I'm the fastest man in the world! Argument done!

[Karl]

Sport
I’m the fastest man in the world! Argument done!
Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Today the Observer begins the 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.

Bolt beating America’s Tyson Gay (centre) and his Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell in the 100-metre sprint at the Berlin World Championships.
American Wallace Spearmon (left) eats Bolt’s dust in the 200- metre sprint at the Berlin World Championships.

Bolt and friends lyming in humbler times
Bolt makes time for these excited children on the beach
Bolt is well ahead in this school boy race.



Bolt beating America’s Tyson Gay (centre) and his Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell in the 100-metre sprint at the Berlin World Championships.

1/5

Inspiring and entertaining, this easy to read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never before seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:

I'm the fastest man in the world! Argument done!

Usain Bolt - The fastest man in the world. Never, ever do I get tired of hearing that. If you lined up a hundred people and asked them who the best basketball player in the world is, the best footballer, or the best cricketer, it is unlikely they would provide the same answer. But ask any of them, 'Who is the best sprinter in the world?' and there would be only one answer - Usain Bolt. Why? Because that is what it says on the clock. There can be no dispute or argument. The record books say that over the 100 metres flat race, the true measure of human speed, I'm the fastest person that ever lived, completing the distance, as I did at the World Championships in Berlin, in 9.58 seconds.

It is said that the population of the earth is 6.8 billion and that approximately 107 billion have lived on this planet since man came into being. It doesn't get any cooler than knowing you are the fastest of them all.

I chose to be a sprinter, not only because I was the fastest kid in school, but also because I knew that politics couldn't interfere. In team sports it can be down to opinion whether you are the best. One coach might think you're good enough for his team, another might not, or the side could be picked on friendship or family ties. But in athletics you are either faster or you aren't - opinion doesn't come into it.

We had a grass track at the front of Waldensia Primary School...with a two-foot dip at the end of the straight, and when I first raced on it a guy called Ricardo Geddes would beat me. One day the sports coach, Devere Nugent, bet me a lunch money that I could beat Ricardo. I like my food, so it was a big incentive. I won, enjoyed a nice meal, and never lost to Ricardo again. Winning that race was my first experience of the thrill of beating your closest rival, and from that day on my motto has always been 'Once I've beaten you, you won't beat me again'.

As I went on to win gold medals and set world records at the Olympics and World Championships, I felt exactly the same about taking on my Jamaican team-mate Asafa Powell and the Americans Wallace Spearmon and Tyson Gay as I did about racing against Ricardo Geddes. The aim was the same - to run as fast as you can and get to the line first, whether you are in the highly charged atmosphere of the 91,000 capacity Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing or on the school field.

9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt. Published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...t-done_8136999

[Karl]

I'm the fastest man in the world! Argument done!

Guess that is what is meant by 'live and direct' telling it like it is!
Big im up!

[Karl]

THIS is part two of the Observer's 10-part serialisation...

THIS is part two of the Observer's 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.



Inspiring and entertaining, this easy to read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never-before-seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:
When I clocked 9.72 seconds to set the world 100m record in New York, I knew I could do better; when I ran 9.69 to win gold at the Olympics, I knew there was a lot more to come; and now, having run 9.58 in Berlin, I believe I can go even faster.

It is possible for me to run 9.4. You can't be sure when or where, but the major competitions are when I take it seriously and shine through. That's business time, and I'm not going to let anyone take my titles away, so the World Championships in Korea in 2011 or the London Olympics in 2012 are where it will probably happen.

To get from 9.58 to 9.4 will involve a lot of hard work - it will have to be the perfect race from the start, through the drive phase, to making sure my focus is straight ahead and maintaining my form to the end. I've never been the best starter, but it's improving, and I must stop looking from side to side, which is my worst habit. I lose time that way, but I can't help it. My coach Glen Mills says he could cure the problem in an instant by putting blinkers on me like they do with racehorses.

There is always something that could be better. Even when I think a race has gone well. Coach will say 'no' and take me back through it, pointing out the faults. If you run 9.58 you are entitled to think it all came together; but Coach tells me the drive phase out of the blocks was too short, I got too tight in the middle, and my head was all over the place, so there's room for improvement.

I do believe there is a limit to how fast the human body can run, though, and I don't see how the 100m record can ever go below 9.4. It is impossible to run 9.2, the body isn't made to go that fast, no matter how hard you train, how good a shape you're in or how good your technique.
As for the 200 metres, I don't know what the limit is. My 19.30 in Beijing broke Michael Johnson's 19.32, which had stood for 12 years. But I run the corner more efficiently now, which is why I got the record down to 19.19 at the 2009 World Championships. I dream of being the first man to go under 19 seconds.

I was 24 in August 2010, and Coach says it will be at least two more years before I peak, maybe three. I'm nowhere near finished yet.

9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...r-2012_8140050

[Karl]

Sport
Bolt: My first brush with death... and my first girlfriends

Sunday, November 14, 2010

THIS is part five of the Observer's 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.

