
you write that the left foot is on the ground 97 hundreds of a second,
with approx. 40 strides that means the left foot is on the ground 20 times 97 hundredths of a second, equivalent 1940 hundredths of a second equivalent 19,4 seconds just for the left leg. So how does Bolt manage his records (9,58 seconds) please enlighten us
2
"Theories about Jamaican sprinting success have ranged from their proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to a renowned youth development system to a public health campaign"
That doesn't quite cover the range of theories.
That doesn't quite cover the range of theories.
3
Bolt is clearly a genetically gifted freak of nature. He also has a great mental attitude for racing. Sadly, he comes from an island where performance-enhancing drugs are fairly widespread, so there will always be a wisp of a question mark surrounding his performances. That is the nature of track and field today.
3
Wow, an accusation totally unsupported by any facts.
3
The greatest human achievements are reached only by overcoming obstacles. I'm sure this is only one of many that Mr. Bolt has overcome in his lifetime.
3
Cycling used to have a smooth aesthetic with pedal strokes; spins smooth circles, not choppy squares. The last thing I read was that the one who pushes the pedals hardest goes the fastest. So much for aesthetics.
Love the video and accompanying visualization. Nice work
3
I'm a long-time runner and have been vexed by the fact that my right side consistently seems to be my driving force with my left side just along for the ride. I have tried to correct the problem through exercises to isolate the weak side with at best limited success. I am SO relieved to hear that this perhaps isn't such a limitation or problem after all. Thank you NYT and SMU!
3
Let me know if you want me to explain this. He is able to move past a mental state that inhibits recognition of imbalance. It interferes with most of us. It is not something that he is aware of.
He may also be unusual for all the metrics of superior athletic ability. Oxygen exchange. Stuff like that. But you did bring up the scoliosis thing.
Wendy Whelan, a prima at NYCB, danced as a prima until she was 47. Unheard of. She has scoliosis.
It in fact what is masked is one of the most important inhibitors of human development.
He may also be unusual for all the metrics of superior athletic ability. Oxygen exchange. Stuff like that. But you did bring up the scoliosis thing.
Wendy Whelan, a prima at NYCB, danced as a prima until she was 47. Unheard of. She has scoliosis.
It in fact what is masked is one of the most important inhibitors of human development.
10
Uh..yeah..no, we're good. Have you spoken with Mr. Bolt to know his frame of mind? He has suffered many injuries over the years...so its doubtful he doesnt recognize, or is unawares of...his physical issues. Not giving in is not an enlightened mental state like you imply...
What is only recently being studied with little formalized data (yet) is how do elite athletes, people who put themselves in situations of extreme physical stress, etc, move past the pains that inhibit the rest of us. Where does the discipline and drive originate, especially when injured, and very often at young ages. ?? What keeps the young gymnast going thru all the injuries that would sideline the majority of the population..?
What is only recently being studied with little formalized data (yet) is how do elite athletes, people who put themselves in situations of extreme physical stress, etc, move past the pains that inhibit the rest of us. Where does the discipline and drive originate, especially when injured, and very often at young ages. ?? What keeps the young gymnast going thru all the injuries that would sideline the majority of the population..?
3
Yes, please, HT. I would like to know how this works.
1
Simply put, that is some "big toe mojo."
As a fellow "tall" at 6'4", I trained relentlessly to get better at HS sports and to be faster. The only thing that made a difference (and the difference was immense) was to focus on stretching and lengthening my stride.
We used to associate explosive speed with compact power, Usain Bolt single-handedly shattered that notion.
Through flexibility and opening up the full potential of one's stride, we can unlock a lot of potential in bodies that are naturally inflexible because they require much less motion to walk and do every day activities. That's my theory, anyways.
If you have a kid who is working really hard at improving their athletic ability, make sure they've unlocked their full range of motion, and their full stride (or stroke or swing, etc.) thank me later.
Oh, and 5 mins of stretching your legs in the morning is life changing if you're a stiff big man like myself. I've probably lengthened my walking stride by 30% since I rediscovered how good it felt.
We used to associate explosive speed with compact power, Usain Bolt single-handedly shattered that notion.
Through flexibility and opening up the full potential of one's stride, we can unlock a lot of potential in bodies that are naturally inflexible because they require much less motion to walk and do every day activities. That's my theory, anyways.
If you have a kid who is working really hard at improving their athletic ability, make sure they've unlocked their full range of motion, and their full stride (or stroke or swing, etc.) thank me later.
Oh, and 5 mins of stretching your legs in the morning is life changing if you're a stiff big man like myself. I've probably lengthened my walking stride by 30% since I rediscovered how good it felt.
17
Yet there is mounting evidence that stretching does little for a huge segmet of the population who are naturally tight. And that many, who are naturally loose, do damage by stretching more.
And there is enough evidence now to negate the preworkout stretch paradigm we've been fed for several decades. That it actually sets up people for injury, especially those who are infrequent exercisers, or weekend warriors. Especially static stretching.
And there is enough evidence now to negate the preworkout stretch paradigm we've been fed for several decades. That it actually sets up people for injury, especially those who are infrequent exercisers, or weekend warriors. Especially static stretching.
3
Actually there have been tall, lean sprinters for decades, the most famous being the seemingly now forgotten Carl Lewis - overall, a greater track athlete than Bolt. And before Lewis there was Tommie Smith, the first man to break 20 seconds in the 200 meters..
3
And Dave Sime.
1
Horses don't run symmetrically at their top speed either.
4
A fascinating study of biomechanics and physics.
As mentioned, not only is one leg shorter than the other - but both are longer than all the other sprinters' legs. The fact that he can get quickly out of the blocks on the start while possessing a longer, more powerful stride makes Bolt unbeatable in big competitions, and the greatest of all time.
Many Americans have hypothesized Bolt doing the Bob Hayes thing, and playing American football. It's not going to happen because Bolt is Jamaican, and because he would be a specialty player who would take a roster stop from a more utilitarian player.
But what if Bill Belichick used Bolt for half a dozen plays, and simply let Tom Brady heave it way down field. Nobody could stay with Bolt, and if he could catch the ball it would be six. At the very least, Bolt would be a decoy who would occupy two defensive backs, opening up a big play underneath.
As mentioned, not only is one leg shorter than the other - but both are longer than all the other sprinters' legs. The fact that he can get quickly out of the blocks on the start while possessing a longer, more powerful stride makes Bolt unbeatable in big competitions, and the greatest of all time.
Many Americans have hypothesized Bolt doing the Bob Hayes thing, and playing American football. It's not going to happen because Bolt is Jamaican, and because he would be a specialty player who would take a roster stop from a more utilitarian player.
