We’ve witnessed world class athletes become legends overnight in
every sport. On the international stage of Olympic competition, one
man became faster than the speed of light. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt
captivated fans with his electric speed. His rise to fame felt surreal; but
to the world of track & field, his blueprint was cemented.
Bolt stole the show in 2008, winning the 100 meter and 200 meter
events in Beijing. Breaking new ground during the 100 meter final by a
record time of 9.69 seconds. If you were a runner for any other country,
it’s a wrap. His psychological advantage would translate to “Mamba
Mentality” like the late great Kobe Bryant. Knowing you’re the best
runner and nothing could interfere.
With rising international stardom came strays from the media. Bolt
didn’t receive as much coverage as other prominent runners, which
made him happy. Being the underdog and not being taken seriously
fueled him. His personality was humble with overall team success, not
the bragging rights. The personality of youth expressed itself in his
celebration. Winning gold was his focus for the 100 meter event.
Fast forward to the 200 meter event, looking to break Carl Lewis’
double win in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by winning gold. It was a
challenge considering the great Michael Johnson set his own world
record of 19.32 seconds in the event. In return, Bolt won Jamaica’s
fourth gold medal of the Games by setting a record of 19.30 seconds.
What fans witnessed became more than just sprinting, it was beyond
exceeding expectations. Breaking both records in the same Olympic
Games defined odds.
Winning is contagious as he ran the third leg in Jamaica’s 4x100 meter
relay, capturing gold. Their team broke another world record as they
ran 37.10 seconds in the event. Even in victory, they were stripped of
their medals in 2017 after a blood sample of teammate Nesta Carter
retested positive for a banned substance. A setback made by a
teammate, but Bolt’s greatness became the topic of discussion as the
most successful sprinter in history.
It was the beginning of a new horizons for a sport which suffered
through high-profile drug scandals. During the BALCO scandal, US
Olympians Tim Montgomery, Justin Gatlin, and Marion Jones were
stripped form their medals. With record breaking performances, it
raised eyebrows as to if Bolt was using performance enhancing drugs,
which lacked independent Caribbean anti-doping testing.
With that came Bolt being tested and all came back negative each time.
He welcomed the anti-doping authorities to prove he was clean from
any banned substances. The program was strict as each athlete was
tested any part of the day. No hidden vitamins were consumed in Bolt’s
body. The jealousy of one man’s success struck ire with the Olympic
Committee.
Following the 2008 Olympics, Bolt ran in 2012 and 2016 respectively
before retiring in 2018. His story is truly an inspiration to Jamaica’s
sports culture. A cemented legacy of being the fastest sprinter in the
world by breaking record after record. If you were alive to witness
Usain Bolt during the Beijing Olympics, it was a treat. He’s truly one of
one in the sport of sprinting.
