[gutshot]

So Usain Bolt won the 100m today giving him the title of "fastest man in the world". But is he really the fastest man in the world?

All this really means is he is the fastest of those who are trained athletes and have made it to the top of their sport. Of course, it takes more than just hard work and training to succeed at the highest level. There has to be some innate ability, a natural talent that you must be born with. Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be? Or do you think that other-worldly talent will always be found and subsequently trained?

I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity? Or do you think, in this day and age, that those with exceptional talent will always be discovered?

[The_Hitcher89]

In sprinting,you're more likely to be discovered than any other sport I think

[yankeeforever2]

Your over thinking that title.

[Phaethon0017]

My ex-girlfriend would say that I'm the fastest man in the world. But don't you be listening to her foolishness.

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

I'd say a guy who can beat the Olympic record with one bum leg is the fastest man in the world right now.

[entrement]

Your over thinking that title.

.

[Izick]

I'm sure that there's dozens that just didn't have the opportunity for some reason, but it's hard to play that game, and people want to put a nice title to record holders or gold winners.

[aceface]

Well there's my US primetime viewing of the 100 m spoiled. -_- (unless they showed it already and I missed it, lol)

I don't blame you, I blame NBC.

[Dreams-Visions]

Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be?

sure, but what difference does that make? he was the fastest of the atheletes that trained and competed.

You could use your strange logic to suggest that anyone at the top of any sport could have been bested by some untrained human somewhere in the world had they made a different decision or had a different opportunity. For that matter, maybe someone else would be President of your country, Valedictorian of your high school class, etc.

You can only measure those who compete, like in anything else in life. The rest is irrelevant.

[dekline]

I don't think you can discover every great potential athlete out of 7 billion people.

[Dishwalla]

Well, his name is Bolt...

[MIMIC]

No, because I am.

[The Mana Legend]

Superman

[fredrancour]

He really is the fastest man because that unused talent is currently slower than him.

I'm sure a noticeable amount of talent goes unrealized, especially as society grows more sedentary. Potential athletic legends who would have been amazing if trained could very well have their talented smothered by childhood obesity. It's not like every person sincerely tries every sport as a child, either.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

So Usain Bolt won the 100m today giving him the title of "fastest man in the world". But is he really the fastest man in the world? All this really means is he is the fastest of those who are trained athletes and have made it to the top of their sport. Of course, it takes more than just hard work and training to succeed at the highest level. There has to be some innate ability, a natural talent that you must be born with. Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be? Or do you think that other-worldly talent will always be found and subsequently trained? I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity? Or do you think, in this day and age, that those with exceptional talent will always be discovered?

Potential is not the same as actual. He's the fastest man in the world unless there is someone in the world who can run 100m faster right now. Which is possible, but unlikely.

To answer your other questions, there are seven billion people in the world, and of course there could easily be great talents that go forever undiscovered.

[Reuenthal]

No, a man on a car is faster than Usain Bolt.

[Randolph Freelander]

Someone could try to take the title from him, but they'd never get away with it.

Get it, it was a play on...

Eh.

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I've got a great idea for a show on Fox. OP can field a group of fast runners and we can match them up against Usain Bolt.

[MWS Natural]

Yes he is, because "potential" doesn't mean shit. People don't realize how much hard work and dedication it takes to reach that level.

[Dreams-Visions]

Yes he is, because "potential" doesn't mean shit. People don't realize how much hard work and dedication it takes to reach that level.

I thought he just woke up one morning and started winning medals, tbh.

[BertramCooper]

Usain.

He can really move.

Usain.

He's got an attitude.

Usain.

He's the fastest thing alive.

He's the fastest thing alive.

He's the fastest thing aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive.

[~Devil Trigger~]

So Usain Bolt won the 100m today giving him the title of "fastest man in the world". But is he really the fastest man in the world? All this really means is he is the fastest of those who are trained athletes and have made it to the top of their sport. Of course, it takes more than just hard work and training to succeed at the highest level. There has to be some innate ability, a natural talent that you must be born with. Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be? Or do you think that other-worldly talent will always be found and subsequently trained? I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity? Or do you think, in this day and age, that those with exceptional talent will always be discovered?

pointless thread/question.

you can say that about every title ever given to anyone for being "the Best" at something.

by our measurement Bolt is the fastest sprinter known. You cant measure what you .... haven't or cant measure.

[ggnoobIGN]

I'm going to get mechanical legs and become faster

[midonnay]

The sprint event especially is rife with drug cheats so there will probably always be someone faster coming along in the future.

[Gilby]

Even if someone had better "natural ability" they wouldn't become the "fastest man in the world" without training like an olympic athlete, which would tend to lead them to the olympics. So I guess you could argue there's hypothetically someone who never noticed they were an incredibly fast person or didn't care enough to train, but that's kinda meaningless.