But what if Bill Belichick used Bolt for half a dozen plays, and simply let Tom Brady heave it way down field. Nobody could stay with Bolt, and if he could catch the ball it would be six. At the very least, Bolt would be a decoy who would occupy two defensive backs, opening up a big play underneath.
3
Bob Hayes set the WR in an era in which sprinters ran on cinder tracks wearing metal spikes. And unlike Mr. Bolt, his football career was more than hypothetical, he's actually in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Bolt himself hypothesized doing the Carl Lewis thing, i.e. competing in the long jump. He coulda been a contender.
Bolt himself hypothesized doing the Carl Lewis thing, i.e. competing in the long jump. He coulda been a contender.
3
Training champion track athletes to play football and fantasizing about their potential has been a time honored tradition since Bob Hayes, but none achieved Hayes' success because he was first and foremost a football for whom track was his second sport (these were the days when track was an amateur sport unless you were from the Communist bloc). Not only was he a phenomenal 100 man (he won 49 straight finals) he had a very unorthodox running style which should have made him an also-ran, yet he was the best in his era. I'd like to see these researchers analyze his running style, which you can check out at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztRL-QMI1NY
1
article still shows hundredths, not thousandths, despite correction notice... hello???
1
Why don't you ask his brain? That's where races are won . . .
31
Way too much analysis, especially from the peanut gallery. Bolt is great because he is great. To those who claim it's drugs, would you say the same thing if he were white?
16
Given that the vast majority of professional cyclists are white, and drug suspicions are considerable there and for good reason, your comment is out of line. The established fact is that the Jamaican drug testing program has been effectively semi- to nonexistent for quite some time, so we can't rule out that factor. That said, I'd like to believe that it wasn't involved in what Bolt has accomplished.
1
lol, if he were white, I would claim it's doping but not how it is. Black strides matter.
6
(Lance Armstrong)
mostly unproven speculations
1
The difference between left an right becomes inconsequential when you recognize that it is not force nor time that should be compared, but rather the work done with each stride which is a product of force and time. When this is accounted for, you find that the difference between the work done using his left leg and the work done using his right leg is only 0.9%.
3
He's his own namesake.
8
I was a pretty good sprinter in my day, but nowhere near elite. After time slowed me down, I took to jogging. And one hot day, after a ten-miler, I was walking around to cool down when a three-year-old girl pointed to my right foot and asked why it pointed out, while the left one didn't. I'd never noticed the fifteen degree angle before. Maybe it had somehow improved my sprinting.
1
At least one commenter raised the possibility of PEDs factoring in. I really hope not.
I grew up in Milwaukee before the Braves moved to Atlanta and was lucky enough to see Hank Aaron play. By the standards of today's sluggers, he was unremarkable physically. I don't think he topped 200 lbs, and never hit more than 40 home runs in a season.
But he was remarkably consistent, and as far as I'm concerned, is still the all-time home run champion. Somehow, these athletes lifted us all, and for the most part, their kind are sorely missed in this era.
So I like to think of Bolt as a throwback to that naturally gifted athlete, someone we can all aspire to in our weekend warrior mode.
Then again, I once held Lance Armstrong in such esteem and we know how that worked out.
Regardless, I believe in Bolt, and it will be another lifetime before we see anyone like him.
I grew up in Milwaukee before the Braves moved to Atlanta and was lucky enough to see Hank Aaron play. By the standards of today's sluggers, he was unremarkable physically. I don't think he topped 200 lbs, and never hit more than 40 home runs in a season.
But he was remarkably consistent, and as far as I'm concerned, is still the all-time home run champion. Somehow, these athletes lifted us all, and for the most part, their kind are sorely missed in this era.
So I like to think of Bolt as a throwback to that naturally gifted athlete, someone we can all aspire to in our weekend warrior mode.
Then again, I once held Lance Armstrong in such esteem and we know how that worked out.
Regardless, I believe in Bolt, and it will be another lifetime before we see anyone like him.
8
You seem unaware that ball players from the late 1950's/1960's on, until they were banned in the 1980's, used dexamyl ("greenies"), in good part to deal with arduous travel and playing schedules (heck, student health centers distributed something similar back then on request during finals). Some estimates by ballplayers themselves were that use was in the 95% range.
1
And how much muscle mass would greenies have generated versus steroids?
The doping question has immediately surfaced. I admire Bolt defenders. Sometimes athletes are truly exceptional. I agree Bolt is currently beyond reproach. He's been tested and screened beyond imagination However, this is the wrong argument to make. Lance Armstrong was once beyond reproach too. They actually hold drug test samples for around a decade now. The idea is to allow forensic methodology time to catch up with doping techniques.
Given the nature of the article though, the argument we should be making is quite different. A physical abnormality, quite literally a defect of some sort, has generated an extraordinary athlete. The Olympics were founded around the concept of human perfection. The beauty and symmetry of athletic form. An aesthetic interpretation of human strength. Now we have a modern day counter argument. With or without drugs, we witness Bolt as an exceptional imperfection. The exception to the rule.
Given the nature of the article though, the argument we should be making is quite different. A physical abnormality, quite literally a defect of some sort, has generated an extraordinary athlete. The Olympics were founded around the concept of human perfection. The beauty and symmetry of athletic form. An aesthetic interpretation of human strength. Now we have a modern day counter argument. With or without drugs, we witness Bolt as an exceptional imperfection. The exception to the rule.
6
Allison Felix also has an uneven stride that is much more obvious that Bolt's. It would be interesting to see her stride analyzed in the same way to see if there is in fact an advantage of some sort.
3
Thirty-five years of clinical chiropractic work has revealed universal maladaptive symptoms to leg length inequalities. When found, a heel lift to the short leg nearly always resulted in reduced symptoms and improved efficiencies.
Usain Bolt's low back and leg symptoms are most assuredly the result of his leg length imbalance. His speed must be explained by how quickly his muscles moved his skeletal system. A well placed heel lift early in his life would have likely resulted in still faster times, but even at age 31 would greatly relieve his back and leg pains.
Usain Bolt's low back and leg symptoms are most assuredly the result of his leg length imbalance. His speed must be explained by how quickly his muscles moved his skeletal system. A well placed heel lift early in his life would have likely resulted in still faster times, but even at age 31 would greatly relieve his back and leg pains.
3
Yes, my left leg is half an inch shorter than my right and causes all sorts of problems - tightness and pains from my heel to my back.
2
There are lots of us "asymmetrics" out here. Maybe we should start a club. Asymmetricals Anonymous.
These studies are important in that they may help other "almost" elite runners. But Bolt has his stride by necessity. To even attempt to correct it would be a bad idea.
Bolt has long dominated by having a longer stride than most other runners with a pace that is equal or better than runners much shorter than him. Meaning he covers the same distance in a shorter time period.
He's a once a generation (or two) type runner. Enjoy him in his "twilight" years of competition. I hope he's able to walk when he ages.
