Swimmers are getting all the love right now, but as this post points out, they’re not as far along in the “what’s the human limit?” game as sprinters — in part because of the Speedo suits’ “unlocking” of an additional tier of speed.

Twelve years ago, Michael Johnson doubled in track (200m and 400m), and the record he set in the 200m — 19.32s — remains absurdly out of reach. In a sport where hundredths of seconds are desperately hard to come by, Johnson’s 200m record is a full 0.30 seconds faster than his nearest competitor (Tyson Gay, last year). By comparison, Usain Bolt’s best 200m time (set in Athens this July) is 19.67.

(Via Kottke.)