“People, they come out here and they get enthralled, they get excited”.
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Jamaica’s Usain Bolt retained his title as the “world’s fastest man”, accelerating past all challengers to win the men’s 100 meters for an unprecedented third time on Sunday night in Rio. It’s that balancing act between interaction and also being a fly on the wall, letting him run around – and you also have to avoid tripping over everything around the stadium because you’re also running backwards in front of him. One sprinter in the 100m final was booed – yes, that was Gatlin.
Because Bolt is always transcendent in the biggest moments. He accomplished both. Gatlin, who had been booed by the Rio crowd as he was introduced, however put up a fearless face after his defeat – the eighth out of nine meetings with Bolt.
“It was very hard to run fast because the turnaround time was really, really, really short”, Bolt said (via The National Post). “It was surprising”, said Bolt.
The 34-year-old Campbell-Brown isn’t ready to say this will be her last Olympics. Exhausted of moralistic fans overlooking his humanity. He won the Olympic 100 meters in 2008, then again in 2012.
“I wasn’t pleased”, Bolt said, in answer to the first question he was asked at the winner’s news conference.
“The whole controversy behind him of people not liking him, people liking him, at the end of the day we’re all sinners”, said sprinter Trayvon Bromell. I don’t know who decided that. “They don’t know Justin”. The chaos has been heightened by the International Olympic Committee’s bumbling, inconsistent and quasi-legal decision-making. It’s that famous, arching, “To the World” pose that he debuted eight years ago in Beijing.
So Gatlin was already exhausted before that short hour between the semifinal and the gold-medal race. “I’m confident those things will change as I look forward to the season”.
Smelling an opportunity: Gatlin made a powerful start to lead for the first 50 metres. At 70 meters, the race was over. He glances over his left shoulder, grinning, just before he crosses the finish line.
Markham’s own Andre De Grasse has taken Bronze in Rio.
They were absolutely right to do so.
Track and its fans are desperate for Bolt the redeemer. He’s been suspended twice for testing positive for banned drugs.
Smile for the camera: Usain Bolt competes in the men’s 100m semi-final. Bolt’s urine sits on a shelf, just in case.
In 2008, Usain Bolt became the first man to win both the 100-meter and the 200-meter races in record time at the Olympics. He called that a “victory in itself”. He passed Gatlin about 60 meters down the track. A reaction time less than 0.1 seconds is considered a false start and will get you disqualified, you cheater.
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He looked back with sad and exhausted eyes.