Bolt has long dominated by having a longer stride than most other runners with a pace that is equal or better than runners much shorter than him. Meaning he covers the same distance in a shorter time period.
He's a once a generation (or two) type runner. Enjoy him in his "twilight" years of competition. I hope he's able to walk when he ages.
1
While I did not read this article in its entirety - apologies - Longman assumes that Bolt's uneven stride upends the conventional wisdom that an uneven stride slows a runner down (see para four). Why he does this I'm really not sure. Perhaps because this makes for an intriguing read? Whatever the reason, it led me to lose interest. The way I see it, Bolt's uneven stride probably does slow him down. The fact that he's the fastest runner ever is a separate issue that compares him to other runners, and not to his more perfect self.
1
Very interesting study. Since Jamaican runners won most of the medal in the 100/200 sprint races, I wonder part of it is the genetics of the built/muscle efficiency/effectiveness etc. account to their success a lot. Also curious about who were their ancestries from. And I think if Bolt can (not to adjust) run evenly by his nature, he probably can achieve an even more dramatic speed. No matter what, he definitely is very gifted but he also works hard for it, too. Well maybe not required as hard as other sprinters.
2
It might be better to start with the longstanding Jamaican program to identify fast runners early, during their youth. National programs are typically more successful than the more decentralized, haphazard ones, as is practiced in the U.S.
1
Thank you for this. It doesn't get said much but that program which began with a socialist government in the 70s, receiving guidance from the Cubans, helped Jamaica identify these exceptional children for the countryside and training them. I think it's wonderful. Too bad our own government sabotaged that government because of their friendliness to the left. It was a simple matter of formerly colonized people wanting a better life. Knowing the work that goes into identifying those kids, and how hard those kids work (I've seen them), the unproven accusations based on jealousy I think (a small island dominating a sport! Nerve!) hurt a little but people are people.
Fascinating article. Me, I just enjoy looking at this remarkable athlete perform and am resisting a creeping sadness that Bolt's better days are behind him. But I cherish the little pleasures of one day telling my grandchildren that I actually saw him run.
1
I have enjoyed the comments here, including professionals and nonprofessionals alike positing their theories. Examining Usain Bolt does not detract from appreciating his greatness. I enjoy the comments, too, from readers asking if this can be seen in other animal species. We can revere Usain Bolt while setting our minds free to question many things. That is lovely.
4
Can we talk about how the curvature of the track may or may not play in to this? If it was the inside leg that was shorter (the left) then at the 200m distance where runners go around a corner always in the same direction it would seem an obvious advantage to be tilted inwards like cyclist in a velodrome, but am I reading this correctly that Bolt seems built for right-turns? Are his wins in the 200m distance more decisive not just because he has more time to gain a lead but because he actually gains an advantage over competitors from going around a curve, or does he lose more on a curve? I looked quickly at the difference in time for Bolt's time v the second place finisher for the 100m v. the 200m in 2008 and 2012 and the while the second place time was about 1% slower both years in the 100m (9.69 v 9.89 in 2008 and 9.63 v 9.75 in 2012), Yohan Blake (19.44 to Bolt's 19.32 in 2012) did appreciably much better than Shawn Crafford (19.96 v Bolt's 19.30 in 2008) in the 200m making this napkin-analysis not very telling.
1
I've always noticed an asymmetry to Bolt's stride, but I noticed it in his shoulders. His left always seems to be a bit higher than his right. In fact to me that has always been one of his signatures, one of the things that makes his seemingly effortless gait one of the more visually majestic sights in all of sports.
Too many variables. And we cannot accurately measure relevant psychology in any case. I know that a good reflexive start is important for 60 meters. After that, strength and acceleration are key. Bolt is a great athlete. Let's leave it at that.
1
This is not totally surprising. Look at how often a swimmer (janet evans) does something that is considered not the norm for a stroke, but ends up faster than anyone else. Technology today allows us to analyze swimmer's strokes and runner's strides with such precision that it's inevitable that we will show that, sometimes, top athletes are doing something "wrong". These variances in stroke or stride may be due to a particular body and bone structure, but these differences often lead to a entirely knew look at the best way to achieve speed.
3
This is an interesting article. Usain Bolt is an extraordinary athlete and in the conversation of GOAT athlete (along with Federer, Phelps, Jordan, Messi, Ali ) However I object to the description of marathon runners as the equivilant of a Prius. Elite runners who run 26 miles in a little over 2 hours have other worldly abilities themselves, and deserve a better comparison than a Prius.
5
The one thing to bore Bolt into a coma is biomechanical analyses of races. He's never understood why anyone would care about number of steps or stride length.
The most important question, which no one addressed, is, if Bolt didn't have scoliosis and therefore a leg length abnormality, could he have been faster? Forget correcting his running style. That's rather ridiculous and making those kinds of monumental changes past teen years would in all likelihood, have slowed him down. But had he been BORN with legs of two equal lengths so that the force by which each hit the ground was the same, could he be faster? Could he have gone sub-19 if he had?
Bolt is an anomaly, not the norm. Pretending that his build, height and deformities will benefit anyone other than Bolt isn't supported by over 100 years of data. We've had 6'5" / 6'4" elite sprinters before. We've had elite sprinters with scoliosis before. Bolt is the only person who's been able to overcome those hindrances to break WRs.
Let's not pretend as if they weren't hindrances. Bolt achieves his top end speed in spite of, not because of, those issues. To pretend otherwise is to believe that all the other sprinters with those issues were the anomalies and Bolt is the norm. Makes no sense.
The most important question, which no one addressed, is, if Bolt didn't have scoliosis and therefore a leg length abnormality, could he have been faster? Forget correcting his running style. That's rather ridiculous and making those kinds of monumental changes past teen years would in all likelihood, have slowed him down. But had he been BORN with legs of two equal lengths so that the force by which each hit the ground was the same, could he be faster? Could he have gone sub-19 if he had?
Bolt is an anomaly, not the norm. Pretending that his build, height and deformities will benefit anyone other than Bolt isn't supported by over 100 years of data. We've had 6'5" / 6'4" elite sprinters before. We've had elite sprinters with scoliosis before. Bolt is the only person who's been able to overcome those hindrances to break WRs.
Let's not pretend as if they weren't hindrances. Bolt achieves his top end speed in spite of, not because of, those issues. To pretend otherwise is to believe that all the other sprinters with those issues were the anomalies and Bolt is the norm. Makes no sense.
2
I wonder if he runs faster clockwise given that his right leg is shorter, that would seem be an added disadvantage when running the usual anti-clockwise.
1
Bill Rogers had one leg longer than the other. Coaches tried to get him to change his running style but later analysis showed that Rogers was naturally using the most efficient running style to accommodate the difference in his legs.
