How do we describe someone who has special athletic skills?
For example, in Chinese we can say that “Bolt runs like an animal” to emphasize he runs so quick that even surpasses the normal level of human. Are there any phrases / expressions in English that have similar meanings?
To clarify, I’m not looking for an adjective to describe someone who can run fast, I just want to know if there's an expression to show that someone possesses a skill that may look like an animal instead of a normal human being. 🙂
Best Answer
It's slang, so you may not find this meaning listed in the dictionary, but sometimes the word freak is used to describe amazing athletic talent and ability.
Bleacher report, which is a U.S. sports news website, describes it like this:
One sports columnist for CBS Sports claims he has used the term for at least a decade now, stating:
Dan Hanzus wrote a column describes Calvin Johnson as a "ridiculously gifted pass-catcher" in a column entitled Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss athletic freaks, an article that contains this quote from a fellow NFL player:
It's not just American football players that get this label. NBA player James White got called a "freak" by a blogger last month. One of his former coaches was quoted:
NBA player LeBron James and baseball slugger Albert Pujols have also been honored as "athletic freaks," in a column that reads:
One other column listed wrestlers and track stars in compiling the 10 Biggest Athletic Freaks of All Time. One may agree or disagree with their list, but they did mention how they used the term:
(They didn't mention speed, but many of those on their list – Hershel Walker, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jim Thorpe, and decathlon champion Bryan Clay – were indeed freakishly fast athletes.)