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Jamaica's sprint sensation Usain Bolt should show more respect to his beaten rivals says International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge.
Jamaican Usain Bolt is the first man to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympic Games.
Bolt has electrified the Beijing Games by winning the 100 and 200 meters in world record times, but it is his showboating style that has irritated the IOC president.
"I have no problem with him doing a show," Rogge told the Associated Press after Bolt's latest triumph in the 200 on Wednesday night.
"But I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters."
Rogge was referring to Bolt's antics in Saturday's 100 final, as he eased up in the final meters, glanced around with arms outstretched and pounded his chest before crossing the line in a world record of 9.69 seconds.
"I understand the joy," Rogge said.
Soundoff: Do you think Bolt should show more respect?
"He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was 'catch me if you can.' You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man."
Bolt, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Thursday, completed his double with another runaway victory in the 200, breaking Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record of 19.32 seconds by two hundredths of a second.
After his victory, he appeared to make no effort to acknowledge his fellow competitors and embarked on an extravagant victory lap in which he swayed to reggae music and lapped up the crowd's attention.
"He still has to mature," Rogge added.
"I would love him to show more respect for his competitors. That's not the way we perceive being a champion. But he will learn in time. He should shake hands with his competitors and not ignore them. He'll learn that sooner or later. But (he's) a great athlete, of course."
Rogge did indeed heap praise on Bolt, who is the first man since Carl Lewis to complete the 100-200 double at an Olympics and the only man to break world records in both.
"Bolt is in another dimension in sprints," said the Belgian.
"Bolt must be considered now the same way like Jesse Owens should have been in the 1930s. Bolt has a bigger edge than Owens on his rivals. Of course, Owens had the long jump too, so you can't compare people. If he maintains that in the future, Bolt will be someone that probably leaves a mark like Jesse Owens."
U.S. sprinter Owens famously dominated the 1936 Berlin Olympics as he won golds in the 100-200, the sprint relay and the long jump.
Rogge's remarks sparked an immediate debate but U.S. sprinter Shawn Crawford, who crossed the line fourth in the 200 but was upgraded to the silver medal after the disqualifications of Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina, said he saw nothing wrong in Bolt's showboating celebrations.
"I guess there's mixed feelings among athletes," he told Associated Press
"To me, I don't feel like he's being disrespectful. If this guy has worked his tail off, every day, on his knees throwing up like I was in practice, he deserves to dance."
Jamaican Usain Bolt is the first man to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympic Games. Bolt has electrified the Beijing Games by winning the 100 and 200 meters in world record times, but it is his showboating style that has irritated the IOC president.
"I have no problem with him doing a show," Rogge told the Associated Press after Bolt's latest triumph in the 200 on Wednesday night.
"But I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters."
Rogge was referring to Bolt's antics in Saturday's 100 final, as he eased up in the final meters, glanced around with arms outstretched and pounded his chest before crossing the line in a world record of 9.69 seconds.
"I understand the joy," Rogge said.
Soundoff: Do you think Bolt should show more respect?
"He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was 'catch me if you can.' You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man."
Bolt, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Thursday, completed his double with another runaway victory in the 200, breaking Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record of 19.32 seconds by two hundredths of a second.
After his victory, he appeared to make no effort to acknowledge his fellow competitors and embarked on an extravagant victory lap in which he swayed to reggae music and lapped up the crowd's attention.
"He still has to mature," Rogge added.
"I would love him to show more respect for his competitors. That's not the way we perceive being a champion. But he will learn in time. He should shake hands with his competitors and not ignore them. He'll learn that sooner or later. But (he's) a great athlete, of course."
Rogge did indeed heap praise on Bolt, who is the first man since Carl Lewis to complete the 100-200 double at an Olympics and the only man to break world records in both.
"Bolt is in another dimension in sprints," said the Belgian.
"Bolt must be considered now the same way like Jesse Owens should have been in the 1930s. Bolt has a bigger edge than Owens on his rivals. Of course, Owens had the long jump too, so you can't compare people. If he maintains that in the future, Bolt will be someone that probably leaves a mark like Jesse Owens."
U.S. sprinter Owens famously dominated the 1936 Berlin Olympics as he won golds in the 100-200, the sprint relay and the long jump.
Rogge's remarks sparked an immediate debate but U.S. sprinter Shawn Crawford, who crossed the line fourth in the 200 but was upgraded to the silver medal after the disqualifications of Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina, said he saw nothing wrong in Bolt's showboating celebrations.
"I guess there's mixed feelings among athletes," he told Associated Press
"To me, I don't feel like he's being disrespectful. If this guy has worked his tail off, every day, on his knees throwing up like I was in practice, he deserves to dance."
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