11
Exactly. I remember the studies well. We tend to find the best strides for our bodies' abnormalities. A few bodies seem to have no flaws -- Valery
Borzov, the Soviet runner who won the 100m gold in 1972, looked like a coach's dream with his perfect form. But most of us aren't built that way. And, btw, it's Bill Rodgers.
Borzov, the Soviet runner who won the 100m gold in 1972, looked like a coach's dream with his perfect form. But most of us aren't built that way. And, btw, it's Bill Rodgers.
1
And yet I am still left wondering if drugs are not somehow, someway
involved in the shattering of the records for the 100 and 200 meters.
involved in the shattering of the records for the 100 and 200 meters.
5
I hope that in Bolt's case this isn't true. Then again, Lance Armstrong fooled a lot of people for a very long time.
But I believe in Bolt. It will be another lifetime or two or three before we again see someone as gifted.
But I believe in Bolt. It will be another lifetime or two or three before we again see someone as gifted.
1
Maybe cannabis is beneficial to his condition(s) as a runner. He is Jamaican and I've never heard it was against track and field regulations for runners to use it prior to a running event.
There it goes : if black people don't try ...they met expectations BUT if they do try and succeed .... they must have cheated !
2
6'5", one leg longer than the other, scoliosis, flat feet, pronounced fore-foot strike, long arms, these are all hallmarks of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. The tendons and ligaments being lax (at a genetic level) means the muscles assume that load. Its no wonder Bolt is explosively fast: his body may be compensating for laxity with a necessary muscular power.
Many with JHS can't walk at all or suffer in chronic pain; the ligaments are too lax and the muscles fall into constant spasm. Sometimes, though, hypermobility predisposes you to do great things: like Rachmaninoff, Phelps, Kerhsaw, and yes -- Bolt.
https://ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-hsd/
Many with JHS can't walk at all or suffer in chronic pain; the ligaments are too lax and the muscles fall into constant spasm. Sometimes, though, hypermobility predisposes you to do great things: like Rachmaninoff, Phelps, Kerhsaw, and yes -- Bolt.
https://ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-hsd/
10
Mr. Usain Bolt is a unique and gifted sprinter with many natural attributes, that, even if measured, mean absolutely nothing for the rest of us - average runners.
4
I started "running" at 61 and now I am now 70. It is one thing to watch races and hear record numbers such as 9.58 for the 100 meters and 19.19 for the 200 meter sprints, or 3:43.13 for the mile, or 2:02:57 for the marathon (that's equivalent to doing 26.6 miles at 4:41 minutes), but unless you have ever run yourself - even my piddling few miles a day jogging along - you have no clue whatsoever what they are actually doing; what it takes to do it; or how truly extraordinary these athletes are.
It is beyond extraordinary but into the superhuman. The time, effort, determination, and training that goes into what they do and what they have accomplished is not just extraordinary and superhuman but also heroic. Even to an old guy like me they are an inspiration for what I can do I reaching my best possible performance in running and whatever I do.
It is beyond extraordinary but into the superhuman. The time, effort, determination, and training that goes into what they do and what they have accomplished is not just extraordinary and superhuman but also heroic. Even to an old guy like me they are an inspiration for what I can do I reaching my best possible performance in running and whatever I do.
72
Agreed and nicely stated, thank you. Speaking of his training, I was astounded to find out that Bolt has never run more than 1 mile in a given stretch. I found it nearly impossible to believe but I fact checked it from several sources and apparently it's true. Perhaps this somehow accounts for his explosive power, speed and unquestionable dominance.
2
So happens I have one leg a bit shorter then the other just like Usain. Who knows, maybe one day I can break some records just like him ;)
2
And don't forget tolerance for--even the embrace of--pain. A relative by marriage who won gold (2x), silver, and bronze swimming in the last Olympics (Maya DiRado, when she was single) mentioned in an interview, after just touching out a competitor for the win, that she used the amount of pain she was in as a gauge of the quality of her effort. This may seem obvious, but as someone who suffers from chronic pain, it really made me think--and respect her all the more.
1
i used to swim in a masters' group. I couldn't wait till the albatross aged out of our group. Go, Usain! the clock is ticking.
2
"Because his right leg is shorter, it has a slightly longer drop to the track, contributing to a higher velocity for that step." I believe you mean higher acceleration. Force = mass x acceleration (not velocity). Anything moving towards the ground accelerates by force of gravity.
Dr. Paul Mostert, a mathematician and a former visiting member of the Institute for Advanced Study, has been studying the biomechanics of racehorses for years. One of is his most important conclusions is that great horses come in all shapes and sizes and it is necessary to realize that what is an optimal stride for one horse may be a less than optimal stride for another. I suggest that Bolt's height has some influence on what his optimal stride is and not just his scoliosis and leg length.
Dr. Paul Mostert, a mathematician and a former visiting member of the Institute for Advanced Study, has been studying the biomechanics of racehorses for years. One of is his most important conclusions is that great horses come in all shapes and sizes and it is necessary to realize that what is an optimal stride for one horse may be a less than optimal stride for another. I suggest that Bolt's height has some influence on what his optimal stride is and not just his scoliosis and leg length.
19
Not getting your point. Championship and record breaking sprinters have always come in different heights and body types and they've all had their heights influence their optimal stride. As your point seems rather redundant, perhaps I'm missing what you're trying to say.
Also, using gravity only would be apropos if sprinters were simply dropping their legs to the ground in a straight line. They do not. Everything is done at an angle, so gravity is only a small part of that equation. The amount of propulsion they achieve is proportional to the angle of their feet relative to the ground.
Also, using gravity only would be apropos if sprinters were simply dropping their legs to the ground in a straight line. They do not. Everything is done at an angle, so gravity is only a small part of that equation. The amount of propulsion they achieve is proportional to the angle of their feet relative to the ground.
Remember Native Dancer?
1
Absolutely.
Like a hammer is uneven, heavy at one end and not the other, or like an offset angle on a rotating crankshaft that creates leverage and tremendous force. Mr. Bolt's asymmetry makes him more machine like. What a human being.
16
The power for running and walking comes from the entire body, not only the feet, legs or arms. They are linked through the anatomy of the spine where energy is stored and returned via the reciprocal swinging of the arms and legs (pelvis and shoulders counter rotate with every step). There are many factors in speed. Thickness of the fascia and its ability to create adequate tension within the skeletal system to store and return energy. Ease of the feet to allow the body to pass over them as fast as possible (which is no small task). The speed of the muscle fibers to fully act is the rapid time frame of sprinting. Bolt's scoliosis may be a factor later in his life (he may be retiring....but he is only 31), but trying to alter this would likely slow him down rather than improve his performance. And it may be that in the 200, his asymmetry may be valuable as the track is curved, and his accommodations are ideally suited for speed. But it is all the mechanical factors which combine to make him the fastest human ever.
