The Fastest Athletes on the Planet
Kyle Wester broke the world speed record for skateboarding earlier this fall—but we wanted to see how his miles-per-hour compared to other sports
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Everybody loves a superlative, and “fastest” is perhaps the most coveted of them all. Athletes from many different disciplines have been trying to best one another in this competition for years. In September, Kyle Wester broke the world speed record for skateboarding, clocking at 89.41 miles per hour. How's that compare to the fastest speeds in other sports? Let's see.
Skateboard: 2016
Top Speed: 89.41
Record Holder: Kyle Wester
Downhill Skis (Women): 2016
Top Speed: 153.4
Record Holder: Valentina Greggio
Downhill Skis (Men): 2016
Top Speed: 158.4
Record Holder: Ivan Origone
Bike (Gravity): 1998
Top Speed: 64.02
Record Holder: Dwight Garland
Bike (with Vehicle Slipsteam, Men): 1995
Top Speed: 166.94
Record Holder: Fred Rompelberg
Bike (with Vehicle Slipsteam, Women): 2016
Top Speed: 147
Record Holder: Denise Mueller
Bike (on Dirt): 2002
Top Speed: 107
Record Holder: Eric Barone
Boat (Hydroplane): 1997
Top Speed: 317.58
Record Holder: Ken Warby
Boat (Sail): 2012
Top Speed: 59.37 (knots)
Record Holder: Paul Larsen
Run: 2009
Top Speed: 27.8
Record Holder: Usain Bolt
Luge: 2001
Top Speed: 86.6
Record Holder: Tony Benshoots