Video:
watch Usain Bolt in the 100metres final
In the bowels of the Bird's Nest stood a grey-haired man quoting General
Patton and likening Usain Bolt to Marian Anderson, the contralto famed for
performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Yet this man was Jamaican
and dismissive of American lures, citing the racism he suffered there to the
drugs his athletes took as reasons for staying home. All this while, the
debate raged about Jamaica's lack of an anti-doping federation.
“When I studied in the States, I thought, ‘I don't need your condescending
crap',” he said. “Now they still think we don't know anything down in
Jamaica.” They clearly know something and Herb Elliott, the Jamaican team
doctor and member of the IAAF anti-doping commission, invited the suspicious
to investigate. “Come down and see our programme, come down and see our
testing, we have nothing to hide,” he said after Bolt had just changed the
parameters of the 100 metres by dipping below 9.7 seconds.
“Those [Jamaican] people who got caught were training abroad. They were not
strong enough. I don't know of any Jamaican doctor who has given an anabolic
steroid injection, but others have sold their soul.” While it sounds
simplistic to suggest Jamaican-born athletes such as Trevor Graham, Ben
Johnson and Linford Christie ran into trouble only because they left a
drug-free haven, Glen Mills, Bolt's coach, said that a positive test would
force Bolt to flee his homeland. “Jamaica's a violent place,” he said. The
new sensation has been tested seven times since he has been in Beijing, but
Elliott says that the IOC needs to prove that the miracle was real.
Jamaica celebrated wildly and Bob Marley's son, Julian, played a gig in
Beijing. Marc Burns, seventh in the final and a close friend, said that Bolt
could run 9.55 and that the rest would need “a small automobile” to keep
pace.
Richard Thompson, the runner-up, said: “I could see him slowing down and I was
still pumping to the line. He's a phenomenal athlete.” Mills said that the
200 metres remains “his comfort zone”, which is bad news for the others in
that field because Bolt slowed down after 80 metres on Saturday, put his
arms out in celebration and thumped his heart. “That's me,” he said. “I like
to have fun and stay relaxed. I didn't even know I had the record until I'd
done my victory lap.” Elliott has known Bolt since he was 10 and paraphrased
Patton to explain the laid-back approach. “Any man who dies for his country
is a damned fool,” he said. “Better to make the other guy die for his.”
They were dying little deaths all over the track in the greatest 100 metres in
history as six men went under ten seconds. “Toscanini said Marian Anderson's
contralto voice comes along every 100 years,” Elliott went on. “And a guy
like Usain Bolt comes along once a century.”
So how did this happen? Bolt bucks convention. At 6ft 5in, he should be too
tall to be a sprinter. “People think you have to be short, strong and stocky
to be a great sprinter and Usain Bolt has defied that,” Thompson said. “It's
the beginning of something else.” He eats poorly as evinced by his
pre-miracle routine. “I never had breakfast,” he said. “I woke up at 11
o'clock, sat around and watched TV, then had some chicken nuggets, slept for
two hours, then went back and got some more nuggets.” He completed 9.69sec
of magic with a shoelace undone.
Bolt is only 21, but he is no rookie. “People think he came from nowhere, but
he won the world junior title when he was 15 and then grew 1½ inches and we
had to back off,” Elliott said. Last year, he won silver in the 200metres at
the World Championships.
Jamaica has form, too - Don Quarrie's 200 metres title in 1976 being the
highlight - but Bolt and Asafa Powell have taken sprinting to a new level,
while the women have continued to excel. Much of it is down to Mills and
Stephen Francis. Mills has Jamaica's Order of Distinction for his work, and
now runs the IAAF-backed High Performance Centre in Kingston. Francis,
Powell's coach, is one of the co-founders of MVP (Maximising Velocity and
Power), set up in 1999 to stop the brawn drain to the US. “Our athletes were
coming back tired and drained after scholarships,” Elliott said.
“It was the same when I was there. You race too much and get burnt out. I'd
complain and they'd say I was an uppity black man. Usain doesn't get that
bullshit in Jamaica.” The Jamaican Prime Minister phoned Bolt and Powell on
Saturday, but the Government was no help when Francis had to sell his car to
make ends meet as he tried to keep the best Jamaican talent at home.
It has paid off, but nature is as much a factor as nurture and, according to
Burns, Bolt is a freak of it. Unfortunately while Jamaica has no anti-doping
federation, there will be lingering suspicion. Whatever, the final was
astonishing. Breaking the world record on your fifth senior run at 100
metres was one thing, but this was mesmerising. “He's still got a long way
to go,” Mills said.
He also has God on his side. “I pray each night to keep me strong,” Bolt said.
“They say He helps them who help themselves.” For his next trick,he may help
himself to Michael Johnson's 200metres record.
I have known Usain personally for about 5 years now and believe me it came as a shock when he performed in Beijing 2008. Big up Usain you are the greatest thing ever set foot on a track , no matter what they say you indeed our hero.
Tracy An Reboe, Portland now Kingston, Jamaica
bolt is a winner he and the others we love him he is the greatest to the worl!!!
krystal, kingston, jamaica
those that have a contact point to Mr Bolt should suggest for him to give a go at breaking the 400m WR. has there ever been a man to hold all three sprint records at one time? could he do it?
m, ny, usa
bolt is 100% talent and that's a fact!!!
I have been watching him since high school days in jamaica and he has always a superb athlete.
