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Is Usain Bolt Faster Than Mbappé?

Published in Speed Comparison 2 mins read

Yes, Usain Bolt is significantly faster than Kylian Mbappé, based on their recorded times over 100 meters.

Comparing Sprint Speeds

When comparing the speed of these two remarkable athletes over a standard sprint distance, the data from the provided reference clearly shows a considerable difference. Usain Bolt, a legendary sprinter, holds the world record for the 100m dash. Kylian Mbappé, while renowned for his incredible speed on the football pitch, is not a professional sprinter, and his speed is typically measured in different contexts.

According to the reference:

  • Usain Bolt's world-record time for 100m is 9.58 seconds.
  • Kylian Mbappé's estimated speed over 100m is 10.9 seconds.

This shows that Mbappé's estimated time is over a second slower than Bolt's world-record time.

Time Comparison Over 100m

To illustrate the difference, consider the times side-by-side:

Athlete 100m Time (seconds)
Usain Bolt 9.58
Kylian Mbappé 10.9 (estimated)

As highlighted in the reference, Mbappé's reported time, although impressive for a footballer, would place him significantly lower on the all-time lists compared to elite sprinters.

For more context on this comparison, you can refer to articles like the one from sports.yahoo.com.

Why the Difference?

  • Specialization: Usain Bolt is a track and field athlete whose entire career is dedicated to maximizing speed over short distances. His training, technique, and physique are optimized for sprinting.
  • Sport Context: Kylian Mbappé's speed is phenomenal within the context of football, requiring bursts of acceleration, agility, and endurance over varying distances on a pitch. His training is geared towards the demands of soccer, not competitive sprinting.
  • Measurement: Bolt's time is an official world record set in a controlled competitive environment. Mbappé's 100m time is an estimated speed based on analysis of his performance in a football match, which is not the same as a dedicated 100m sprint race from starting blocks.

While Mbappé is undoubtedly one of the fastest footballers in the world, his speed in a football match does not equate to the sustained, specialized speed of an Olympic-level sprinter like Usain Bolt over 100 meters.