Simon Barnes in Beijing
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If you like sport you live a constant battle in which romanticism and cynicism fight for the mastery. If you like athletics, that rule is multiplied by a factor of about a million. Athletics is better than any other sport in the calendar at delivering peak moments: and almost always these come at the Olympic Games.
Athletics is also more capable than any other sport of destroying such moments, as a failed drugs tests invalidates a cherished memory and at a stroke switches a favourite athlete from glorious hero to stinking villain. Athletics struggles for credibility, rather perversely because every cheat who is zealously unmasked destroys our trust. In a way, we’d rather not know.
Track and field athletics is, above all, good at stars. It took Usain Bolt substantially less than ten seconds to achieve this status, as he returned the 100 metres from the most discredited event in sport to the thing of beauty and wonder it had been in the days of innocence.
Last night he did it again with the 200 metres, winning by a crushing five metres and setting another world record into the bargain.
At the start he was joshing with the guys, as if he were a Trenchtown extra in a Bob Marley song. He loosened up with a bit of a boogie; for him, it seemed, an Olympic final was all rather a lark. He got down, bony and loose-limbed, on his mark. And then the gun went bang and he set the world on fire.
He scorched from the blocks and ran every step of the race like a man of purpose. Once you let Bolt get ahead there is no catching him, and he was ahead in the first couple of strides.
After that, it was a question of how far, and how fast. The answer to both was “very”.
It was a run of blazing, blinding brilliance: and you wished with all your might that you were witnessing the deeds of a man, a human being like me and you, rather than a creature of pharmaceutical fancy.
Bolt has the world in thrall. The extraordinary run in the 100 metres, in which he started celebrating his victory 20 metres from the line and still set a world record, is something that will stay imprinted on the memory of all who saw it. It may just be the finest bit of sport that I have ever seen, and I have seen a few, here and there.
However, we have reached a stage of cynicism in athletics when there is not a name that would surprise you if it were linked with a failed test. Then the romantic hears that suggestion and immediately shouts: “No!”
It’s not merely that I don’t believe Bolt is a drugs cheat: even more, it’s that I don’t want to believe it. I want Bolt to be real. It’s more fun that way: more meaningful.
And I think much of the world is in the same position: the imagination utterly caught by the impossibly languid nature of the fastest man in the world, revelling in the sight, the memory, the story. A failed test would rob us of all that: and more. Trust in athletics might be terminally affected if Bolt failed a test. He has lifted us so high, it’s far too far to fall.
Simon Barnes is the multi-award-winning chief sportswriter at The Times. He also writes a Saturday column on wildlife. His 15 books include three novels and the best-selling How To Be A Bad Birdwatcher. His latest, The Meaning of Sport, was published last autumn. He lives in Suffolk with his family and five horses
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Who God bless, no man curse.....Congrats Bolt! My children are calling you their hero. You are a joy to watch and yes the youths of Jamaica and around the world are watching you too, don't let them down.
Venessa, Windsor, USA
this is a good article. i was thinking the same thing. i hope bolt is clean. he is my hero for the games and i will be heartbroken if something like that happens....love you usain.
Kofi, New York, USA
With all the drugs that is going on with the US sprinters it is hard to believe that some one is running so fast without drugs. But, i think i can say my Jamaican sprinters are drugs free over the years. We have been trying to get these gold medals for a long time, our blessings has just arrived.
zel, Florida, USA
All the Jamaican Athletes are clean.and Bolt is stoppable, just look out for him him 20/12. All the Jamaicans them all over the world are proud of him and the rest of athletes. And all the bad minded people out there,please stop put rubbish on the web site about Bolt he is #1can't u all see.
Morrison, Bronx,NY, USA
I am born and raised in jamaica, ate a lot of trelawney yam and dumpling and walked miles to school growing up. bolts feat has nothing to do with the food he eats. Like most Jamaicans, Bolt is extremely competitive, trained hard and had the talent to boot. Herein lies his and the team's success.
Donovan, Plymouth, England
Usain Bolt has rewriten the record books , many people said Ali was Cocksure a few wanted to see him beaten, others stood by him during his fight with the goverment but as like Ali MR BOLT will prove them wrong. HERE WE COME not only from Jamaica but the Carribean .***The Gold Rush has Started.
Marcus, London,
we jamaicans love our athletes they are our heros but if they should so happen to take drugs, well suffice it to say they would probly have to relocate they would never live it down in jamaica
Renea Butcher, deeside, Jamaica
No one at all needs to worry. But I understand. You would really need to truly understand the Jamaican culture to know for sure. No apology would be accepted, no forgiveness. He is not cocky at all. Jamaicans hate show-offs and would not tolerate him if he was. He's just enjoying himself J'can style
Tamiko, Spanish Town, Jamaica
You think bolt is awsome. Wait until real investment is pump into the inner city (crime infested) and rural communities. he is more bolt, bob marley and marcus carvey to come.
I hope Bolt is just the begining of track and feild. And let us not forget Asafa Powell - the next fastest man alive
Albert Gillings, Kingston, Jamaica
I saw Bolt run in the CARIFTA games, at 15, then I knew he was going to be something special & made a point to remember his name, the following year he broke the junior world record. I too am cynical about the drugs & have been disappointed over the years. At 15 Bolt was raw talent & I have faith !
jane whitson turner, Nassau, Bahamas
It's in our food!! (cornmeal porrige), Naturally grown produce, Perfect climate, Raw talent, Constant training and a Strong Will...not to mention the will of a country behind him and the rest of the team!!!!!!
Check our track history....DRUG FREE JAMAICA TEAM!!!!!!!
