Gold medalists of the natural world 27 July 2012 | Article
Running, jumping and diving is on everyone’s mind these days as
the London 2012 Olympic Games kick off and the world watches the
best human athletes compete. But humans aren’t the only ones
that display incredible feats of athleticism–today IUCN offers
up the gold medalists of the animal kingdom. These animal
athletes, some of which are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species™, are the fastest sprinters, the
highest jumpers and the most graceful gymnasts in the natural
world. Beginning with the track and field events, the Cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus),would take gold in the 100m—reaching speeds
of up to 70mph in short bursts. In comparison, Usain Bolt, the
fastest human sprinter, can reach a speed of 27.7mph (44.6km/h).
Over long distances, the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
completes an impressive marathon every year, with some
individuals flying over 80,000km between their summer breeding
grounds in the Arctic and their winteri