6
I'm actually more than a little surprised that any one of these scientists would even think that changing Bolt's running style would be of any benefit to him. I'm glad that they've pretty much ruled it out but I'm shocked that it was ever in question. Humans with physical abnormalities always compensate to make tasks as efficient as possible. Had this been something they worked on with him pre-puberty, that would have been different. And given how hyper he was a kid, never walking, always running and climbing, even a childhood correction would have been unlikely. His body learned to make allowances for his deformity at an early age. We see people born with no arms condition to use their feet and legs in their place. Those muscles then modify themselves to efficiently do those tasks. Bolt was playing football (soccer) and cricket at a young age, and he was doing that in every spare moment of his childhood. Barefooted. His muscles adapted...early.
I don't believe for a second that his deformity is an advantage to him or to sprinting in general. I believe he's fast despite his abnormality. Had he been born without it, he might have been even faster.
I don't believe for a second that his deformity is an advantage to him or to sprinting in general. I believe he's fast despite his abnormality. Had he been born without it, he might have been even faster.
Usain Bolt is no doubt gifted but I think that it is amazing that he is able to be the best ever and still have scoliosis. According to the article his scoliosis is preventing him from having an even and consistent stride making on right leg shorter than his left. With him being able to compensate for that is a mirracle. I can understand why they would want to run studys on his stride and figure out what he does that makes him the fastest man in history but I think that some of it is just him and his genetics. For example we have amazing basketball players like LeBron James and Kevin Durrant who were gifted and can reach a certain level of skill that most people could achieve even if we were to practice equivalent amount of time as they did. So besides the stride his height and biology are things that work hand and hand with his success and were able to make him the fastest man alive.
2
One thing that seems noticeably different about him is the amazingly free length and rotation of his entire abdominals allowing for a buoyant length through his torso and a freedom in his rib cage with his leg stride and arm swing. As an Alexander Technique teacher in San Diego, I've worked with many runners. That kind of buoyant freedom of length along with rotation through the entire trunk makes every foot contact more effective in that it reduces downward pressure in the trunk.
8
In other words, he flies.
6
Well put Carl. Out of the 9.58 seconds in his record 100 meters, I wonder how much of that was actually spent in contact with the ground. Very little is my guess because, as you note, he flies.
1
Fascinating. The article comments that all elite sprinters are doing the same thing, in terms of their foot movement (punching the ground) and contact time with the ground. I wonder if this carries across to non-human athletes? Do race horses exhibit similar ratios in timing?
Given Usain Bolt’s history of back and leg injuries and attendant therapy, I wonder if orthotics were recommended and tried at some point.
2
So what? He runs the way he runs. His body is unique, so it runs in a unique way. All this analysis means nothing.
5
If it were up to you, that is the way it is because that is the way it has always been done....No curiosity, no inventions
1
It strikes me as utterly unsurprising that a runner with one leg shorter than the other will have a shorter contact time and correspondingly larger vertical impact force (the two areas [=impulses] being equal) with the shorter leg.
3
How about just saying that Bold is very gifted, disciplined, determined and dedicated?
There are many people capable of various great things but lack the will, discipline and/or determination to accomplish them.
Bolt's talents combined with all the above make him an extraordinary person all around. And not just from being a sprinter. Gotta love Bolt.
There are many people capable of various great things but lack the will, discipline and/or determination to accomplish them.
Bolt's talents combined with all the above make him an extraordinary person all around. And not just from being a sprinter. Gotta love Bolt.
6
LOL. Bolt is probably the least disciplined sprinter Jamaica has ever produced. He might be the least disciplined sprinter in the western hemisphere. He took a lot of flack for it for many years. His coach took a lot of flack for giving him the leeway to do things other sprinters wouldn't be allowed to do. The reality is that Bolt isn't always motivated either. It took many years for him to earn the respect of his people because of it. But he is dedicated, he is determined and he is immensely respectful of his coach. He showed the world the joyful spirit of his homeland. He brought happiness to the sport. Made it wonderful to watch again.
Gotta love Bolt...but definitely not for his discipline.
Gotta love Bolt...but definitely not for his discipline.
Again, again, again we experience that pervasive anti-intellectualism in the Comments section. Their position: Don't analyze scientifically this phenomenon, just enjoy it, just feel it. Avoid critical thought, long chains of logic, objective knowledge, and the scientific methods. It is bad to explore.
It is precisely this mentality that leads to so much suffering.
It is precisely this mentality that leads to so much suffering.
117
Wow, do I agree with you. For some (many?) of us, the analysis is fun. Something new has been discovered, and that's interesting. It causes us to look,for the next discovery. It's also quite possible to do both...enjoy the performance, and enjoy the analysis.
5
Some people just lack curiosity.
I'm an Analytic type, driven to understand processes.
I'm also an Artist, eager to experience the simple joy found in all creation... without feeling the need to analyze the mechanics.
Not all of us want to be Scientists. Nor do all of us want to be Artists. What I'm saying is that in the boundless realm of human experience, there is lots of room for both approaches. Simply put: Do Whatcha Like.
I'm also an Artist, eager to experience the simple joy found in all creation... without feeling the need to analyze the mechanics.
Not all of us want to be Scientists. Nor do all of us want to be Artists. What I'm saying is that in the boundless realm of human experience, there is lots of room for both approaches. Simply put: Do Whatcha Like.
Hardly surprising that Bolt has the great success: since slower deceleration is the key to elite racing, a longer stride logically would be more effective.
I've never realized his starts were so fast; commentators appear regularly to say how slow they are in so many races.
I've never realized his starts were so fast; commentators appear regularly to say how slow they are in so many races.
It is not surprising that a tall individual can reach a higher top speed because of a longer stride, but the conventional wisdom was that a tall individual could not start as quickly because it takes longer to uncoil from the starting blocks.
that Bolt defies that wisdom is a big reason his records will be very difficult to break.
that Bolt defies that wisdom is a big reason his records will be very difficult to break.
Having watched all of Bolt's Olympic races, I think it's more accurate to say he didn't lose much ground at the start. He was rarely in the lead at 30 meters but he wasn't far enough that he couldn't take over easily once at full stride..
He's pronating. Does he have flat feet? His feet move just like mine, and I was born with flat feet. After two knee replacements, I'm learning to walk properly and need special shoes for that.
4
ChesBay--Also watch his shoulders, back and forth, back and forth. His stride is uneven, while the others' shoulders stay pretty horizontal. He must just be that much stronger than the others. I wonder how his hips and knees will fare in the next 20 years.
