Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, chided Usain Bolt on Thursday for showing a lack of respect to his rivals after his sprint double at the Beijing Games.
Maybe it’s a generational thing but I doubt if a single person lucky enough to be in the Bird’s Nest on for his 200 metres gold and world record on Wednesday, or when he won his 100 metres in such audacious style, would agree.
“I think he should show more respect, shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones. Not making gestures like the one he made in the 100 metres,” Rogge said on Thursday. “He still has to mature. I would love him to show more respect to his competitors. He should learn that he should shake hands with competitors.”
We have discussed on the blog the rights and wrongs of the Jamaican’s “premature” celebrations as he crossed the line in the 100 — creating one of the iconic images of the Games.
But surely nobody could point the finger about the 200. Bolt was deadly serious about not only completing the sprint double but also taking Michael Johnson’s world record, which he did by running right through the line to clock 19.30 seconds.
His opponents were so far behind he would have stiffened up if he had waited around to shake hands and there were 90,000 people, most of them with cameras, who wanted a closer look at their new hero.
Bolt obliged perfectly, smiling, laughing, dancing and posing — to the delight of the fans who repaid the compliment by singing “happy birthday” ahead of him turning 22 today.
Bolt then spent almost an hour talking patiently to TV crews, before facing the hysterical written press in the mixed zone, then sitting down and going over it all again in the news conference.
He earned respect from everyone who saw him, including finalist Kim Collins who said: “He gave us a brutal ass-kicking.”
Rogge wants him to mature, and he is a year older today than when he won the 200, but for the next generation of athletics fans that the sport is desperate to attract, Bolt is pure gold and the officials should recognise and embrace that.
PHOTO: (TOP): Bolt celebrates gold and a world record in the 200m. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
PHOTO (BOTTOM): Bolt crosses the finish line to win the 200m. REUTERS/Hans Deryk
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we expect an apology from IOC to usain for making this comment.
- Posted by mohamedwhen usain gets all the olympic attention this old guy got jealous. atleast now this guy Jacques Rogge is infamous all over the world for insulting usain celebrating success.
- Posted by ralphi would not expect anything else from some old lifeless belgian. this is a new world of emotions and thinking. we dont act as groups or herds. i think it is you who should grow up.
- Posted by akio kito[...] believes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has a right to celebrate his feats on the track despite criticism from the Olympics boss that his jubilant style shows disrespect for fellow [...]
- Posted by Beckham hits Beijing : Soccer News[...] believes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has a right to celebrate his feats on the track despite criticism from the Olympics boss that his jubilant style shows disrespect for fellow [...]
- Posted by Beckham hits Beijing | TotalClubFootballI would not be surprised if Rogge had not been spurred on by NBC, Bob Costa and other American interest groups to undermine the impact of Bolt on this Olympics. It only took 9.69 seconds for Bolt to supplant Michael Phelp as the main story. NBC had already invested so much in making Phelps the “greatest olympian of all times”.
- Posted by MICHAEL MBolt = boyish + fun loving + boundless energy. I think some people should try to remember what it was like for them to achieve something great at 21…if they can.
When he won the men’s 100 all his dreams came through in a flash. In 9.69 secounds everything he’s worked for was realised. He went from a boy playing, running barefoot in Twelawny Jamaica, to the king of the track. I don’t know what that’s like and I’m sure not going to tell him how to celebrate.
Don’t expect him to celebrate like everyone or anyone else, because he’s not. He is Usain Bolt, one cool Jamaican.
- Posted by LegendI think the rogue should apoligise to Bolt and Jamaica, if he really has any class as he seems to imply about Bolt. Then again, Jamaicans have always liked to act independently, and although we recognize the offense, we usually brush it off. While we are smart enough to know the the behavior of people like Rogue (Bogge); they have never bothered to anderstand ours. Our motto is \”Out of Many, One People\” We have fun, we celebrate, we do not go out of our way to disrespect people. If he ever came to Jamaica, he would have noticed we treat everyone \”nice.\” MR Rogue, we do Reggae, not ballroom…kindly leave us alone. Bolt defines us and we are very proud of him. (Just want to thank everyone here who takes the time to learn about us and understands us). PS: To the person who mentined Tiger Woods: Tiger Woods may look Black, but he is not Jamaiacan and he does not represent Jamaicans - I notice though that (unlike many of the other golfers) he pumps his fist after a great putt! and did you notice golfers \”walk\” instead of \”fly\” down a hundred yard track? And by the way, not all Jamaicans are Black - we have every race and ethinic group and we love one another - Bogge should try it! But then a again, we do not have a lot of money! Oh my!
- Posted by FMaturah