After some aborted attempts to get a football career off the ground, Usain Bolt is now retired.

That means the men’s 100 metre and 200 metre distances are up for grabs once again, after a period of total domination by the Jamaican superstar.

You know you’re a superstar when anybody who excels in an athletic endeavour is immediately compared to you, for a start, and that’s before you throw the ‘buffalo racing’ story into the fray.

So what’s all this about nearly doubling Bolt’s speed, then? For that, we head to the Guardian:

A wearable spring-based contraption that attaches to the legs has the potential to boost human running speed…

Scientists came up with the concept after computer models showed that it was possible to dramatically increase the amount of energy people put into each running step by enabling them to do work when their feet are in the air.

The device, which leads to what the researchers concede is an “unconventional means of running”, could set the stage for a new Olympic sport, they believe, and be adopted by police forces and emergency rescue teams. According to the scientists’ calculations, if Usain Bolt mastered the contraption, his top speed would rocket from 27.8mph to nearly 50mph.

I’m not sure the Olympics is going to welcome this in as a new sport, but there’s no reason it can’t happen outside of the Games.

The university in question is Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, with David Braun, an engineer who works on human augmentation, leading the charge.

If your maths is letting you down, 50 miles per hour is 80 kilometres per hour. A cheetah reaches a top speed of around 100km/h, although some say that the cat can reach up to 120km/h in short bursts.

Once again, nature wins.

Here’s a fun fact to annoy those around you at some point during our 21-day lockdown – the fastest mammal in the world ISN’T the cheetah.

Rather, it’s the Mexican free-tailed bat, which can reach speeds of around 160km/h in flight. So, when someone blurts out cheetah as the answer, tell them the cheetah is the fastest LAND-BASED mammal, correct them, and then prepare to be loathed for the rest of the day.

Just doing our bit to foster a loving home environment in these trying times.

Back to the research, though:

Braun hit on the idea after studying the mechanics of running and cycling. While the fastest human running speed on the flat is close to 28mph, the equivalent top cycling speed is nearer 50mph. Much of the difference is due to bicycles being in contact with the ground the whole time and the pedalling mechanism which allows the rider to power along constantly…

Amanda Sutrisno and David J. Braun/Vanderbilt University

Braun and his colleagues used computer models to test a number of theoretical devices that took into account air resistance, the power limit of the human leg and the energy that is lost when the foot impacts the ground. They concluded that a spring-powered device that attached to the legs could give runners the boost they sought.

The principle behind the device is to store energy by compressing a spring when the runner lifts and bends their trailing leg before they swing it forwards. When the leg moves forward, the spring is locked and remains compressed until the foot hits the ground.

At that point, the energy is released and the runner is powered forward.

Braun hopes to have a model contraption ready within a year, although he admits it will take a great deal of time to optimise the process.

For now, at least, Usain’s 9,58 for the 100m remains safe.

[source:guardian]