2
Pronation is a "normal" motion in walking and running. Yes, it can be extreme, but in the past too much emphasis was placed on trying to prevent/reduce pronation. Pronation needs to be viewed through the lens of form, condition, and stability of all parts
4
ChesBay, I can give you an idea what happens to the hip and knee joints on the weaker leg because I have a somewhat similar physical abnormality. I have a slight scoliosis, and the top of my left femur sits forward of where it should properly seat in in the hip joint. I have always had an uneven stride (I was never a competitive athlete, but have an athletic build) because the muscles around my left hip tighten excessively to compensate for inherent joint weakness. The knee on that leg is, accordingly, slightly askew when my foot hits the ground. To make things worse, my left foot is slightly twisted, so I have to work hard to place the ball of the foot flat on the ground. (All of this is why I prefer swimming to exercise on land!) I compensated well for decades, but now that I am approaching 60 (fit for my age), arthritis is settling in. Everything hurts. My left ankle, knee, and hip all have badly damaged cartilage. Because I favor the left leg, protectively, my lower back suffers spasms. A few years ago I learned that a nagging, pervasive pain loop was caused by scar tissue built up around -- impinging -- a major nerve. I fear that Usain Bolt's future is going to be a world of pain, starting in his early 40s. To my eye, he appears to be in pain in the short clip featured at the top of this article. Perhaps he will be saved by having access to top-of-the-line stem cell therapies, growth factors and other innovations. I hope so. I suggest he take up swimming.
Interesting article.
Bolt seems to have long arms. Perhaps add as factors arm length/body height/stride length?
Bolt seems to have long arms. Perhaps add as factors arm length/body height/stride length?
3
Because these scientists didnt factor those in...
2
I've seen Bolt run one of the fastest 200m times of the season while spending 70m of it fixing his hair, using the jumbotron as a mirror. He also simultaneously broke the Olympic record and his own world record in the 100m while using his arms to celebrate imminent victory 20m before the line. He ran a high 9.8 in a championship heat while while fiddling with his clothing then decided to conserve energy by not bothering to move his arms at all. In Bolt's case, I'm not really sure how much his arm length matters. Don't get me wrong, he needed to use them properly to hit 9.58, 19.19 and 8.65, but he is perfectly capable of running ridiculously fast times with improper or greatly reduced arm movement. I can see why they'd keep the focus on his legs.
1
This reminds me of attempts to use biomechanics to explain how the world's greatest violinists do it, or music theory to explain what composers were thinking. Bolt's accomplishments are his own, and until a theory can predict the next winner, it's just chasing smoke. But it's smoke worth chasing! Kudos to the researchers too.
15
Its not chasing smoke at all. What this study could do is change coaching. That by trying to retrain athletes to a predetermined ideal form, they are hurting potentially good athletes. Frustrating them and their coaches. This could rewrite track coaching.
For us non elites, who still train and sometimes compete, it couldmean train in our natural form, instead of forcing ourselves to an idealized form.
For us non elites, who still train and sometimes compete, it couldmean train in our natural form, instead of forcing ourselves to an idealized form.
46
Yes! Overcorrection ("overteaching") can get in the way of talent and interfere with success. We are all asymmetrical (we have one heart, one liver, etc.), although of course, not all have scoliosis. Training methods can accommodate body type differences, strengths, and limitations (e.g. individual variability) without forcing an idealized form upon everyone.
Often, these gifts of range in running or range in violin are due to connective tissue diseases which allow the joints to slip out of "range".
Scoliosis along with joints that dislocate are common with connective tissue diseases such as Ehlers Danlos. We in the Ehlers Danlos Community also have a wide range of heart.
God Bless Usain Bolt: His heart for competition and the Blessing he just is.
What scoliosis? Whatever condition or circumstance brought this about, take note: Bolt is AWESOME and his heart and mind are so strong that he overcame a physical "difference" and gave it a run for it's money.
Scoliosis along with joints that dislocate are common with connective tissue diseases such as Ehlers Danlos. We in the Ehlers Danlos Community also have a wide range of heart.
God Bless Usain Bolt: His heart for competition and the Blessing he just is.
What scoliosis? Whatever condition or circumstance brought this about, take note: Bolt is AWESOME and his heart and mind are so strong that he overcame a physical "difference" and gave it a run for it's money.
Great article and fascinating research. (By the way, what brand of pants is Andrew Udofa wearing in the photo and where can I get a pair? LOVE THEM!!)
3
Katie Ledecky has kind of a loping unevenness to her stroke, and yet she is SO much faster. Hmmm . . .
2
The cheetah is the fastest animal and I wonder if there is as much variation in speed in the cheetah family as their is in the human family.
6
Ever see one walk? They look like they're falling apart.
1
Bolt is that one in a century unique individual who can not be copied. He defies all the logic in what a sprinter is suppose to look like. Stocky, muscular, Bolt is over 6' has a stride that is longer than a human body and fast as hell. It is the convergence of so many different things all rolled into one package. Genetics, fate, who knows. Why not just enjoy the man's talent as it will be a very long time before someone like Bolt comes along again.
37
No harm looking at details. I don't see the authors claiming this will enable anybody to 'copy' what Bolt does. It gives me even more appreciation of Bolt's exceptional skill.
Enjoy his one-of-a-kind brilliance now, while you can. Appreciate him as a natural creation.
Soon, within a few generations, geneticists will have figured out how to 'shape' people into something even faster, stronger, better than Bolt, and some people (read: rich) with buy their design.
Soon, within a few generations, geneticists will have figured out how to 'shape' people into something even faster, stronger, better than Bolt, and some people (read: rich) with buy their design.
8
What might these researchers say about Forrest Gump?
8
Yes Forrest had scoliosis too.
"But once Bolt reaches top speed at 60 to 70 meters, he maintains his velocity more efficiently than others, decelerating less toward the finish line. The winner of a sprint is not the person speeding up the fastest at the end but slowing down the slowest."
I find this a bit incongruous. In my years of track and field competition, each and every coach admonished their sprinters to run through the finish line. Slowing before the tape was taboo, regardless of how slow one slowed down. We were always taught to accelerate through the tape.
I find this a bit incongruous. In my years of track and field competition, each and every coach admonished their sprinters to run through the finish line. Slowing before the tape was taboo, regardless of how slow one slowed down. We were always taught to accelerate through the tape.
Sorry, you only think you are accelerating. You ARE losing velocity no matter how hard you try. Simple and 100% proven. No one gains speed in the last .30 of the 100. You just decelerate less, lose less speed and trying not to decelerate.
22
HJR is correct. The initial energy system used is expended by that time forcing a deceleration.
1
I was a college sprinter, and coaches taught the same stuff. But watch the videos. Nobody accelerates during the last thirty meters unless they just jogged the first seventy.
