World's fastest animals easily outrace Usain Bolt in 100-meter dash

World’s fastest animals easily outrace Usain Bolt in 100-meter dash

Among homo sapiens, none in history have been as fleet of foot as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, but in the wider kingdom of Animalia, Bolt is an absolute slow poke.

While Bolt totally smokes fellow bipeds (like James Corden and Owen Wilson), he is easily outpaced by all manner of furry, finned and feathered creatures.

WORLD’S FASTEST ANIMALS

Peregrin falcon, 389 kph (242 mph) — 100%

Golden eagle, 320 kph (200 mph) — 82.3%

Mexican free-tailed bat, 160 kph (99 mph) — 41.1%

Rock dove, 149 kph (92 mph) — 38.3%

Horsefly, 145 kph (90 mph) — 37.3%

Black marlin, 129 kph (80 mph) — 33.2%

Cheetah, 121 kph (75 mph) — 31.1%

Swordfish, 97 kph (60 mph) — 24.9%

Springbok, 88 kph (55 mph) — 22.6%

Lion, 80 kph (50 mph) — 20.6%

Greyhound, 74 kph (46 mph) — 19.0%

Jackrabbit, 72 kph (45 mph) — 18.5%

Horse, 71 kph (44 mph) — 18.3%

Human, 45 kph (28 mph) — 11.6%

Central bearded dragon, 40 kph (25 mph) — 10.3%

Topping the list of the world’s fastest animals, is the peregrine falcon which attains speeds as high as 389 kph (242 mph) when diving. The fastest mammal is the Mexican free-tailed bat, which also holds the fastest horizontal speed record of all animals at 160 kph (99 mph). The black marlin is the fastest aquatic animal at 129 kph (80 mph), while the fastest reptile, the central bearded dragon, comes in 40 kph (25 mph) — not too far off Usain Bolt’s top speed.

USAIN BOLT VS CHEETAH

Bolt, who has achieved speeds in excess of 45 kilometers per hour (28 mph), would need a 40-meter head start just to tie a cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal, in the 100-meter dash.