Ohio Cheetah Clocks In At 36 MPH: Faster Than Usain Bolt (VIDEO)

***SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO***

(AP) CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo says one of its cheetahs has become the fastest land mammal on record – twice.

Zoo officials say an 8-year-old female named Sarah ran 100 meters in just over 6 seconds Wednesday. That breaks the old record set in 2001 by a cheetah in South Africa by a few hundredths of a second.

Later, Sarah ran a slightly faster time. The speed translates to more than 36 miles per hour.

The cat was clocked at a breeding center on a certified course. Cheetah records are maintained by conservation groups and zoos.

The human 100-meters record holder is Usain (yoo-SAYN') Bolt of Jamaica. He's a relative slowpoke at over 9 seconds.

WATCH:

Comments

[mapleaforever]

09:52 AM on 09/12/2009

Wow. Michigan will be soooooo p!ssed!

[dustyromo]

04:49 PM on 09/11/2009

Wow, dude no way that is one COOL cat!

Jiff
http://www.anon-tools.vze.com

[saami]

02:41 PM on 09/11/2009

She is beautiful and proves that "girls" can run.

[motoGpifupleez]

12:21 PM on 09/11/2009

The cheetah is strongly denying any connection to Roger Clemens. Furthermore, the cheetah is outraged that someone would make any such allegations on 9/11 and further requests, for the sake of the troops, that ya stop makin' stuff up. OK?

[angrylion71]

12:12 PM on 09/11/2009

Cheetah from Ohio? I heard that the republicans have proof that she was born at the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya. I hope she is not here illegally.

[Deepblu]

11:56 AM on 09/11/2009

These cheetah's may have attacked humans along with those big birds in the other article!

[Professorofdesire]

11:22 AM on 09/11/2009

How do we know that this measurement is not phony? Can you really trust a cheetah?

[super]

09:26 PM on 09/11/2009

Does it have a birth certificate?

[Snake-Eyes]

10:53 AM on 09/11/2009

The fastest animal is a thoroughbred. It can maintain a speed of 45-50 mph for over a mile with 126 lbs on its back (a jockey ). Just like an ant is the strongest animal in the world, capable of lifting hundreds of times its own weight.

[coracii]

11:18 AM on 09/11/2009

Not correct. The top speed is significantly below not only the cheetah, but several species of gazelle and antelope. The 126 pound jocket on the back of a 1700 pound horse is an insignificant amount, about the same as putting 4 pounds on a cheetah.

[coracii]

11:22 AM on 09/11/2009

Not paying attention to my typing, should read jockey...

[HeWhoReads]

06:00 PM on 09/11/2009

That is impressive, but doesn't mean that it can beat a cheetah. Animals have a top speed and then don't go beyond that. Undoubtedly the thoroughbred would move faster without a rider, but not enough. Coracii was right about putting the weights into perspective. They aren't like a car that has a top speed, then you throw out the seats and other internals and it moves faster.

[roquelaure]

10:29 AM on 09/11/2009

I'm not sure I understand? Cheetahs can run much faster than that. Is this just the fastest *recorded* speed? If so, that's a really freaking lame distinction.

[coracii]

10:40 AM on 09/11/2009

They didn't actually test the speed attained, they just averaged the used time against the the 100 yard distance to get an average speed. Not very accurate since the cheetah had to jump from the back of a van and then start running, starting at an average speed of 0mph. The top speed listed is entirely inaccurate, cheetah can double this in pursuit of prey.

[Jaskoen]

11:14 AM on 09/11/2009

Yeah, I didn't get it either. Cheetahs can top-out around 60 mph, though they can only maintain that speed for a few seconds.

[henrypapillon]

10:12 AM on 09/11/2009

That doesn't give my fat butt much of a chance.

[ItWillHaveBeenRainingMen]

10:04 AM on 09/11/2009

"What's my motivation again?"

"You're a friggin' cheetah and you're in Ohio."

[VoteOnPaper]

10:25 AM on 09/11/2009

Ahh haha. I love Ohio, but you're SO right.

[Bigrcube]

10:44 AM on 09/11/2009

AND you're a cheetah in a friggin' ZOO in Cincy, OH.
Say.....ain't the NFL Bengals in Cincinnati, huh?!?!

[LATaurus]

01:12 PM on 09/11/2009

omg that is hilarious.....

[customgreen]

09:47 AM on 09/11/2009

Heck my former racing Greyhound could run 45 mph. Just depends on how fast they need to go. A Cheetah can top 60 or 70 mph in short bursts. 36 MPH seems like cholds play for a Cheetah

[HopeGrenade]

09:45 AM on 09/11/2009

I don't believe he really did it. I think he's a...CHEETAH!

I'm really happy no one else posted that before me.

[Jahmekyah]

09:40 AM on 09/11/2009

Are you suggesting Usain can't run that fast? ha ha!! He's just toying with us right now.

[toocoldout]

09:29 AM on 09/11/2009

Of course a cheetah is faster than any human. Cheetah's are the world's fastest animal.

[coracii]

10:42 AM on 09/11/2009

fastest land mammal. I believe peregrine falcons are still listed as the fastest animal reaching speeds of about 200 mph in a stoop.

[HorseChowda]

11:08 AM on 09/11/2009

That's kind of BS, though, I think. If you're using gravity to get your speed, it's not as impressive as running, like a cheetah.