Final answer:
The average speed of the Olympic gold medalist is 23.018 mph.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average speed of an Olympic gold medalist who runs 100 meters in 9.7 seconds can be found by converting the distance from meters to miles and the time from seconds to hours.
First, convert the distance: 100 meters = 0.062137 miles (1 meter = 0.00062137 miles).
Next, convert the time: 9.7 seconds = 0.002694 hours (1 second = 0.00027778 hours).
To find the average speed, divide the distance by the time:
Average speed = 0.062137 miles / 0.002694 hours = 23.018 mph