Triple double – Un-bolted

Usain Bolt – The Super Human who is Extremely Human

Usain ‘St. Leo’ Bolt - is, without doubt, one of the greatest athletes in the world right now, and is already etched in history for his achievements. Bolt’s success journey took off at the age of 15 when he won the 2002 Junior Kingston championship in Jamaica; the youngest ever to win the junior gold medal. He ran 21 global championship races from 2008-16, the 100m, 200m and 4X100m relay at three Olympics and four World Championships, and won 19 of them. His three fastest 100m timings, five fastest 200m timings, and all three of his world records, came in championship competition clearly showing that the man peaked when it mattered.

On 5th Aug at the 2017 IAAF track and field world championships in London, Usain Bolt ran the last individual race of his career, in the final of the 100m. That he came third in his farewell race disappointed the entire world, not because he lost but because he did not win. Here are a few more interesting facts about the living legend.

· By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school’s fastest runner over the 100m distance.

·By the age of 15, he had grown to 1.96m (6ft 5in) which is very tall for anyone even for a sprinter 

· According to Forbes, Bolt is worth around ￡47million. Most of his earnings come from endorsements (around ￡23) - largely his deal with PUMA, worth around ￡8million a year.

·He has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year thrice.

·Bolt has run at a speed of about 27.8 mph (44.7 kmph). This is super-fast for a human. Avg speed of a fast-moving car on Mumbai roads is 30 kmph.

·Bolt is one of only eight athletes to win world championships at the youth, junior, and the senior level of an athletic event.

Apart from his ‘super human’ achievements mentioned about, there are a few striking personality traits that make him just like us yet these very traits also make him the most loved athlete as well as one of the most respected and idolised sportsmen.

Humility: During the 2016 Rio Olympics Bolt and the entire Jamaican team stayed in a 3-Star budget airport hotel to prepare for Olympics – $136-a-night. An athlete of his caliber would have preferred exclusive 5-Star stay but Usain chose to stay below expected star ratings hotel; he appeared to be enjoying himself nonetheless! He’s always remained rooted in his upbringing.

Another incident early this year showed his humility, when he lost his colleague and close friend Germaine Mason. Mason and Bolt had been friends since 2002. The media reported that Usain was deeply affected by the loss of his friend and in order to show how valuable their friendship was, Bolt decided to take part in his friend’s burial by helping to dig his friend’s grave.

Being Genuine: Despite Bolt’s international fame, he comes across as any normal guy around the block. People love Bolt not just for his speed but for his personality. He is always smiling, goofing around, complaining about training and admits his love for fast food. While most athletes are busy trying to stay fit, trying to maintain an image on the public forum; Usain is busy being himself and this is what attracts his fan following as well as the endorsements. SportsPro Magazine named Bolt the “most-marketable sportsman on the planet” in its second annual ranking of the world’s 50 most-marketable athletes.  

Bolted: He introduced his awesome Zeus-like victory pose known as “To Di World” (To the World) in Jamaica but elsewhere across the planet it is known as Usain Bolt’s signature move, the “Lighting Bolt”, or just plain “Bolting.” The famous pose actually from a Jamaican tourism advertisement came to global limelight at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Thereafter, the minute Usain would raise his hands to do that move millions would go wild in the stadium. He got the who’s who to strike that pose with him, be it Prince Harry or President Obama. It’s synonymous with Bolt and running. There was an incident when a 105-year-old runner Bolted immediately after setting the world record for his age group at a specially arranged track meet.

Natural to feel nervous: Once during a race in his home country, the expectation from the home crowd had made him so nervous that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet. However, he realized best performances occurred when he was able to remain the most relaxed though. Engaging with fans and cracking jokes with other athletes helped him reduce nerves but he has admitted that they were always there like it would be for any of us.

Paying the Price: Usain has often admitted that he is laid back, relaxed and loves to have a good time. He has repeatedly said that he is lazy. He hates the discipline of practice and maintains no dietary regiment most times. However, once his coach says it's time to buckle down, he gets really serious. He stops partying. Women are put on hold and he is back to the grind. In short, Bolt does whatever it takes to win. He pays the price for his success.

Lesson for Celebrities: The crowds that gather to get a glimpse of the ‘fastest man alive’ are incredible. In an interview with Rediff.com, Harbhajan Singh speaks about how Bolt made it a point to meet as many fans as possible at the Chinnaswamy Stadium who were there to get a glimpse of their favorite athlete This gesture moved Harbhajan and he said this gesture of Bolt’s was the most endearing part of that evening’s event. Usain’s humility and gratitude towards his fans is something that most celebrities often forget once they are high up on the celebrity pedestal. Bolt who has the world at his feet wherever he goes has never let fame get to his head

His competitors give him more credit: Forget his fans, his competitors are in awe of him. In an article in Time Magazine Shawn Crawford, the 200-m American Olympic gold medalist in Athens in 2004, said "We were all in a state of awe, Like, 'Dog, he's about to break into the 18-sec. realm.' It's like you're witnessing a miracle." That’s the respect he commands even from his competitors, indeed he is a living miracle.

The world will always remember him as the fastest man who has ever lived, holder of eight gold medals, three world records and a sprinter who made running look both effortless and fun – even though it wasn’t for him. But for me as Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic gold medal winner whose 200-m record Bolt has shattered, puts it, "He has made people stop and rethink what humans are capable of doing."

This is only a tribute to the achievements of a man, who millions adore. I wish we could have said ‘Triple triple’ for his Olympic medals had it not been for the one loss due to a disqualification that was not his fault. Even the Triple double is stuff of dreams.