1
Birdwatching in the Jamaican jungles, in Cockpit Country specifically, we wandered into the tiniest village imaginable, Sherwood Content in Trewlawny Parish - home of Usain Bolt. Spent the day enjoying hiking the wonderful roads and many hills that literally dot this countryside enjoying the birds, the wonderful Maroon people who inhabit this land and imagining Bolt running around this place and finding his singular stride. Huge fan of this wonderful man ever since.
31
I have never heard Trelawny roads described as "wonderful" before. You must be a glass half full kinda guy. I like that.
I wish I could personally study, or fund a study to do some genetic sampling on Trelawny. I deeply believe that the Maroons genetic influence is the reason why Trelawny produces so many Olympians. It's disproportionate to the population size.
Take genetically superior people from multiple countries, weed out the genetically superior people from that bunch and stick them on an island, then have some of the hardiest of that set escape, form their own autonomous community in a hostile environment while surviving Britain's attempts to re-enslave them, and not mix with anyone outside of that community for a couple hundred years and I would think that the disproportionate number of top athletes that come out of said area makes a lot of sense. I don't get why no one thinks it's worth looking into. I find it logical and fascinating.
I wish I could personally study, or fund a study to do some genetic sampling on Trelawny. I deeply believe that the Maroons genetic influence is the reason why Trelawny produces so many Olympians. It's disproportionate to the population size.
Take genetically superior people from multiple countries, weed out the genetically superior people from that bunch and stick them on an island, then have some of the hardiest of that set escape, form their own autonomous community in a hostile environment while surviving Britain's attempts to re-enslave them, and not mix with anyone outside of that community for a couple hundred years and I would think that the disproportionate number of top athletes that come out of said area makes a lot of sense. I don't get why no one thinks it's worth looking into. I find it logical and fascinating.
Funny how a phenomenon like Usain Bolt should have his stride described as "very strange", just because his body isn't symmetrical. Just look at what he's accomplished! How about an article entitled "Something Very Personal in Usain Bolt's Stride". Certainly a more positive take on this amazing man.
35
Most people are not symmetrical, nor do we move exactly the same way every time we do anything! The Usain Bolt case study is a great illustration of how someone figured out his own body to do something wonderful. All of us with asymmetries and abilities and disabilities can always learn more about how to adapt.
2
Wow! Just wow! Reading about Bolt is almost as much fun as watching him run. Yes, I know I'm an unrepentant fan of the super performers ... think Celtics or Packers, back to the era when Havlicek played. Hey maybe it's all about being 6 foot 5 ... like both Havlicek and Bolt. Spurious I know. But just wow.
(I also do recognize that this is the New York Times, so I beg the tolerance of New York fans.)
(I also do recognize that this is the New York Times, so I beg the tolerance of New York fans.)
32
Bio-mechanics aside....Bolt just happens to run faster....just a bunch of pseudo scientists wasting their time....try to explain Andre de Grasse....basically a little skinny kid...he's also...just fast! Although sarcastic..these comments attempt to say that there are so many possibilities involved...why try to assess them.
4
Because some people care about science and maximizing performance?
53
This is a sport where hundredths or thousands of a second matter. Gaining knowledge how he achieves what he does, even on a small level, can impact the sport greatly, and how coaches approach teaching.
2
What makes them "pseudo scientists"? Their methods seem on point. Their theories are falsifiable (Popper). The topic of choice? Not a requisite for it to be science.
Why try to predict the weather? There are so many possibilities...
Why try to predict the weather? There are so many possibilities...
In persons with scoliosis, the "leg length discrepancy" is often apparent not real. The pelvis is tilted by the spinal curvature such that the hip joint on the "short" side rests higher. Measuring hip point to outer ankle prominence is often equal even when the ankle prominences are not aligned.
Also, Usain Bolt appears to reach out with his long stride but at impact, his foot is actually pulling back and propelling him forward. Some of the other runners appear to maximize stride length but at the cost of the foot strike opposing their forward progress. Maybe this is important.
The Mazda RX-7 used a Wankel engine with continuous "forward" motion of the piston rather than the plus-minus motion of conventional piston engines....
Also, Usain Bolt appears to reach out with his long stride but at impact, his foot is actually pulling back and propelling him forward. Some of the other runners appear to maximize stride length but at the cost of the foot strike opposing their forward progress. Maybe this is important.
The Mazda RX-7 used a Wankel engine with continuous "forward" motion of the piston rather than the plus-minus motion of conventional piston engines....
30
Bolt is indeed a great sprinter, but the Jamaican drug testing program is a longstanding joke. His record-smashing performances will always need to be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
5
Bolt is not just some runner in Jamaica. He is a world class runner running in elite events all over the world for the last 12 years at least. Including the Olympics. I suspect he gets tested thoroughly and regularly. He is far from the local testing program.
However, skepticism is healthy.
However, skepticism is healthy.
22
Bolt is a lot more then "indeed a great sprinter", he is the greatest athlete in recorded human history. The drug testing done in world competition is not conducted by Jamaica and the most tested competitor of all is Bolt.
I would remind you that newer, more sophisticated tests are being developed all the time and cover an ever-increasing number of drugs and procedures. This expansion has covered Olympic champions retroactively back to Beijing resulting in many losing their medals. Bolt has never been challenged by any of these results.
In a world of every minute thing being examined for the smallest flaw Bolt has remained above reproach and the idea that just because he comes from Jamaica he is suspect is to needlessly sully a remarkable human being.
I would remind you that newer, more sophisticated tests are being developed all the time and cover an ever-increasing number of drugs and procedures. This expansion has covered Olympic champions retroactively back to Beijing resulting in many losing their medals. Bolt has never been challenged by any of these results.
In a world of every minute thing being examined for the smallest flaw Bolt has remained above reproach and the idea that just because he comes from Jamaica he is suspect is to needlessly sully a remarkable human being.
170
Right, because he's guilty until proven innocent. Your comment is even more ridiculous in light of the fact that Jamaican authorities aren't the only ones testing him for illegal substances. Is the conspiracy world-wide then? Every agency who has tested him is somehow in on the plot to fool the masses?
7
What I like about Bolt is the joy he brings to Athletics. When he dominated in Beijing he exuded a youthful exuberance that was electric. Also, when ESPN Sports Science had Bolt recreate Jessie Owens 1936 Olympics 100 meters race, he showed great appreciation for what Owens accomplished. He is a class act.
156
Scoliosis does not cause one leg to be "shorter" than the other. The twisting and curving of the spine causes one side of the body to be raised higher than the other side. My right shoulder and right hip are raised higher than the left shoulder and left hip. This does affect my gait, but if my legs were measured, they would be the same. I once said to a doctor that my right leg was shorter (because that's what it feels like) and he corrected me.