Did you know he did sub 11 in high school? yah his coach had to hide that detail from him for fear he would get lazy or something
sharie, kingston, jamaica
Bolt deserves the best. He is the greatest. We are Americans, we have never been in Jamaica and we were cheering for Bolt.
Frank cooper, Miami, USA
Thank you very much Stephanie Tohill. Those of us who have been following this youngman from school days have been waiting for this to happen. We were even impatient to the extent that we were disappointed when he stopped in the last Olympics and did not complete the race. The time has now come.
Rohan, Westmoreland, Jamaica
Jamaica has a long sprinting tradition & more importantly, a serious youth athletic program. They've invested heavily & now have an excellent athletic training program, that foreign athletes attend. Add that to the stride length of 6'5" legs, & you have your answer.
Jan, London, UK
People keep forgetting the amount of times that Bolt has been tested since arriving in China. So much so that Powell's coach complained.
Amazing that everyone is suspicious of him yet no eyebrows were raised over Phelps getting 8 golds and breaking 7 records.
Stephanie Tohill, London, UK
Jamaica on top, finally the field is fair. The biggest irony is that since the extensive doping tests have been implimented, USA has fallen off the radar. get use to it world or find more designer drugs to compete with true RAW Jamaican TALENT.
Afasa Bolt, Manchester, Jamaica
I saw Bolt's race this past weekend, it was amazing! Congrats to him!
Marios, Nicosia, on your comment, 'It's funny how some journalists pick on Bolt but ignore Phelps"
Not so, they've picked on Phelps last week also.
Ann, Pasadena, CA, USA
The percentage of "chemically enhanced" 100m dash times under 9.80 seconds is already quite high. Mr. Bolt's extraordinary result--recorded without a measurable tailwind and apparently after a day of eating chicken nuggets--should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Harald, New York, USA
im so proud that bolt one he proved to the rest of the world that jamaican people are talented and not only good for providing sun, sea and rum. people need to stop picking on bolt so what if he jogged the last few meters. im sure if bolt won this medal for GB there wouldnt be problem how he won.
chantel, enfield, uk
Bolt should have ran flat out to the line and set the world record instead of easing-up because you never know what will happen tomorrow, Bolt may never reach his peak again and never have the chance to run in an Olympic final again
barry, carlisle, united kingdom
Bolt ran in slow motion for 80 metres and walked the rest whilst waving to his mates and eating a cheese and pickle sandwich.
awesome.
its most mazing thing since the last 50 metres of Peter Radford's run in Rome, 1960.
a wise person might seek the common factor?
nigel foster, ryde, uk
Maybe this Olympics is alot cleaner, that's why so many other different nations have a chance of winning on the track. Jamaican athletes have worked hard and are talented.
Why pick on the Jamaican athletes, why not look at China, USA, etc!
Aurora, Northampton, UK
Jimmy, All the UK cyclists are subject to a strict anti-doping regime. Perhaps the rise to glory is due to the facilities being made available to them (Manchester Velodrome) and the strict regime being followed in other countries meaning the UK cyclists are now competing against drug free opponents?
Ian M Jones, Reading, UK
Why does the UK press seek to cast drug dispersions upon this amazing athlete who certainly bears no sign of steriod use on his skinny, muscle free frame. As cycling is known to have the biggest drug problem in sport, why no questions about the country suddenly winning every cycling medal?
Jimmy, Dublin, Ireland
Jamaica hasn't got an anti-doping federation because their athletes are being tested by WADA. This does not apply to U.S athletes that are being "tested" by their own agency. It's funny how some journalists pick on Bolt but ignore Phelps
Marios, Nicosia,
The UK has an anti-doping organisation and has an athlete competing in the olympics despite having been banned for missing a series of drugs tests! Lingering suspicion indeed.
joe, brussels, belgium
I'm an american black woman and me and my fiance watched and we celebrated this young man's win, it was a very emotional win for him and family. We did'nt see race this man deserves to be champ, once again congratulations. To Jamaica hold your head high. We love you in the states, much respect.
Tonya Caldwell, Detroit, usa
"The Bolt" must try for the best 100m world record ever before he gets too old!
Owen, SG,
These insinuations of drug use by Bolt are mean spirited and disgusting. The fact is that Jamaica has a very long tradition of excellence in athletics. The excellent climate and good food are contributing factors. But the real "secret' behind Jamaica's success in athletics is simple: Hard work!
Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA
I totally understand why the suspicions are there...every great sprinter have had a sign over their head since the Marion Jones scandal....but perhaps this is why Jamaica is doing so well, because maybe this is the first olympics that Natural talent is given a chance to shine....
Monique, Brooklyn, USA
That is really Magic!Eventhough I am not a Jamaikan I really enjoyed Bolt's Feat.He could have recorded a much better time indeed.
Chaminda, Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Bolt is the shape of things to come. As Lomu literally changed the shape of rugby so Bolt will change the shape of sprinting. Convention has dictated taller people cant run fast. Bolt just blew that one out the water.
His technique is immense. His stride carries him over the line in less steps.
Graeme, Glasgow, Scotland
This has been in the works for years. Don't hate us for finally getting our chance in the spotlight. Our athletes are some of the most tested athletes at these Beijing olympics, everything accomplished by our atlhetes has been in the works for years.
Dwhyte Hunter, Spanish Town, Jamaica
Not a Jamaican miracle, a miracle of steroids I fear!
Haroon Abbasi, London,