Bolt and fellow world beaters on the podium
Jogging with (from left in front) Sport Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and UWI boss, Professor Gordon Shirley and a host of admirers.

Is it the ‘Nuh Linga’ or the ‘Gully Creeper?’
This one’s for the girls



Bolt and fellow world beaters on the podium

1/4

Inspiring and entertaining, this easy-to-read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never-before-seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:

We would play for hours down by the river (where) I almost drowned once. There were some concrete slabs in the water and we would swim from one to the other, but one time we were having a backstroke race and I misjudged where I was. When I went to stand up where I thought the concrete deck was, there was nothing. It was the weirdest sensation as I quickly sank and began to freak out as water rushed into my mouth and up my nose. Fortunately, I'd watched a programme only the week before which said that if you think you're drowning, the worst thing you can do is panic. Somehow I remembered it and managed to stop trying to breathe, went right down to the bottom, pushed off and came back to the surface. I can't describe the relief as I gulped in the fresh air...

I didn't go back to the river for a good two months after that and have been wary of water ever since. I might fool around in the swimming pool at my house or splash around on the beach, but that's about it...

When I started making decent money as an athlete it wasn't for me, it was for my parents. They have never lived a grand life and didn't want to move to some flash place away from the community so I helped them to extend their house and build a garden. My dad is weird, he doesn't like to ask for anything and prefers to work for his money. Mom will ask but that might only be for the bus fare back to Trelawny from Kingston.

Long before I was famous they were both well known in the community, and would help everyone out. Dad always had a 'good morning' and a 'good afternoon' for everyone, which is how I learned to be well-mannered and polite...

While I respect dad, I never felt he got the balance right between discipline and fun. If I wanted to go out, he would set ridiculous curfews -- as early as 10 o'clock at night, which was when all the parties were starting...

Despite that I did have a few girlfriends. The first was Kimlin Matteson, who went to William Knibb like me but didn't live nearby. When it came to school holidays there was no way of getting in touch, because we didn't have telephones in the house or cell phones. After Kimlin I went out with Nakeisha Neal from the year above, but we split when I was 17 and moved to Kingston to be a full-time athlete. It was there I met Mizicann Evans, and we had a good time together for nearly seven years. She was the only person I've ever argued with, probably because we got on each other's nerves after so long together. Sadly, we broke up but still see each other sometimes because she's good friends with mom.

9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...riends_8147270

[Karl]

Massive Kingston crowd chanted 'Bolt! Bolt! Bolt!'

Massive Kingston crowd chanted 'Bolt! Bolt! Bolt!'

Tuesday, November 16, 2010


THIS is part seven in the Observer's 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 — Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.


Down the straight; a victory in Kingston
Anneisha McLaughlin was also under pressure
A kiss for my country

Then Prime Minister PJ Patterson (right) congratulates Bolt for his 200 Junior World championship run in Kingston in 2002. At left is International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president, Lamine Diack.



Down the straight; a victory in Kingston



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1/4

Inspiring and entertaining, this easy to read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never before seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:

I was still only 15 at the 2002 World Junior Championships which, as luck would have it, were held in Kingston. The competition was for under-17s, which made me much younger than many of the other athletes, but, being almost 6ft inches tall, I didn't look out of place and certainly didn't look 15.

It is the one and only time I've felt real pressure. There was a lot of attention on me and a girl sprinter called Anneisha McLaughlin, and were being talked of as stars of the future. There might have been even more pressure for Anneisha, who had taken a silver in the relay at the previous World Juniors and a bronze in the 400m at the World Youths.

There was a list showing the fastest times in the world that year, on which I was placed fifth, but none of the four above me showed up in Kingston. That meant that I was in with a real chance of victory in front of my home crowd. In later years I would be disappointed if my main rivals weren't present, because it was important to show I could beat everybody, but back then the less challengers the better...

Having got through to the 200m final, I was extremely nervous walking out through the tunnel into our national stadium. The crowd was cheering, and I thought it was all for Anneisha, who had gone out ahead of me. Then, as I set foot on the track, the place went ballistic with shouts of 'Bolt, Bolt, Bolt'. I was a kid of 15 and the enormity of it hit me. I cannot recall feeling so much pressure in my life. I had never been in a situation like this before.

I was so messed up that I put on my spikes on the wrong feet, left on right and right on left. My hands were shaking. When I finally got the shoes on the correct feet it was almost impossible to stride out and do my warm-up sprints, my body was so lacking in energy. It was going to be a disaster.

As we went to the blocks I wasn't feeling good at all. When the starter announced 'On your marks, set....' and then the gun went off, I was last off the blocks, my arms so weak I barely got going. It is hard to explain how tense I felt. No race I've ever been in since compares. Everything appeared to be in slow motion, but as I started to run the tension drained away. I rounded the corner and the crowd gave me a tremendous push as they cheered me down the home straight. I came right through the middle of the other sprinters, hit the front and finished four metres clear of the rest.

