He is the fastest man ever to run across this planet. We knew this already, of course, because Jamaica’s Usain Bolt has owned the world record in the 100-meter dash since 2008, but there is more to it than the best of his times in the definitive sprint distance.
The person who wins the 100 meters at the Olympic Games is generally accorded the “fastest man” title, and Bolt has owned it uninterrupted through three Olympiads. He has done it as a prodigy, at 21 years old at Beijing 2008. He has done it at his peak, with his wheels still spinning and his command of the sport growing, at London 2012.