[zomaha]

So Usain Bolt won the 100m today giving him the title of "fastest man in the world". But is he really the fastest man in the world? All this really means is he is the fastest of those who are trained athletes and have made it to the top of their sport. Of course, it takes more than just hard work and training to succeed at the highest level. There has to be some innate ability, a natural talent that you must be born with. Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be? Or do you think that other-worldly talent will always be found and subsequently trained? I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity? Or do you think, in this day and age, that those with exceptional talent will always be discovered?

Yeah, and Bolt is that person, that one out of a billion. He's like 6'5 with ridiculous strides, and it's what gives him the advantage over others and allowed him to set records.

[A Pretty Panda]

You can only measure those who compete, like in anything else in life. The rest is irrelevant.

Pretty much this.

Also he plays Marvel 3, so that's cool too.

[Vulcano's assistant]

Talent probably doesn't affect it as much as practice, training, and diets do, so yes, I believe he is the fastest because he trains more than any undiscovered talent that are not professional athletes.

[DrForester]

Nope, it's this man.



Pete Knight.

On October 3, 1967 Knight flew the X-15 rocket plane to a speed of 4,520 mph, a record that still holds as the fastest manned aircraft flight ever (not to be confused with SR-71 records which are for fastest sustained flight).

[toastyToast]

As enchanting a possibility it would be that some dude in the middle of the African savannah was running 100m stretches in 8.8s off a standing start, I sincerely doubt it

There's talent and then there is running sub 10s times. It takes a lot of strength training and a crapload of food which some dude in the woods isn't going to have access to

[IamMattFox]

I could take him.

[Link]

My ex-girlfriend would say that I'm the fastest man in the world. But don't you be listening to her foolishness.

I'll admit, I laughed.

[The Faceless Master]

So Usain Bolt won the 100m today giving him the title of "fastest man in the world". But is he really the fastest man in the world? All this really means is he is the fastest of those who are trained athletes and have made it to the top of their sport. Of course, it takes more than just hard work and training to succeed at the highest level. There has to be some innate ability, a natural talent that you must be born with. Do you think there is someone out there who has the potential to be faster but has not been discovered and may never be? Or do you think that other-worldly talent will always be found and subsequently trained? I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity? Or do you think, in this day and age, that those with exceptional talent will always be discovered?

he's the best because he did it. none of the hypothetical people with the potential would be able to beat him without many years of training, so they're all irrelevant.

[Windu]

Thanks for the spoilers.

[Willkiller]

I know what you're trying to say OP but no, you can't beat Bolt in a race.

I'm sorry.

[toastyToast]

I thought he just woke up one morning and started winning medals, tbh.

I watched a documentary about him and it turns out he was running shit since he was like 14

[Ninja Beagle]

How old is he? Is he going to compete in the next Olympics?

[MWS Natural]

Is Micheal Phelps really the greatest swimmer of all time? There was a guy in my neighborhood that could lap all of us in the pool.

[ElectricBlue187]

Yes he is

[mclem]

He's the fastest man I saw tonight.

Well, apart from the supporter who came dressed as The Flash.

[D4Danger]

How old is he? Is he going to compete in the next Olympics?

25 and no

[jambo]

How old is he? Is he going to compete in the next Olympics?

25 and yes.

[Lunchbox]

I guess it boils down to this, do you think there are elite athletes out there that never realize their potential because of a lack of opportunity?

potential doesnt mean squat. i have the potential to go to the moon. but i didnt, neil armstrong did

if they dont realize their potential they are not the fastest, pretty simple. bolt took his chance and did so he is the fastest for now until a faster guy comes along or as you put it "realizes his potential."

[Eggman]

25 and maybe

[Reuenthal]

It won't be that long that augmentations will allow many to surpass what Usain Bolt could do.
Although one could argue that we would become more than a man.

[Marcellus Wallace]

World? Yes. Universe? Have you seen Barry Zoom from Saturn? Insane.

[D4Danger]

25 and yes.

are we gonna have a problem here?

[Jack Scofield]

Once again, the Onion already has an article about this.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/wor...amond-m,28773/

I understand what the OP is saying, and sometimes wonder the same thing myself, along with if there's any undiscovered talent I might have shown had I been raised under certain circumstances.

[Davidion]

My ex-girlfriend would say that I'm the fastest man in the world. But don't you be listening to her foolishness.

Your mind can't begin to comprehend how unsatisfied I left all of my girlfriends. I, am the fastest man in the world.

[ssolitare]

How old is he? Is he going to compete in the next Olympics?

I don't think that he'll be able to compete with the guy under him at 29 years old. I think not.