Usain Bolt is responsible for the best, but saddest, quote of the Rio Olympics – “I’m getting old, I’m slowing down, it’s time to get out quick.”
Quick – now there’s a word that is all Bolt, although mighty quick would be a far more accurate description, the fastest and most successful sprinter of all time.
Sad because we’re never going to see the most charismatic easy-going athlete who has drawn countless thousands of extra fans to the track.
When the Jamaican wasn’t running in Rio the Olympic Stadium was a fifth full at best. But when he was on duty it was a chockers crowd, 60,000-strong, and thunderous in their applause.
He’s 30 tomorrow, and retires with nine Olympic gold medals from nine finals in three events, the gold equal of the Flying Finn Paavo Nurmi from six events, and American Carl Lewis from four.
But there’s no argument, Usain Bolt is the best of three – never beaten in three Olympics, while Nurmi won three silvers in four Olympics, and Lewis one in four.
Their CVs:
Usain Bolt
100m gold in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
200m gold in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
4x100m relay gold in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
Paavo Nurmi
10,000m gold in 1920 and 1928.
5,000m gold in 1924, silver in 1920, and 1928.
3,000m steeplechase gold in 1924, silver in 1928.
1,500m gold in 1924.
Individual cross country gold in 1920 and 1924.
Team cross country gold in 1920 and 1924
Carl Lewis
100m gold in 1984 and 1988.
200m gold in 1984, silver in 1988.
Long jump gold in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996.
4×100 relay gold in 1984, 1992.
Add further proof, as if it’s needed:
Usain Bolt has run 10 of the top 30 fastest 100m times in history, ranging from 9.58 to 9.79.
Next best is Justin Gatlin with six of the top 30, from 9.74 to 9.78.
Then Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay with five each in the to 30 – Powell’s range 9.72 to 9.78, and Gay 9.69 to 9.79.
In the 200m, it’s an even more dominant Usain Bolt story.
Bolt features in 14 of the top 30 times, ranging from 19.19 to 19.68.
Gay is next best with four in the top 30, from 19.58 to 19.70.
The former world record holder Michael Johnson figures in three in the top 30, ranging from 19.32 to 19.71.
So the curtain falls on a genuine, irreplaceable super-star, who has one regret – that he didn’t become the first to crack the 19-second barrier for the 200m.
But for his last individual event it was cold and wet, hardly conducive to a history-making time.
Nonetheless, Usain Bolt strides into the sunset with sporting fans worldwide grateful they had the privilege to witness so many spine-tingling moments.
No-one has ever struck like the Lightning Bolt – the 100m, 200m, and relays of the future will never be the same.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
The suggestion is that he'll probably make the World Champs in London next year his swansong. I'm guessing that having conditions meaning he had no chance of pushing his 200m WR will probably make that even more likely. If he'd achieved his aim of a sub-19 200m then he may well have had absolutely nothing to achieve with one last World Championships, but now he's still got that to aim for. So he might keep that as his swansong and really have everything aimed at that 200m WR. Sad to see him go. He's just something completely different. By all reports he's just a really nice guy who's always got time for people too. And the fluid, graceful way he runs, with his long legs striding out longer than any other sprinter can, so when he hits top speed nobody can come close to him. Your only hope to ever beat him was for him to take too long to hit top speed and to have a big lead over him by then. If he got any sort of decent start then everyone else was racing for second place. In the 4x100 the other teams always needed a 5m+ lead going into that last leg to have any chance, given a flying start over 100m, thus taking out the weakest part of Usain's race, the start, nobody is going to come close. He's a tall guy. Tall guys aren't supposed to be able to sprint 100m that fast, they are supposed to take too long to get going, and they aren't supposed to be able to sprint 200m that well, because the longer your stride the harder the bend. But when you get the tall guy who manages to overcome those things you have someone that nobody else can get near. The next person to come along and take sprinting to the next level will likely be similar to Bolt, someone who's physically quite different to most of the other sprinters around.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
There have been a lot of " Flying Finns", David, and for a minute there I thought you were referring to Matti Nykanen which had me confused. He has been a joy to watch and certainly he is the showman who respects his opposition; a trait all admire.