Dr., the Honorable Usain St. Leo Bolt, is undoubtedly the greatest track athlete of all times (G.O.A.T). Indeed, he is the ultimate speedster and the standard against which all sprinters are measured and validated. Bolt is credited with an unbelievable and unrivaled thirteen individual global gold medals; that is, six Olympic gold, and seven World Championship gold, an achievement that has no equal on the track.
Bolt is still King
The sprint King, as he is commonly called, is the World Record Holder in the 100m and 200m at 9.58 and 19.19, respectively. He is also the Olympic Record Holder in both the 100m and 200m at 9.63 and 19.30. Bolt also holds the World Championship Record in both events, mirroring the said World Records.
The sprint Legend, who to my mind, is the unquestionable G.O.A.T., has broken the 100m World Record on three occasions within a twelve-month timeline and the 200m twice within same. These feats were achieved at 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 Berlin World Championship, before turning twenty-two-years in the first instance and before turning twenty-three-years in the second.
Bolt’s resume
Bolt has the unique distinction of completing the double at three consecutive Olympics (treble-double); that is Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016. He also won the 200m at four consecutive World Championships; that is Berlin 2009, Daegu 2011, Moscow 2013, and Beijing 2015. Incidentally, Bolt false started in the 100m final at the 2011 Daegu World Championship, and lost out on the unique opportunity to have a perfect win record in that event at the World Championship between 2009 and 2015; that would have ensured a symmetrical outcome for both the 100m and the 200m between that time period. Yohan Blake eventually went on to win the 100m in 9.92 at the 2011 Daegu World Championship, thus becoming the youngest World Champion at age twenty-one.
Bolt's retirement
Bolt announced his retirement in 2016, after competing at the Rio Olympics, his very last, but was called out of retirement in 2017 to participate in the 100m at the London World Championship in the said year. Even so, it was doubtful that Bolt would have gone to the World Championship given the tragic motorcycle death of his close friend and high jumper Germaine Mason.
It was reported that Bolt went through a period of denial and depression and was not training for close to six weeks. Clearly, he did not report to the 2017 World Championship at his best but was still good enough to win the bronze medal in a time of 9.95 to Justin Gatlin's 9.92 and Christian Coleman's 9.94. Such was the closeness of the race that demonstrated just how talented Bolt is even though he was inadequately prepared and was not race sharp.
Bolt’s sheer dominance is unmatched
History will recall that Bolt's 9.69, done in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was the easiest and most bragadocious effort ever displayed in the final of any global championship. Bolt has significantly raised the bar in the 100m and 200m to stratospheric and unprecedented levels. There can be found no equivalent accomplishments to Bolt's in the history of the 100m and/or 200m.
The six-foot-five Bolt has revolutionized sprinting for the post-modern generation and is literally head and shoulders above all else who have ever run either or both events. Bolt's charisma, speed, speed endurance, strength and incomparable dominance in both the 100m and 200m for close to a decade have defined an era, having never been matched by any human being in the history of track athletics. Across both events, the Jamaican iconic superstar has no equal. Irrefutably, he has no comparison in global appeal, visibility, accolades, awards, endorsements nor in dominance of performance. Whether male or female, Dr., the Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt is the epitome of excellence and unparalleled greatness.
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Henley Taylor
Freelance Sportswriter
henleytaylor1965@gmail.com
Edited by Raymond Byfield
Usain Bolt is the GOAT and his 100m world record (9.58) will not be broken in the next 5 years. Noah Lyles and Knighton have the ability to break the 200m (19.19)