Bolt edges closer to becoming a legend
Source: Agencies |
August 7, 2012, Tuesday
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AFTER streaking to a second Olympic 100 meters gold on Sunday evening and treating everyone to an evening of showmanship and celebration along the way, Jamaica's Usain Bolt said he was one step closer to the legendary status many already afford him.
"Some of you guys doubted me. I just had to show the world I was the greatest," Bolt told reporters. "It means I'm one step closer to being a legend. I have the 200 (meters) to go."
Sunday's final inside a packed and roaring stadium was meant to be a close call with the year's five fastest men lining up on the track but Bolt made sure there would be no disputing who was the greatest sprinter.
"For everybody who was in this race tonight, the four other fastest guys in the world, it was a real honor for me."
With an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds Bolt finished ahead of compatriot and world champion Yohan Blake, and America's Justin Gatlin in third.
The world's fourth and fifth fastest this year, America's Tyson Gay and Jamaican Asafa Powell, finished fourth and last respectively with the latter pulling up injured early on.
Despite Bolt being the 100m and 200m world record holder some had questioned whether he would be able to hold off his training partner Blake - the man who beat him in the Jamaican trials earlier this year. "The trials woke me up. Yohan gave me a wake-up call. He knocked on my door and said 'Usain this is the Olympic year. Wake up', after that I refocused and got my head together."
"He's the equivalent of the guy walking on the moon for the first time. He's done something that no one has ever done before," Gatlin said.
One day after making his Olympic debut, double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius failed to reach the final of the 400 meters, following a bad start with a slow race to finish last in his semifinal heat. The first amputee to compete in track at the Olympics never stood a chance and finished the race on his fiber carbon blades in 46.54 seconds, .95 of a second behind winner Kirani James of Grenada.
Still, world champion James immediately walked over to Pistorius after the race and asked for his bib as a souvenir. "It is an honor to compete against the guy," James said. "Just coming out here to the Olympics and to compete, is very special for us."
Ethiopia's Tika Gelana upset the favored Kenyans in the women's marathon. Kenya collected its first gold in the track program when Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3,000-meter steeplechase, eight years after winning at the Athens Olympics.
European champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France took silver and African champion Abel Mutai of Kenya took bronze.
"Some of you guys doubted me. I just had to show the world I was the greatest," Bolt told reporters. "It means I'm one step closer to being a legend. I have the 200 (meters) to go."
Sunday's final inside a packed and roaring stadium was meant to be a close call with the year's five fastest men lining up on the track but Bolt made sure there would be no disputing who was the greatest sprinter.
"For everybody who was in this race tonight, the four other fastest guys in the world, it was a real honor for me."
With an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds Bolt finished ahead of compatriot and world champion Yohan Blake, and America's Justin Gatlin in third.
The world's fourth and fifth fastest this year, America's Tyson Gay and Jamaican Asafa Powell, finished fourth and last respectively with the latter pulling up injured early on.
Despite Bolt being the 100m and 200m world record holder some had questioned whether he would be able to hold off his training partner Blake - the man who beat him in the Jamaican trials earlier this year. "The trials woke me up. Yohan gave me a wake-up call. He knocked on my door and said 'Usain this is the Olympic year. Wake up', after that I refocused and got my head together."
"He's the equivalent of the guy walking on the moon for the first time. He's done something that no one has ever done before," Gatlin said.
One day after making his Olympic debut, double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius failed to reach the final of the 400 meters, following a bad start with a slow race to finish last in his semifinal heat. The first amputee to compete in track at the Olympics never stood a chance and finished the race on his fiber carbon blades in 46.54 seconds, .95 of a second behind winner Kirani James of Grenada.
Still, world champion James immediately walked over to Pistorius after the race and asked for his bib as a souvenir. "It is an honor to compete against the guy," James said. "Just coming out here to the Olympics and to compete, is very special for us."
Ethiopia's Tika Gelana upset the favored Kenyans in the women's marathon. Kenya collected its first gold in the track program when Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3,000-meter steeplechase, eight years after winning at the Athens Olympics.
European champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France took silver and African champion Abel Mutai of Kenya took bronze.
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