Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, has now added an Olympic gold medal to his title as, "The World's Fastest Man". Bolt incredibly recorded a time of 9.69 seconds in the men's 100m final in Beijing.
As I watched the final preparations before the race and listened to the NBC commentators, Ato Boldon and Tom Hammond, I couldn't help but get excited. The lights and grandeur of the Olympics catered to Bolt, who seemed relaxed and even playful with the crowd before getting into the starting blocks. Bolt's reactions were far different from his countryman, Asafa Powell, who looked like an already defeated man before he reached the blocks.
I wonder if anyone realized while watching the race that they were witnessing a new chapter in track & field. In an era that has seen numerous athletes cut down by steroid accusations and convictions, Bolt provided a much needed breath of fresh air. He hardly resembles the mold of a sprinter, standing 6 feet 4 inches. Due to his height he doesn't have to take as many steps as his smaller competitors, which matters greatly in a race like the 100 meters. And to think that some may dream to see him on an NFL roster. There is no doubt that Bolt has captured the attention of the world as well as made his country proud, but he could've done better.
Bolt raced down the middle of the track and upon noticing the absence of any competitors in close vicinity, began to showboat. With about 20 meters to go, Bolt stretched out his arms in celebration and thumped his chest as he reached the finish line. As for his abbreviated finish Bolt said, "I didn't come here to run the world record, because I was the world record-holder... I came here to win."
He may not think that his actions in the latter stages of the race were a big deal, but most assuredly they were. Without a doubt Usain Bolt is a talented individual and may have numerous chances to lower the world record. But there's a way in which you should win. Victory should only be celebrated once the competition is over and not before. What would we have said if Bolt somehow stumbled over his shoelace, which became untied during the race (look at his left foot)? Maybe I'm a little old-school when it comes to issues like this, but I highly doubt that my track coach in high school would've allowed the antics that Bolt pulled. Then again, I've never run 100 meters in 9.69 seconds.
What do YOU think? Was Usain Bolt's early celebration warranted? If you were competing against him how would you feel? Can he lower his world record?
Jonathan
4 comments:
I think he should have done a front hand-spring to finish the race. Just thumping his chest was a let-down, I insist on showboating. Thank God we are past the era of boring athletes - I want a scandal!!!
yeah-- the finish was a bit over the top for me-- what happen to finishing with class?
what happen to Gay? Feeling bad for the razorback
he's a punk. come on.
Perhaps he SHOULD pursue the NFL... He's certainly got the attitude for it. Celebration and the expectation of a win before the win is very egotistical and almost nullifies the whole "breath of fresh air" ideal he's supposed to represent. It's a beautiful thing to watch, but I sure hope we're not witnessing the exultation before a crash-and-burn scenario.
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