Simone, KINSTON, JAMAICA
I don't think Mr. Barnes is actually saying he believes that Bolt has used steroids... I think he's just illustrating how all of the doping done by other athletes tarnishes the amazing achievements of clean, true blue Olympians like Bolt.
Lyn, Northern New Jersey, USA
usain bolt has found a way to be the fastest sprinter in the world today,, until someone else comes along and breaks his record it's his to keep.. so much for him taking drugs,, if that is the case it will eventually come out.. the jamaican ensemble has made our country proud.. thanks guys!!!!!
hanover shaw, mount peace, Jamaica
Jamaica has a rich tradition for sprints that dates back to the 40's. Past champions like 76 Olympic 200 meter gold medalist Don Quarrie have been making positive headlines for decades. Jamaica has an AMAZING amount of young track talent to draw from. Go see the next Penn relays and you'll see.
UCLANUPE, Los Angeles, USA
When Michael Johnson did it, everything was GREAT. He was from the USA and could do no wrong, even recently, he commented as to who was BOLT, and that JAMAICA was backward without an efficient timing system. Today, we can see that the world timing system is very accurate and NO, we dont use drugs.
Rob, Caribbean,
I have prayed for the day when Jamaica would finally reap success at the olympics and now its here...and then what, people try to tarnish that image with the assumption that we use per. enhancements. If Bolt was from USA he would be a hero..but being from a third world country he is not for real!
sophia , portmore, jamaica
The man is simply unstoppable.
ROHAN THOMPSON, KINGSTON, JAMAICA
I was ashamed to think the same thing when I saw Bolt win by such a large margin, but, alas, it has become a reality of today that, because of past winners cheating, everyone has become suspect of cheating in order to win.
Chuck, Blooming Glen, USA
I have NEVER seen anything as spectacular as Usain Bolt's races! He is definitely the greatest Olympian ever . Leave the man in peace to celebrate his achievements - he worked hard for it.. Rather check the 7th medal that Michael Phelps got for the race that Milorad Cavic won.
Yvette, Johannesburg,
At last we in the C'bbean can operate on a level playing field. If you truly knew the C'bbean culture you would know that our lifestyle is relatively simple and we are not into steroids/ performance enhancing drugs. It is the food you are raised on from a child - all natural. Congrats J'ca!!
Paige, St George, Barbados
No one suspects Phelps because swimming records fall easier. What Bolt has done was thought to be impossible. It took humanity 7 years to take .05 seconds off the 100m record, from '99 to '06. Bolt come along and took another .05s off that in 4 months. Oh and his shoe was untied.
Derek, Los Angeles, USA
If you want to know 1 of the secrets to Jamaica's success. Visit www.pumarunning.com and click 'Watch now'; watch the video "Why are Jamaican's so fast?"
Then I invite you to visit our High School champs to see for yourself. There is no meet in the world like this! Beijing pales in comparison.
Sean, Kingston, Jamaica
Anyone that question whether Bolt is clean has not the slightest clue of the Jamaican culture. Bolt and everyone on that Olympic team knows the culture, simple, we are too proud to hide after the shame. No one would talk to him at the QUAD.
BALCO is dead, USA runners are dead. Ja time now.
James, Hartford, USA
This guy is definitely the Michael Phelps of the land.
Adam G., Salem, Oregon, USA
Bolt's "cockiness" is what makes him what he isconfident of his ability to win without enhancements. Is it unattractive when an NFLer does his dance or when an NBAer hangs on the rim after a dunk? Let Usain be Usain. Usain is a nice Caribbean boy gallerying for his audience. Let him be.
Helen, Non, United States
Mr. Barnes do not worry. Usain is as clean as a whistle. His times were phenomenal even at age 15 so it's no surprise what he has achieved at this stage. As early as age 4 our children are exposed to track & field with a diet of cornmeal porridge and ground provisions. Come to JA to confirm
D Beckford, Kingston, Jamaica
His physique really is unusual, he is extraordinarily tall for a sprinter. He's a freak of nature ! I just wish he'd tone down the cockiness, it's very unattractive. Btw, he could be using a performance enhancing drug for which there isn't a test yet, but I don't really think he is.
Tanaquil, Chicago, IL
How come when Phelps won, no one questioned weather he was a cheat? even though swimming is just as tarnished with cheats
arista, toronto, canada
"Hard work reaps success" this work started from he was a child.
Noel Esson, Spanish Town, Jamaica
In the past cheaters got away because of the fact that the body only expels waste matter and urine is in that category. In Beijing all atheletes are blood tested randomly and after every race. as you know any chemical introduced to the body circulates through the blood and is traceable after death
Omar, Kingston, Jamaica
100% backing Bolt. He is clean. Jamaican coaches, athletes and supporters have suffered at the hand of corrupt foreign coaches and drugged-up athletes. Since he is locally trained, they could never turn around and give him drugs, at least, not if they want to live here.
OBinns, Montego Bay , Jamaica
Bolt his clean... We Jamaicans eat real ground food...
Sue, Kingston, Jamaica
That is our prayer as well.Anything else and I will never watch 100metres again.He looks real though.
maxwell simel, swindon, england
This has been in the works for a while if you look back at his career. He was the best age-group athlete in the world while he was in high school. Breaking the world junior 200m mark when he was only 15. To give some perspective, he was running against university athletes.
He's clean.
Antoni, Spanish Town, Jamaica
I can't help but feel he's not on drugs-his physique is quite slender and not as bulked up as you would think a drugged athlete's would be.
Please be clean Bolt!
LJ, Leicester,
Beautifully said. Amen!
gloria, LA, USA