Scientist revealed 'secret advantage' Usain Bolt had allowing him to break world records

A top scientist has explained the secret advantage that allowed Usain Bolt to dominate the track and break several world records during his career.

With eight Olympic gold medals and three world records to his name, there can be no doubt that Bolt is the greatest sprinter of all time.

Perhaps most famously, the Jamaican set the world record for the 100m sprint in Berlin with a time of 9.58 seconds, before claiming the record in the 200m with a time of 9.19 in 2009 and the 4x100m record at the London 2012 Olympics with a team time of36.84 seconds.

Since his retirement in 2017, many athletes have attempted to break each of Bolt's records, and yet, more than a decade later they all remain in place.

Usain Bolt set his 100m world record in Berlin in 2009. (Image: Getty)

But two years before he called time on his legendary career, Bolt's ability to dominate the sport and break so many world records was analysed by sports scientists at Loughborough University.

Explaining what made Bolt so quick, Dr Sam Allen told the BBC in 2015: "Elite sprinters don't swing their legs any faster than recreational runners.

"Elite athletes generate so much more power, owing to the fact they naturally have more fast-twitch muscle fibres. These elite athletes therefore spend a lot less time on the ground which results in them being propelled forward much quicker."

Allen explained that the fastest sprinters tend to spend about 60% of the time in the air, with neither foot touching the ground, while amateurs athletes are closer to 50%.

Usain Bolt is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. (Image: Getty)

However, when compared to his fellow elite athletes, Bolt's ability still stands out as extraordinary, partly due to his height.

"Bolt is a genetic freak because being 6ft 5ins tall means he shouldn't be able to accelerate at the speed he does given the length of his legs," explained former Great Britain sprinter Craig Pickering.

"At the beginning of a race you want to take short steps in order to accelerate, but because he's so tall he can't do that. But then when he reaches top speed he has a massive advantage over everyone else because he's taking far fewer steps."

Ultimately, both men agreed that Bolt's almost supernatural sprinting ability was clearly a combination of his natural ability, genetics and determination to be the best.