In 2007, track coach Glen Mills had big plans for his then-20-year-old prodigy Usain St Leo Bolt. Mills believed that Bolt could become the best 200m and 400m sprinter in the world, in the mold of American great Michael Johnson.
Bolt loved the 200m race, but had reservations about the 400m. It’s undoubtedly the hardest, most-grueling race to master on the track.
The Jamaican’s lanky, 6-foot-5 frame was well-suited for the longer sprints though, where his long stride would give him an advantage over shorter runners. The distance would be more forgiving to the slower starts usually associated with taller runners.
Bolt wasn’t trying to hear it. He wanted to go fast like Ricky Bobby.
Instead of focusing on the 400m, Bolt wanted his second race to be the 100m. The 100m race has always carried the most glory and prestige on the track. The man who stands atop the 100m podium in the Olympics and the World Championships also carries the title of “Fastest Man in the World.”
Names like Carl Lewis and Jessie Owens are revered for their dominance at 100 meters. It’s true that Johnson shot to international fame based on his 200m and 400m double gold at the 1996 Olympics. However, 400m champions usually fall into obscurity outside the world of track and field.
From crossroads to crossover star
Just three years into his professional career, Bolt found himself at a crossroads. Mills made a deal with Bolt. If he could break the Jamaican national record (19.86 seconds by Don Quarrie), he could run the 100m. At the 2007 Jamaican Championships, Bolt ran a 19.75 to set a new national record. The coach kept his promise to enter Bolt into the 100m.
In just his fifth professional race at 100 meters, Bolt broke the world record in May 2008 with a 9.72. The rest is history historic.
With the 100m record in tow, Bolt brought momentum and buzz into the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He left as a legend.
It wasn’t just the fact that Bolt set world records in the 100m (9.69), 200m (19.30) and 4x100m* (37.10) events, it was how he did it. With a cocktail of cockiness, swag and showmanship never seen on the world stage of track and field, Bolt became a worldwide legend.
He looked like a man amongst boys on the track, partially due to his height and partially due to his ability to leave his competition in the dust like a pack of Rugrats. Never before had a sprinter been so cavalier on the track. Bolt routinely slowed down before crossing the finish line.
His finish line photos were almost always the same. The champion smiled and clowned with a look of relaxation while the remaining contestants grimaced and grunted with intensity as they fought for silver and bronze. Bolt was simply on another level.
He completed a previously unimaginable triple-triple by earning gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the London Olympics in 2012 and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. His signature “lightning Bolt” pose became iconic.
Besides a false start disqualification at the 2011 World Championships in the 100m and a second-place finish in the 4 x 100m relay at the World Relay Championships in 2015, Bolt was all gold everything since he burst onto the scene in Beijing.
Bolt’s speed and charisma made him a household name. He managed to become one of the few athletes that fans around the globe rooted for over their own nation’s athletes. While other cocky athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Terrell Owens, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Deion Sanders caused a legion of sports fans to hate them for their antics, Bolt somehow managed to playfully charm his way into nearly universal love and support.
With apologies to Americans Justin Gatling, Tyson Gay and Trayvon Bromwell, I most-certainly rooted for the Jamaican sensations during the Olympic Games as if I was Bob Marley reincarnated.
Walking away
Now Bolt finds himself at the end of his career. His planned retirement ended nearly as shocking as his breakout Beijing. Bolt finished in third-place in the 100m final Saturday at the IAAF World Championships in London. He was beaten by Gatling and American Chris Coleman. The bronze medal was Bolt’s first non-gold medal in the 100m.
Fans booed Gatling and Coleman for ruining the storybook ending. Until this year, Bolt seemed unbeatable. This season comparably has been a struggle. The blazing fast times have evaporated. Bolt’s larger than life personality has been turned down a notch. To an observant eye, it seemed that the fire and passion started to die down after the 2016 Olympic Games. Bolt essentially confirmed that notion after his bronze medal finish at the World Championships.
“I did it for the fans,” he said. “They wanted me to go for one more season. I came out and did the best I could.”
From anyone else, it might sound like an excuse. However, Bolt was all smiles and gracious in defeat. And why not? Even with the loss, Bolt is ready to entire retirement as possibly the most popular figure the sport has ever known. He also could be the richest.
According for Forbes magazine, Bolt has earned $32.2 million in 2017, with a majority coming via product endorsements.
Bolt still has one more chance to go out with a bang, as he’s expected to anchor Jamaica’s 4×100 relay at the World championships on Saturday.
Meanwhile, everyone is looking for the next Usain Bolt. Performance-wise, South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk has the tools. Van Niekerk’s 400m world record in Rio was legendary. He’s also the only man in history to run under 10 seconds in the 100m, under 20 seconds in the 200m and under 44 seconds in the 400m.
Though van Niekerk could eventually prove to match Bolt’s ability, his reserved personality means he’ll likely never reach the heights of Bolt’s legendary persona. Something tells me it’ll be a long time before anybody measures up to the standard set by the track and field giant.
*The Jamaican’s 2008 4x100m relay team was later stripped of its gold medal after Nesta Carter tested positive for PEDs.
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