Top 15 Fastest Athletes on Planet Earth

By Jacob Kornhauser

Naturally, most professional athletes are pretty fast. However, there are some that look fast even by athlete standards. These 15 speed demons demand attention when they’re sprinting in their respective sports because they have the most blazing speed of any athletes on this planet.

Top 15 Fastest Athletes on Planet Earth
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15. Ben Revere

Ben Revere Credit: Getty Images
Revere is an overlooked speed demon in MLB, but he is just about as fast as anyone in the sport. He's someone who is guaranteed to score from first base on a double and can steal 50 bases a season. The Blue Jays are lucky to have a guy that fast at the top of their order for their impending playoff run.

15. Ben Revere

Revere is an overlooked speed demon in MLB, but he is just about as fast as anyone in the sport. He's someone who is guaranteed to score from first base on a double and can steal 50 bases a season. The Blue Jays are lucky to have a guy that fast at the top of their order for their impending playoff run.

14. Darrius Heyward-Bey

Darrius Heyward-Bey Credit: Getty Images
Heyward-Bey has had a relatively disappointing NFL career so far, but it's his speed that had so many people thinking he would be a star when he came into the league. In fact, the Raiders were so sold on his speed that they made him a top 10 draft pick. Despite his lack of overall results, he's still a very real deep threat for the Steelers.

14. Darrius Heyward-Bey

Heyward-Bey has had a relatively disappointing NFL career so far, but it's his speed that had so many people thinking he would be a star when he came into the league. In fact, the Raiders were so sold on his speed that they made him a top 10 draft pick. Despite his lack of overall results, he's still a very real deep threat for the Steelers.

13. Patrick Peterson

Patrick Peterson Credit: Getty Images
Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in football and a lot of that traces back to his speed. Obviously, his reaction time makes him great, but his ability to close ground in a hurry has helped make him into a bona fide superstar. Beyond being a great cornerback, he's also a great return man because of his quickness. If he gets in open space, you better look out.

13. Patrick Peterson

Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in football and a lot of that traces back to his speed. Obviously, his reaction time makes him great, but his ability to close ground in a hurry has helped make him into a bona fide superstar. Beyond being a great cornerback, he's also a great return man because of his quickness. If he gets in open space, you better look out.

12. Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve Credit: Troy Taormina, USA Today Sports
Altuve has developed into a superstar over the last couple seasons as he's shown his ability to blaze the base paths. On a talented Astros team, he's the spark plug and that ultimately comes down to his quickness. When others see him running around, it just energizes them and gets them going. That's the definition of a speed demon.

12. Jose Altuve

Altuve has developed into a superstar over the last couple seasons as he's shown his ability to blaze the base paths. On a talented Astros team, he's the spark plug and that ultimately comes down to his quickness. When others see him running around, it just energizes them and gets them going. That's the definition of a speed demon.

11. Tyson Gay

Tyson Gay Credit: Getty Images
Tyson Gay is one of America's preeminent sprinters, even though he's now into his 30s. He isn't Usain Bolt out there, but he's pretty darn close. Watching him sprint is a real treat because there just aren't that many athletes in the world that can move as fast as he can.

11. Tyson Gay

Tyson Gay is one of America's preeminent sprinters, even though he's now into his 30s. He isn't Usain Bolt out there, but he's pretty darn close. Watching him sprint is a real treat because there just aren't that many athletes in the world that can move as fast as he can.

10. C.J. Spiller

C.J. Spiller Credit: Getty Images
Since his career has fallen off lately, a lot of people forget just how electrifying C.J. Spiller is when he gets the football in his hands. His athleticism enables him to play running back and receiver and show off his quickness. Whenever he catches a pass with some space in front of him, he is off to the races.

10. C.J. Spiller

Since his career has fallen off lately, a lot of people forget just how electrifying C.J. Spiller is when he gets the football in his hands. His athleticism enables him to play running back and receiver and show off his quickness. Whenever he catches a pass with some space in front of him, he is off to the races.

9. Chris Paul

Chris Paul Credit: Getty Images
Some of the world's greatest athletes are in the NBA and Chris Paul is one of the very best. His quickness and agility make him one of the top point guards in the league, but his pure speed is what makes him truly elite. On the outlet pass, he's gone for a layup if defenders give him even an inch of space.

9. Chris Paul

Some of the world's greatest athletes are in the NBA and Chris Paul is one of the very best. His quickness and agility make him one of the top point guards in the league, but his pure speed is what makes him truly elite. On the outlet pass, he's gone for a layup if defenders give him even an inch of space.

8. Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson Credit: Getty Images
'CJ 2K' established himself as a prolific running back with speed as his greatest asset. The East Carolina product ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash and really opened people's eyes to his speed. Of course, since then, everyone has seen just how dazzling he can be, even as he gets older and his career wears on.

