But what about creatures in the animal kingdom who push their limits every day, for no glory whatsoever? Well, looking at the current Olympic records for these disciplines, we’re pretty convinced our animal friends would do themselves proud if they were to compete!
Weightlifting:
At the 2004 Athens games, Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran lifted 263 kilograms during the Clean and Jerk in the heaviest weight class for lifters. That’s about 100 kilograms more than his own weight.
The rhinoceros/dung beetle, which weighs less than an ounce, can carry 850 times the weight of his body. That’s the equivalent of a human lifting a 65-ton weight.
100 metre sprints:
The Olympic record for the 100-meter dash was set by Usain Bolt of Jamaica at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With a time of 9.69 seconds, Bolt ran at an average 23 miles per hour.
A cheetahcan run 70 miles per hour for bursts of 183 meters. That’s twice the length of the Olympic race, and three times as fast as Bolt.
High jump:
The Olympic high jump record was set at the 1996 Atlanta games by Charles Austin of the U.S. He jumped 2.39 metres or 7 feet, 10 1/10 inches.
Greater kudu can easily clear a height of more than 8 feet, or 2.7 metres.
The Olympic marathon record was set in 2008 by the late Samuel Kamau Wansiru of Kenya, who completed the race in two hours and 6.32 minutes. That’s a speed of about 12.4 miles per hour over a course of a little more than 26 miles.
The great snipe, a marsh-dwelling bird, can migrate across Europe from Sweden to Africa in two days without stopping for a rest. That’s a trip of 4,200 miles.
Swimming:
César Cielo of Brazil holds the Olympic record in the 50-metre freestyle swim, which he set in Beijing in 2008. His speed of 21.3 seconds comes out to 2.35 meters per second, a little over five miles per hour.
The sailfish can swim at a speed of 68 miles per hour, which is more than 10 times faster than the quickest human.
Currently the longest-standing Olympic record, it was set at the Mexico games in 1968. Bob Beamon of the U.S. jumped 29 feet and 2.5 inches, breaking the world record by nearly two feet.
A springbok can easily manage leaping a distance of 15m, or 50 feet.
Good luck to all the African athletes competing in the London Olympics and remember, it’s really these animal’s records you should strive to beat!
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