Type of Strength
Different sports have different requirements for strength and speed, but most coaches recognize that it is the capacity to express strength rapidly, explosive strength, that separates elite athletes from the rest. Measures such as a high vertical jump and excellent performance in the Olympic lifts are better measurements of explosive strength compared to the lifts most athletes perform such as the bench press or deadlift. An athlete with a 500lb deadlift but only a 200lb clean is showing that their explosive strength is likely deficient assuming technique for the clean is okay. All other things being equal, an improvement in their performance on the cleans would not only increase their performance in that lift, but have greater carryover to their sprint times.