Beijing 2008, the 100 metres final: Usain Bolt slows down, beats his chest, metres clear of his nearest rival, his face filled with the euphoria of a young man utterly in thrall to his extraordinary physical talent. It is one of the greatest sporting moments. It is just the beginning.

Of the ten fastest 100-metres times in history, eight belong to Jamaicans. How is it that a small Caribbean island has come to almost totally dominate the men’s and women’s sprint events?

The Bolt Supremacy opens the doors to a community where sprinting permeates conversations and interactions; 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 is a pass to a world of 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 anti-doping agencies, scientists and sceptics as well as to coaches, gurus, superstar athletes 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 Jamaican sprint factory.

Prizes

Short-listed for Cross Sports Book Award - Outstanding Sports Writer of the Year 2016 (UK),Long-listed for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2015 (UK)

Excellent * The Times *
Absorbing -- Richard Williams * Guardian *
Entertaining and lively. Moore is an open-minded and engaging writer who's willing to hear his interviewees out. Because maybe there is something in the yams, and maybe we can all still enjoy the dream. * Esquire *
A fascinating account of how a Caribbean island came to rule the world in the art and science of running very fast indeed -- Chris Maume * Independent *
Compelling… thoughtful and wide-ranging… leaves you feeling optimistic * 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 -- Oliver Poole * Independent On Sunday *
Lister has expanded the narrative of West Indies cricket by using the footage not broadcast by director Stevan Riley and interviewing the fans, players and their families, to document a history that lays claim to be the "definitive story of the greatest team sport has ever known" -- Nicholas Hogg * ESPN *
Lister has expanded the narrative of West Indies cricket by using the footage not broadcast by director Stevan Riley and interviewing the fans, players and their families, to document a history that lays claim to be the "definitive story of the greatest team sport has ever known" -- Nicholas Hogg * ESPN *
Moore is meticulous and entertaining -- GB * The Scotsman *

Richard Moore is a freelance journalist and author. His first book, In Search of Robert Millar, won Best Biography at the 2008 British Sports Book Awards. He is the author of six books, three of which have been long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. As a freelance journalist he has contributed to the Guardian, Esquire, the BBC and The Scotsman. He is also a former racing cyclist who represented Scotland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.