25
Well, considering that his legs have been measured, it sounds as if he has scoliosis and in addition to his scoliosis, he has one leg shorter than the other, because one arm longer than the other or one leg longer than the other is actually a pretty common occurrence in the human population. One abnormality doesn't negate the other and humans can have both.
1
I had 48 degree double curvature and subsequent surgery which substantially reduced my curvature. Over the years my medical notes have all stated leg length discrepancy, where the reality is what you wrote-one side was pulled up from the curve.
We all know that Bolt is clean. But doped athletes have a tendency to overcome flaws in their form by powering through their races. I recall similar articles on Maguire, Armstrong, and even Contador among others. It is so nice that we can examine a pure, clean, undoped athlete and study his biomechanics.
41
The emperor may indeed not be wearing any clothes.
4
I fear that many will not recognize the sarcasm.
1
Hmmm......
"There is one person who apparently does not find the S.M.U. research particularly interesting. That is Bolt himself, according to his agent, Ricky Simms, who said in an email, “He isn’t the kind of person who studies this type of thing.”"
HA! I file this under the category of "Those who can, do. Everyone else (tries to) teaches."
Interesting article.
John~
American Net'Zen
"There is one person who apparently does not find the S.M.U. research particularly interesting. That is Bolt himself, according to his agent, Ricky Simms, who said in an email, “He isn’t the kind of person who studies this type of thing.”"
HA! I file this under the category of "Those who can, do. Everyone else (tries to) teaches."
Interesting article.
John~
American Net'Zen
10
its remarkable to see how much faster he runs than his competitors.
singular talent.
singular talent.
5
And he can beat Ben Johnson even when Ben was full of steroids
10
As a former sprinter, the focus should not be on Bolt's legs but his arms. When a sprinter runs, his leg movements are driven by his arm motions. When you watch Bolt running in slow motion you will notice that he does not move both arms in the same way. Pay particular attention to how he raises his hand to the height of his chin and on his back swing. Try walking slow while moving your arms as if you were running. You will notice that you will walk faster.
62
Why would we focus on Bolt's arms when he can keep them stationary and still run a 9.8? There are numerous things Bolt does incorrectly or inefficiently in any given race. Especially with his upper body. The one thing that remains constant in every race are his leg movements. That's why the focus should be there.
Very interesting comment. Thank you!
"Ralph Mann, a pioneering biomechanics researcher in the United States, said he could detect a kind of gallop in Bolt’s uneven stride."
Interesting use of "gallop" when discussing Bolt's pattern. Could the application of the same measurement technique used to explain Bolt's super-human run sequence be applied to race horses in a way that would enable stable owners to zero in on the next Kentucky winner?
Interesting use of "gallop" when discussing Bolt's pattern. Could the application of the same measurement technique used to explain Bolt's super-human run sequence be applied to race horses in a way that would enable stable owners to zero in on the next Kentucky winner?
3
Great image to think about. Might it help explain the lift off he gets from the driving leg, while the other leads? .... not worked out. This also made me wonder if there would be any difference if the race was run clockwise, curved in the opposite direction. Altho' the testing is probably done on a straighaway.
Anyway he's remarkable, and it isn't due to new equipment.
Anyway he's remarkable, and it isn't due to new equipment.
2
Like that question about "would [there] be any difference if the race was run clockwise?"! They'd better explore that as a double-check. If it doesn't result in the same speed, there's some explaining going to be needed! Why, what if he even runs faster! :)
1
Your statement that "No sprinter can accelerate for a full 100 meters" reminds me of a misconception many track & field fans had in the 1980's about the great Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis. Inasmuch as he finished most of his winning races while "pulling away", he did so by decelerating more slowly than his competitors over the last 30 yards rather than accelerating faster.
7
Did the researchers look at the strides (by Bolt or by others) on straightaways only, or also on curves during the 200m? If they looked at curves, ...
1. Did the asymmetrical forces of left and right foot get more or less pronounced on the curve?
2. Did the severity of the curve (lane 1 has a tighter turning radius than lane 8) correlate with the intensity of the effect?
3. Did the "handedness" of the asymmetry influence the curve performance? For example, Bolt's short leg is the right one -- the one on the outside of the curve. Are there sprinters whose left leg is shorter? On curves, would such sprinters perform better -- would their performance degrade less -- than those with shorter right legs? More speculatively and less seriously: Could Bolt's performance in the 200 have been even more astonishing if races were run clockwise?
1. Did the asymmetrical forces of left and right foot get more or less pronounced on the curve?
2. Did the severity of the curve (lane 1 has a tighter turning radius than lane 8) correlate with the intensity of the effect?
3. Did the "handedness" of the asymmetry influence the curve performance? For example, Bolt's short leg is the right one -- the one on the outside of the curve. Are there sprinters whose left leg is shorter? On curves, would such sprinters perform better -- would their performance degrade less -- than those with shorter right legs? More speculatively and less seriously: Could Bolt's performance in the 200 have been even more astonishing if races were run clockwise?
50
I like Joe Maguire's curves comment.
My own thought - maybe he creates his own downhill acceleration, the way a cyclist uses a downhill?
My own thought - maybe he creates his own downhill acceleration, the way a cyclist uses a downhill?
2
Everything I've seen out of SMU re Bolt has been about the 100m only. I've been waiting on a 200m analysis, but nothing yet.
Well,why not run races both directions? Even more interesting.
How can Bolt have a faster time per 100m in his 200m than in his 100m record?
3
I would think it's because his 2nd 100-meter segment doesn't require a start from zero ... he is already sprinting.
10
He doesn't check your math
The slowest part of a sprinter's race is the first part - reaction time to the gun, getting out of the blocks, and accelerating up to speed. Sprinters will hit peak speed around 60-70m (maybe out to 80m in a 200), and then decelerate slowly - imperceptibly, really. So a truly efficient sprinter will hold on to more of their speed for a longer period of time, and will have a faster 200 than 100. This has typically been the case. (Although right now not: 9.58*2 = 19.16, which is slightly ahead of his 19.19 WR.) On the women's side, this has not always been the case. One wonders about the role of drugs (combination of steroids and HGH) which seem to have a bigger impact on 100m than 200m.
5
I will mention a couple of things, I recently noticed that I just mentioned to my chiropractor. I'm old. However, after an absence on the treadmill, due to a back condition, I have managed to get back on it, at a much lower speed. The lower speed seems to facilitate a longer stride. And, if I ever make it up to a higher speed --- conditioned at the lower, I will be moving! As to Mr. Bolt's uneven stride, maybe one foot is the propeller (it propels) and - like a car, with power to one the other turns?
1
Jamaicans weren't quite as dominant in sprinting until American sprinter Marion Jones went to prison in 2005 over steroids-related charges. Americans started drug-testing more seriously, while the Jamaicans did not, and the Jamaicans have dominated Olympic sprinting ever since.