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Usain Bolt's life in the fast lane

Posted by CaribShout on November 2, 2009 at 10:00pm

Life for Usain Bolt is far from normal these days. There are public appearances in every part of the world, long flights (in first class, naturally), endless interviews, and every once in a while, a bit of training to keep him in shape. He is fast becoming the most recognizable athlete on the planet. He wouldn't have any of it if not for his stunning accomplishments on the track. A drop in performance normally besets the post-Olympic year, but Usain Bolt apparently hasn't clued in to this phenomenon. After his sublime, three-gold-medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the sprinter shattered his own world 100-metre and 200-metre records at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships last summer in Berlin. Running right through the finish line, this time he lowered the century mark to 9.58 seconds, then, despite complaining of fatigue, he took 11 one-hundredths of a second off the 200m mark four days later with a time of 19.19 seconds. But fame presents a burden to celebrities, and Bolt is definitely a celebrity. Time is rarely his own. Never a slow moment "Sometimes the expectations are pretty much, and I am wondering why I am doing all these interviews," says the 23-year-old Jamaican laughing, "but it comes with being in the limelight and being who I am. I am just trying to do my best." Bolt was speaking from the cabin of a plane flying London to Nairobi, where he was heading for two days of appearances. He is a cultural ambassador for the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety, an organization established by Jochen Zeitz, the chairman and chief executive of Puma. The German shoe company has sponsored Bolt ever since he was a teen. Usain Bolt gets ready for a charity invitational celebrity cricket match on Oct. 18 in St. Ann, Jamaica. Bolt played cricket in his youth and used to open the batting for his school.

Usain Bolt gets ready for a charity invitational celebrity cricket match on Oct. 18 in St. Ann, Jamaica. Bolt played cricket in his youth and used to open the batting for his school. (Anthony Foster/AFP/Getty Images) Before the Kenya trip, Bolt had made appearances in Munich and London over three days. In the recent past he's visited Old Trafford, offering tips to Manchester United footballers and he has played in charity cricket matches. Everyone wants a piece of him. It's been this way since the Beijing Olympics. Clearly the eight-hour flight to Nairobi would offer a brief respite from the pandemonium that normally erupts whenever he goes out in public. Last summer, he made a stopover at Toronto's Festival of Excellence and was swarmed by hundreds of admirers following his 100m victory. In what has become a necessity wherever he travels these days, event organizers hired bodyguards to try to maintain some sort of protection. "Sometimes it gets kind of crazy, but I know they mean me no harm," Bolt says of the crowds. "It might get out of hand, but they just want to touch me and want to take a picture. I allow a little touch. I don't really worry. I know they are my people, and I just enjoy letting them love my performance." If all this is a distraction, he hides it well. Above all, Bolt remains a sprinter who at six foot five, 190 pounds is built for performance. He claims not to be governed by his times, which inevitably will cause disappointment to the legion of fans who have come to expect a world record every time he steps on the track. "I just want to go out there and perform well," he explains. "People may say 'you should break the world record,' but if I can go out and execute, and do well, I feel I have done a good job. If somebody says 'you could have done better,' I can then say I did my best and I am satisfied. That's how I look at it. So I don't feel pressure [to set records]." Jamaica's Usain Bolt strikes a familiar pose after winning the 200-metre final at the 2009 world track and field championships in Berlin last August.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt strikes a familiar pose after winning the 200-metre final at the 2009 world track and field championships in Berlin last August. (Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images) Bolt improved substantially in 2009 when he could have been coasting, enjoying the rewards for his Olympic performances. He says he is only beginning to mature as a sprinter because, as it is sometimes forgotten, 2008 was his first competitive season as a 100m sprinter. Prior to that, he was primarily a 200m runner with an occasional dalliance in the 400m. "I wasn't really surprised about the 100m world record because I knew it was in me I knew it was going to be a competitive, a very tight race," he declares. "But the 200m was a little bit surprising for me. "I think there's probably a little room for improvement there [in the 200m record]. My coach will always say that. For me there's always a little bit of improvement in everything you do. If you study hard enough, you might find something you can change. I can find a bit there." It's the 100m record, however, by which the world's fastest man is judged, and he is less sure of his limits here. Asked how much faster he can run, he laughs. "I have no idea!" he claims, a statement that should echo among those who would harbour any thoughts of supplanting Bolt. Along with the accolades that have presented themselves he bears the brunt of suspicion that hangs over every sportsman who turns in spectacular performances. After his 200m feat in Berlin, a German paper printed a full sized cover photo of Bolt across which was splashed the headline "Bolt — Doping?" The topic of performance-enhancing drugs haunts him, especially since several training partners tested positive for the use of stimulants. With characteristic nonchalance, he deals with the questions that still come. "I don't know what else I can do to convince people I am clean. I get tested all the time," he says calmly. "It doesn't bother me. I understand why people question performances because of athletes in the past who have been on drugs and they just assume everybody is on drugs. Better for future athletes "It doesn't bother me. I think over the years, when we continue to run fast and they see you are not on drugs, and then the questions will stop. So we are making it better for the upcoming athletes who are coming up and they won't question them." Bolt did not suddenly appeared on the world scene. In fact, he was a spectacular teenage sprinter setting a world junior 200m record of 20.13 seconds when he was still 16. Canadian track fans caught a glimpse of the precocious talent when he won the 2003 IAAF World Youth Championships 200m in Sherbrooke, Que. He celebrated even then, by doing his version of a limbo dance. Without a major championship to focus on until next summer, Bolt will turn his attention to the newly created IAAF Diamond League which is comprised of meets in Zurich, London, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Lausanne, Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco, Doha, New York, Eugene and Shanghai. With an appearance fee rumoured to be around $250,000 US, it will be a chance to add to his growing wealth. World records may or may not result. Bolt is not bothered either way. One thing is certain. The demands on his time will not decrease, and he will no doubt seek quiet somewhere. But where does he go to escape the madness? "I stay home [in Kingston]," he responds laughing. "I just stay home." "I think after I retire from track and field, I will probably move back to the country to Trelawny [Jamaica]. It's very nice. It's windy, It's wonderful in the country. I think after track and field, and I don't really need anywhere to train, I will go back and live in the country. It's so peaceful there."The world's fastest man has adopted the world's fastest animal.
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