News Humans

World record speeds for two Olympics events have fallen over time. We can go faster

Humans are built to go faster in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter dash

Usain Bolt crouches next to a digital display showing his new world record while pointing to a crowd in a stadium

Usain Bolt of Jamaica set the world record for the men’s 100-meter sprint at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships on August 16, 2009, in Berlin when he ran the race in 9.58 seconds. Humans are capable of running even faster.

Mark Dadswell/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images Europe

By Erin Garcia de Jesús

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

Ready, set, go break a record.