(11.00s) – Shane Williams 5ft 7in of Welsh Wizardry

In his pomp Shane Williams was untouchable, the Welsh winger lit up the international rugby stage scoring 2 tries for every 3 games in his 86 tests for Wales and 4 for the Lions.

Williams is the record try scorer for Wales, and is fourth on the international list of leading rugby union test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata, David Campese and Bryan Habana. He is Wales’ most capped winger.

In 2008, Williams was selected as the IRB Player of the Year.

Famed for his agility, stepping and blistering acceleration the diminutive 12 stone 8lb flyer was awarded his first cap by Graham Henry as a replacement against France in the 2000 Six Nations season, he was three weeks short of his 23rd birthday and weighed a little over 11 stone. Able to find and exploit the tightest of gaps with regularity. His love for the game, charm and enthusiasm meant that even whilst scoring tries against England was always a popular player to see with ball in hand.

At the start of his Test career, in 2000, Williams’ father, Mike, put £50 at 500-1 on his son breaking the Welsh try-scoring record. He picked up £25,000 when his son touched down for the 41st time, against France on Grand Slam day in March.

Never the quickest in a straight line (he was rarely running in a straight line), Williams had genuine pace especially over the first 10 meters, leaving a loose forward in the defensive line was a not uncommon sight.

His 100 meter time in his prime must’ve been on the 11 second mark, possibly under but his small size makes me think it isn’t (Shane please get in touch to correct me).  Back in 2011 the WRU head of strength and conditioning Adam Beard talked about the arrival of a young George North in the squad…

“At the moment, it’s still Shane over 10 metres, then Leigh Halfpenny and Jamie Roberts is up there as well. He’s improved a lot. “But George will smash all the records. I’ve seen him run 4.5 seconds for 40 metres unofficially a couple of weeks ago. “That’s right up there with the fastest guys in world rugby.”

Shane, you are one of the greats.  100m – 11.00s.

At 40 his love for the game has not diminished, set for an emotional return to the Principality Stadium with childhood club Amman United in the National Bowl competition after a 29-3 semi-final win against Cardigan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/wales/39401160

11.53s – Anthony Joshua Quickest Heavyweight Ever? #AJBoxing

Updated from November 2014

Anthony Joshua’s instagram feed showcases a training regimen that surpasses anything in the Rocky films (including Rocky IV… and including Drago’s efforts)… the man is surely the finest physical specimen to ever step in a boxing ring.

A heavyweight who seems to physically have covered every possible angle in preparation for his showdown with Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley on the 29th April. The two have sparred before and now the protege defends his belts against the old master. Whoever wins, what wont be disputed is the sheer unbelievable power and speed of AJ.

Back in 2012 having won gold at the London Olympics he went head to head with a field of other British medalists to race over 100m, beating a field of triathletes (the Brownlee brothers), a high jumper, rower, swimmer, and a surprisingly slow Mo Farah, to win over the 100 meters, in the wet and without any prior sprint training in a time of 11.53 seconds. Not bad for a 6ft 6inch 18 stone boxer.

 

Monye v Watson: Who’s the fastest?

 

England’s Anthony Watson doesn’t believe former international Ugo Monye is quicker than him over 100m.

In an interview with Chris Jones on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Watson said: “I’d like to think I could run under 11 seconds. Let’s say 10.85 just to beat Ugo!”

The 23-year-old came off the bench to score in England’s Six Nations victory over Scotland on Saturday.

This clip is from 5 live’s Rugby Union Weekly, first broadcast on Monday 13 March 2017.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04ws7bz

Ugo Monye 100m (claimed) – 10.60s

Anthony Watson (guessed) – 10.85s

 

Can You Beat Usain Bolt Out of the Blocks?

Usain Bolt’s reaction time out of the starting blocks in the 100-meter final in Rio was 0.155 of a second. Try to beat it. Turn up your volume.

ON YOUR MARKS

FIFA 17 Pace: Fastest Footballer

Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang has topped the FIFA 17 pace rankings, at least amongst the top 50 players.

EA released the FIFA 17 Top 50 Player ratings ahead of the 27th September launch with the Borussia Dortmund and Gabon Forward topping the list of quickest players with a Pace rating of 96.

With no official 100 meter record to his name speculation is that he is close to 11 seconds, but it is his acceleration from a standing start that sets him apart from most. Rumours even abound that he’d burn Bolt over the first 30 meters.

Ronaldo tops the FIFA 17 rankings and is no slow coach either with 92 pace.

Wales and Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale is the highest ranked player from the home nations at No.6 and the only British player to make the top 50. Renowned speedster Bale was the 6th fastest on FIFA 16 and clocks 94 for FIFA 17.

Until FIFA 17 launches fans and gamers will continue to speculate on how much last year’s top 20 will have changed.