The place went absolutely crazy...I was proud of what I'd achieved. To win an individual medal for my country was a big moment.

9.58 — Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.

[Karl]

Bolt: It seemed like big bucks; but Puma got me cheap

Wednesday, November 17, 2010


THIS is part eight in the Observer's 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 -- Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.

A miniature of the car given to Bolt by Puma.
Bolt and Gonzales became fast friends.
Bolt and Puma chairman and CEO, Jochen Zeitz show off the branded running shoes.
Publicist Carole Beckford and Manager Norman Peart



A miniature of the car given to Bolt by Puma.

1/4

Inspiring and entertaining, this easy-to-read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never before seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:

In the Jamaica High School Championships of 2003, I broke both the 200m and 400m records by a good margin. It was clearly time for a serious discussion about whether athletics should become my full-time career. If that was the case there was no reason for staying at William Knibb any longer, and after a meeting between my parents, my teachers and Mr Norman Peart (manager), I joined the big world, moved to Kingston and became a professional athlete.

I signed my first contract with Puma sports company, a four-year agreement. It seemed like an enormous sum of money. Puma was the sponsor for the Jamaican team for all major events. The company is ingrained in the country, and they've been very good to me. Because of my success, William Knibb is sponsored by them and the school never has to buy any athletics kit for the pupils, it is all provided.

...When I look back, though, Puma got me on the cheap, given that I was the best junior in the world, and I still joke with Mr Peart that he should take the blame for that... But we were both learning together and we are a lot wiser today.

On moving to Kingston, Mr Peart and I stayed with another athlete who has become a good friend, Jermaine Gonzales. Then Mr Peart got married and I moved in with him and his wife... I needed him around because my parents weren't there. Like my dad, he wasn't keen on me going out and kept teaching me life lessons about how, if I wanted to be a great athlete, I shouldn't go off drinking and clubbing every night of the week. For a red-blooded teenager who had moved from the country to a bustling city, there were a lot of attractions and distraction, but Mr Peart, unlike my dad, let me find out the good and the bad for myself and never stopped me going anywhere.

Early in 2004, I broke the World Junior record for 200 metres at the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, running 19.93. For four months until the Athens Olympics, it was the fastest time in the world by anyone, in the juniors and the seniors. On the face of it, being a full-time athlete was working, but I wasn't happy. I didn't like the training regime imposed by my coach Fitz Coleman.

...Mr Peart was on Coach's side. He said I wasn't a schoolboy anymore, that this was professional atheltics, and to learn to tough it out. It wasn't the way to get the best out of me. I warned that if I got injured they would all be to blame.

9.58 — Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.

[Karl]

Sport
I’m waiting for the right girl, but I want kids soon

Friday, November 19, 2010

This is the final part in the Observer's 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.

Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.

Thiis banner procllaiims tthe llegend
Bolt on one of his world record runs
Bolt has the world media eating out of his hands
Frolicking with the Berlin mascot



Thiis banner procllaiims tthe llegend



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1/4

Inspiring and entertaining, this easy-to-read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never before seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete's life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:

I want to get married some day, but that will be after I retire from track and field, definitely not before. I'll take my time to meet the right girl, I don't want to rush into anything. Right now, I'm too busy with my career and enjoying life to settle down. I do want children soon, though, some time after the next Olympics.

I'll be strict as a dad too, because it was how I was brought up. I will have my own way of doing it, and I don't think I'll be as strict keeping my children in check, the way dad did with me. I watched and took note, and I saw where my dad went wrong and how he lost direction a little bit. He stifled me by not letting me go out much and treated my sister the same way. He didn't give us any free space.

My children will have more freedom, but I'll expect them to be good at school. It's all about trust and knowing your kid will do the right thing. I knew this girl at William Knibb who went to parties from the age of 15, and her dad had no problem with her going because he trusted her. He explained life to her, about how the guys are, and she never had a boyfriend even by the time she was 18 - and she had plenty of offers - because she felt she was not ready for one. She was allowed to go anywhere. Her dad knew she wasn't going to do anything wrong, and that's the way to go.

If I had a daughter I wouldn't be extra strict, because if a father behaves like that, he can lose her. I've seen it happen with my sister. Your daughter will start to sneak around and do all kinds of crazy stuff.

If my first child is a boy, though, I'm going to warn him about track and field and how very hard it will be for him. I don't just mean the training required. Can you imagine the pressure he will be under as the son of Usain Bolt?

9.58 - Being the World's Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...s-soon_8163990

[Gamma]

spoken like a legend in the making!!

[Mosiah]

If I had a daughter I wouldn't be extra strict, because if a father behaves like that, he can lose her. I've seen it happen with my sister. Your daughter will start to sneak around and do all kinds of crazy stuff.

So, he blames his father for turning out a daughter who sneaks around and does all sorts of crazy stuff. I'm sure she appreciated that big up from Usain!

Interesting!