Incredible simulation shows insane speed comparison between Usain Bolt, an average person, and a cheetah
A mind-blowing simulation shows how the speed of an average person compares to that of Usain Bolt and a cheetah in the wild.
Every time there's a big sporting event like the Olympics, there seems to be one person who genuinely believes they'd have a shot at taking on the pros.
"How hard can it be?," they claim. "All you have to do is [run fast/swim quickly/throw something really far]."
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Obviously these things are easier said than done, and one simulation really puts that into perspective.
Shared on the YouTube page Reigarw Comparisons, the simulation presents a race in which a cheetah, Bolt and the average person all have to run 100 meters.
Let's not get into the logistics of exactly how the cheetah knew it had to run in a straight line for 100m before coming to a dead halt - just assume it did.
The simulation kicks off with all three contestants starting at the same time, but it quickly becomes apparent that they're not in the same league.
As the video goes on, the cheetah - the fastest land animal - wins comfortably, clocking in rapid time of 5.95 seconds as it reaches speeds of up to 75 miles per hour, or 120 kilometres per hour.
In second place comes Bolt; the world record holder for the 100m with a time of 9.58 seconds, which he set at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin back in 2009.
At the time of Usain’s record, he reached speeds of 27.8 miles per hour, or 44.7 kilometres per hour.
The simulation shows how Bolt's little figure reaches the finish line just seconds after the cheetah, proving he's leagues above the average person who's left trailing behind.
According to the simulation, the average person clocks up a time of around 15 seconds for the 100 metre-sprint - three times slower than the world's fastest land animal and more than five seconds slower than Bolt.
Viewers have been left blown away by the difference in speeds, with one writing: "Bolt T-posing to assert his dominance against the average human."
Another joked: "What impressed me the most was the way they trained that cheetah to stop and sit right after the finish line."
Though the cheetah was the winner in this instance, it's worth noting that we've never actually seen the animal run a 100 metre sprint on a running track. Who knows how one would actually perform if faced with a race against Bolt - it could easily get distracted, meaning Bolt actually might be in with a chance.
Emily Brown