The Bolt Supremacy

Inside Jamaica's Sprint Factory

Richard Moore

Like football evokes Texas in Friday Night Lights, so does the speed and drama of sprinting provide a unique view into Jamaica—home to the mighty Usain Bolt and the fastest runners in the world.

Beijing 2008: Usain Bolt slows down as he approaches the 100-meter finish line. He beats his chest, well ahead of his nearest rival, his face filled with euphoria, the world in thrall of his extraordinary talent. It is one of the greatest moments in sports history, and it is just the beginning.

Of the ten fastest 100-meter times in history, eight belong to Jamaicans. How is it that this small island has come to dominate men’s and women’s sprinting? The Bolt Supremacy opens the doors to a community where sprinting permeates daily life; where the high school championships are watched by 35,000 screaming fans; where identity, success and status are forged on the track, and where "making it" means adoration and lucrative contracts. In such a society there can be the incentive for some to cheat. There are those who attribute Jamaican success to something beyond talent and hard work.

Award-winning writer Richard Moore doesn’t shy away from difficult questions as he travels the length of this beguiling country speaking to antidoping agencies, scientists and skeptics as well as to coaches, superstars, and the young guns desperate to become the next big thing. Peeling back the layers, Moore finally reveals the secrets of Usain Bolt and the remarkable Jamaican sprint factory.

Richard Moore, a former racing cyclist, is a journalist and the author of several books, and has been longlisted for the William Hill Award.  He is the author of Slaying the Badger and lives in the United Kingdom.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Entertaining." Publishers Weekly

"His research and interviews with coaches, doctors, scholars, and athletes on and off the island is impressive. Fascinating reading for track fans." Booklist

"Usain Bolt taps into our human fascination with speed, giving this book high appeal to track and Olympics fans and curious readers beyond the sports world." Library Journal

"A fascinating account of how a Caribbean island came to rule the world in the art and science of running very fast indeed." The Independent

"Compelling . . . thoughtful and wide-ranging . . . leaves you feeling optimistic." The Literary Review

"What this book does is capture the spirit of the sport in Jamaica. Moore clearly reveled in this grass roots exuberance and it is hard, reading this book, not to do so too." Independent on Sunday