Bolt (Photo credit: Gerald Yuvallos)
Of all the very wonderful things about my Olympics, last night’s experience watching Usain Bolt and his colleagues clean up in the 200m sprint ranks highest.
Not that the performances of the other five medallists on the night were not great.
Not that DavidRudesha’s run in the 800m in a new world record of 1:40.9 wasn’t as impressive.
Nor that our little country has over 50 medals – half of them gold.
Nor that every aspect of our experience from walking onto the Park till leaving it eight hours later was not a happy one.
But because what we witnessed from the moment this magnificent man walked into the stadium till the moment he left it clasping his medal – was unforgettable.
Daley Thompson said some things last night I vaguely caught on the way home. The gist of it was that Bolt had saved athletics from a Gatlinesque nightmare of drugs cheating and returned it to something that every child , woman and man is inspired by.
It’s absolutely true. And when, after running one of the races of all time, the great man got down on the floor and did his press ups, my heart jumped with the witness of inspiration.
Let’s remember, Bolt does not slag off others, he knows only one way, a positive way that sidesteps all the bad news and goes like an archer to a distant target for his big goal.
Thanks Usain Bolt and thanks to your supporting cast, not just the athletes but to all the flag wavers you brought to the stadium , to the millions around the world who wanted to be Jamaican last night and to me and my girl stuck in the stands, shaking with awe and admiration.
Next stop – Carnival – not so far away now – I guess I know who will be star of the show.
Related articles
- I am now a living legend – Bolt (bbc.co.uk)
- Usain Bolt wins 200 metres gold (thesun.co.uk)
- Usain Bolt must have thought Wallace Spearmon was Carl Lewis (stltoday.com)
- Olympics 2012 Usain Bolt makes history with 200-meter gold 2 of 9 (cbsnews.com)
- Usain Bolt: Watch me make history (thesun.co.uk)
- Usain Bolt backs up ‘legend’ claims with untouchable Olympic results (sports.nationalpost.com)
- Lightning Usain Bolt strikes twice and makes Olympic history with successive wins (standard.co.uk)
- Usain Bolt Nabs Photographer’s DSLR, Snaps Awesome POV Shots (petapixel.com)
- Usain Bolt Makes History In Capturing 200 Meters Gold Medal (atlantablackstar.com)
- Bolt makes history with 200m gold (bbc.co.uk)