8. Chris Johnson

'CJ 2K' established himself as a prolific running back with speed as his greatest asset. The East Carolina product ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash and really opened people's eyes to his speed. Of course, since then, everyone has seen just how dazzling he can be, even as he gets older and his career wears on.

7. LeBron James

LeBron James Credit: Getty Images
LeBron might just be the most athletic person on the planet right now and he's also one of the fastest. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, his sprint scares opposing defenders away, enabling him a running lane to the hoop. With a running start, he has put down some of the most ferocious dunks we've ever seen in the NBA.

7. LeBron James

LeBron might just be the most athletic person on the planet right now and he's also one of the fastest. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, his sprint scares opposing defenders away, enabling him a running lane to the hoop. With a running start, he has put down some of the most ferocious dunks we've ever seen in the NBA.

6. DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson Credit: Getty Images
DeSean Jackson has the rare ability to blow the top off of an opposing defense. He flies down the field and can normally go toe to toe with just about any defensive back that's put on him. You also better tackle him right after he catches it because if you don't, he's probably headed for the end zone in a hurry.

6. DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson has the rare ability to blow the top off of an opposing defense. He flies down the field and can normally go toe to toe with just about any defensive back that's put on him. You also better tackle him right after he catches it because if you don't, he's probably headed for the end zone in a hurry.

5. Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson Credit: Getty Images
What a scary human being Calvin Johnson is on the football field. At his size, his speed is almost unheard of and that's what has helped make him the best receiver of his generation. Even if you're a defensive back who can match his speed (which is rare), good luck knocking down a pass from the 6-foot-6 freak of nature.

5. Calvin Johnson

What a scary human being Calvin Johnson is on the football field. At his size, his speed is almost unheard of and that's what has helped make him the best receiver of his generation. Even if you're a defensive back who can match his speed (which is rare), good luck knocking down a pass from the 6-foot-6 freak of nature.

4. Billy Hamilton

Billy Hamilton Credit: Getty Images
Hamilton is one of baseball's most prolific base stealers nowadays, and that's because he's an absolute flash when he's running the bases. Even when teams know he's going to be running, he routinely reaches second base safely and that's a huge testament to his speed. Perhaps teams are caught staring at how amazing his quickness really is.

4. Billy Hamilton

Hamilton is one of baseball's most prolific base stealers nowadays, and that's because he's an absolute flash when he's running the bases. Even when teams know he's going to be running, he routinely reaches second base safely and that's a huge testament to his speed. Perhaps teams are caught staring at how amazing his quickness really is.

3. Dee Gordon

Dee Gordon Credit: Getty Images
The only player in baseball that's faster than Hamilton is Dee Gordon, who has the ability to steal 80 bases a season. Since he has started hitting for average as well, it's really not a stretch to say he could steal 100 bases in a season at some point in his career. When he's out on the bases, he bounces around tempting the opposition, and practically saying "catch me if you can." They can't.

3. Dee Gordon

The only player in baseball that's faster than Hamilton is Dee Gordon, who has the ability to steal 80 bases a season. Since he has started hitting for average as well, it's really not a stretch to say he could steal 100 bases in a season at some point in his career. When he's out on the bases, he bounces around tempting the opposition, and practically saying "catch me if you can." They can't.

2. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Credit: Getty Images
Russell Westbrook is a bundle of energy and is one of the truly electrifying athletes in sports today. When he's healthy, he can sprint up and down the court and pour in points like nobody else in the NBA. Of course, when you're able to blast by defenders and get right to the rim, that plays to your advantage. That's what Westbrook is able to do and that's just part of the reason he's established himself as a top-five player in the sport today.

2. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is a bundle of energy and is one of the truly electrifying athletes in sports today. When he's healthy, he can sprint up and down the court and pour in points like nobody else in the NBA. Of course, when you're able to blast by defenders and get right to the rim, that plays to your advantage. That's what Westbrook is able to do and that's just part of the reason he's established himself as a top-five player in the sport today.

1. Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt Credit: Getty Images
There is absolutely no doubt who the fastest athlete on the planet is. Really, it's not even close. Bolt is so fast that he can basically mail it in over the last five meters on a 100-meter race and still blow away the competition. In a sport that puts a magnifying glass on pure speed, Bolt loves to show off. We all love to watch him as well, because his incredible speed is a sight to behold.

1. Usain Bolt

There is absolutely no doubt who the fastest athlete on the planet is. Really, it's not even close. Bolt is so fast that he can basically mail it in over the last five meters on a 100-meter race and still blow away the competition. In a sport that puts a magnifying glass on pure speed, Bolt loves to show off. We all love to watch him as well, because his incredible speed is a sight to behold.

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