Fifa 16’s top 20 fastest players

1. Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
2. Mathis Bolly (Fortuna Dusseldorf)
3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)
4. Ernest Asante (Stabaek Fotball)
5. Jurgen Damm (Tigres Uanl)
6. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
7. Jonathan Biabiany (Inter Milan)
8. Dominic Oduro (Impact De Montreal)
9. Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver)
10. Marco Sau (Cagliari)
11. Innocent Emeghara (San Jose)
12. Fahad Al-Muwallad (Al-Ittihad)
13. Ryo Miyaichi (St. Pauli)
14. Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain)
15. Juan Cuadrado (Juventus)
16. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
17. Luciano Narsingh (PSV)
18. Maicon (Lokomotiv Moscow)
19. Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow)
20. Bruma (Real Sociedad)

 

The World’s Fastest Woman

Winning Olympic gold last night in the 200m cemented Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson as the fastest woman in the world and completes her sprint double in Rio.

The Jamaican held off the challenge from pre-race favourite Dafne Schippers, who loomed but never delivered, to take gold in 21.78 sec, the fastest time in the world this year.

Silver was no consolation to Dafne Schippers who’s pre-tournament preparation has been hindered by a leg problem.

“I came for gold,” Schippers said. “I was in good form. My times were OK but they were not strong enough. It’s heavy to run six races. I was getting closer and closer. I felt I was nearly passing her, but then I broke down as well. I’m not happy with the silver.”

‘I let my light shine tonight,’ says Thompson after winning in 21.78 sec.

Her 100m winning time of 10.71s was just one hundredth of a second off her personal best 10.70s a Jamaican National Record and faster than Schippers PB and Netherlands National Record of 10.81s.

How Bolt Came From Behind Again to Win Gold

NY TIMES INTERACTIVE

The Man Faster Than Bolt

Wayde van Niekirk broke Michael Johnsons 17 year 400m World Record with a sensational performance on the Rio track last night. In what the former record holder Johnson called ‘a massacre’ he blew away a one the fastest assembled fields with the first track world record of the games. His domination of the one lap event posted with splits across each of the 100m he ran of: 10.7 secs, 9.8, 10.5, 12.0.

On the night that second 100m was faster than Usain Bolt’s Olympic gold winning 100m time of 9.81s. The South African’s personal best at that distance of 9.98s would’ve placed 7th in that final.

The way he moved away from the field in the final 100m was possibly the most stunning moment of the Olympic games so far and to do so from lane 8 all the more remarkable, destroying the two previous Olympic champions in the process.

The 24 year old is coached by a 74-year-old great-grandmother Ans Botha, once a sprinter and a long jumper, and her pupils call her “Tannie Ans,” meaning Auntie. Last year, the head coach at South Africa’s University of the Free State told the City Press that her “passion is too high” to stop coaching in a career spanning five decades. She got emotional when describing her responsibility in coaching van Niekerk.

“I wouldn’t say I’m afraid … but I have such a big responsibility to get this athlete to develop to his full potential. Also, I need to try to do my very best not to do something wrong that might break him,” she told the City Press.

Botha started coaching van Niekerk in 2012, connecting after he attended the University of the Free State as a marketing student. They met with his parents and laid out a plan, the focus of which was to not push van Niekerk’s body beyond its limits. Their first three months in partnership were spent rehabbing some nagging injuries.

The strategy worked — since she’s been his coach, van Niekerk’s time has dropped by a whopping four seconds.

Nike: Unlimited…

New Ad spots from Nike USA.

Jam packed with talent…

Aaron Gordon, English Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, Kevin Durant, Mo Farah, Neymar Jr., Nyjah Huston, Serena Williams, Su BingTian and Zach LaVine.

TICK!

 

Nike’s Latest Ad Stars Chris Mosier, the First Transgender Athlete on a U.S. National Team

 

The campaign kicked off with Nike ‘Unlimited Future’ – watch actor Bobby Cannavale deliver a rousing inspirational message to the infant versions of Nike athletes.

The Fastest Spikes Ever Made?

Nike’s new Zoom Superfly Elite track spikes will cut a dash at the Summer Olympics after more than four years  algorithmic software design and 3-D printing prototyping, at the Nike Sports Research Lab.

Nike claim that improvements in weight reduction and making the shoe stiffer have helped Jamaican track star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shave over 1 hundredth of a second from 100m times – in Rio that could mean winning gold or missing the podium.

What the Nike design supremo’s have also managed with the new spike plate – no spike screws required – is produce a totally tropical look, in that Avatar other worldly tropical sense.

The 5ft ‘Pocket Rocket’ Fraser-Pryce will be ready for take off in Rio and Genuine Pace wouldn’t bet against her improving on her competitive personal best of 10.70s and winning Olympic gold again in August.