The chorus of boos that echoed around London at the end of the 100-metre finals on Saturday seemed like an indication that the partisan crowd didn’t like Justin Gatlin stealing the thunder in what was Usain Bolt’s party months before the race started.
There is little doubt that the packed house, much like most viewers across the world, were stunned by what they saw: Bolt being stunned in his swansong. The fastest man in the world did not have his fairytale ending. Gatlin had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the 21st century. But the winner received no cheers from the crowd. That was the aura of Usain St Leo Bolt, even in defeat, he was the leader.
In a sport soaked in drug scandals, Bolt stood tall, only adding to his already decorated legacy. And this one tweet explains it perfectly.
Bolt is not only the greatest track and field athlete of our (or perhaps all) times, but also one with a strikingly clean record. As the tweet explains, Bolt is the only runner at the top pf the speed charts to have no doping violation in his career. Gatlin, who usurped the 100m crown, had also served a four year ban – reduced from eight – from 2006-2010 having also been barred during his college days though his medication was for his Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
But even with a 100m gold at 35 years of age, Gatlin’s race will be remembered for the jeers and chants of “cheat”. Bolt, on the other hand, will go down as the greatest.