An Inspiring, Uplifting Moment

Once again, it was Usain Bolt to the rescue.
OK, so the Jamaican sprint superstar didn’t win his final 100-meter race on the international stage Saturday night. In fact, in the IAAF World Track and Field Championship in London, the 30-year-old Bolt actually placed third in 9.95 behind two Americans, Justin Gatlin (9.92) and Christian Coleman (9.94).
 
But it was the dignity with which he handled the moment that provided a feel-good counterpoint and positive model for sportsmanlike decorum amidst the non-stop, mind-numbing negative examples that fill the airwaves 24/7.
 
No surprise there.
 
Ever since he burst onto the scene in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bolt has brought immense talent, a cheery countenance, and a fun-loving demeanor to every competition and interview, and in an era when numerous athletes in a range of sports have been suspended for performance enhancing drug use, Bolt has always tested clean.
 
Refreshing, don’t you think? Larger-than-life feats based on talent, not chemistry. Unbridled fun, not furrowed-brow stress. A beaming smile, not that frowning, eye-of-the-tiger, stare-down-your-competition mien you see far too often.
 
“Lightning Bolt” is his nickname. As he nears retirement, his résumé includes eight Olympic gold medals. He won the 100 and 200 in ’08, ’12, and ’16 and ran a leg of the winning 4x100 relay in ’12 and ’16. (The Jamaicans also won the 4x1 in ’08, but they forfeited their gold after team member Nesta Carter failed a drug test.)
 
Bolt is an 11-time world champion, also in the 100, 200, and 4x100. His only misstep was a false start in the 100 in 2011.
 
Oh, yeah. And he holds world records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19), both of which he set in the 2009 World Championship in Berlin, and he shares the 4x100 mark (36.84, London Olympics) with Carter, Michael Frater, and Yohan Blake. His electronically timed 8.65 anchor leg of the 4x100 in the 2015 World Championships is the fastest ever recorded. Not surprisingly, he’s been honored as IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field News Athlete of the Year, and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.
 
It’s the intangibles, though, that have really impressed me. Before competitions, he appears loose, jovial, and unpressured, even as every sprinter in the world strives to beat him. Afterwards, he’s a great interview. He answers questions – many of which he’s undoubtedly heard over and over and over – with poise and patience. He has, though, interrupted interviews when the national anthem honoring a champ in another event played in the background. That’s classy.
 
Some have accused him of showboating because of his flamboyant style. He’s been known to put two fingers to his lips, symbolic of silencing his critics. He’s cruised across the finish line slapping his chest when he has the race in hand. He’s famous for his famous “lightning bolt” pose as he plays to the crowd in the emotion of the moment.
 
Even as one who values decorum in sports and considers grandstanding and hot dogging unacceptable, I’ve never been bothered by any of this. It’s never been directed toward an opponent. It’s in the interest of spirit and morale. It’s all in fun. For gosh sakes, we certainly need more fun, more happy moments. Otherwise, this life is far too tough.
 
Though he’s run faster, Bolt has never been better than he was in his final 100. He got out of the blocks a bit slowly (relatively speaking, of course) and found himself in the middle of the pack at mid-race. His long legs and rapid turnover enabled him to close quickly, but Gatlin and Coleman were a blink of the eye ahead at the end.
 
Afterwards, Gatlin, whose career has been marred by two drug-related suspensions, bowed before him as a show of respect. Then he rose. They embraced. Coleman joined them. If Bolt were disappointed, his expression never betrayed him.
 
In the best of all worlds, it was a footrace. It ended. You move on.
 
That said, it was inspiring and uplifting. It was competition at its best. It was sports at its very best
        -- Weldon Bradshaw
 
 
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