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Usain Bolt posed again with Bolt Arms pointing to the sky, then put his hands behind his ears to get the crowd to yell for him more, as if they could. And then he sprinted his 200-meter heat Tuesday to an easy victory.
Well, actually, he sprinted about 125 of it, then jogged the other 75 to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals.
“I was taking it as easy as possible,’’ he said. “It’s my first (200) run. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’’
This was basically a day off for Bolt, with a quick Olympic run mixed in. But there’s no day off in the Bolt buzz.
Let’s see: He tweeted back and forth with a Manchester United player, saying he wants to try out for the team. He snuck past one of the picky Olympic rules he complained about the other night, hiding a jump rope in the bottom of his bag. After saying he wasn’t going to celebrate winning the 100 because he needed sleep, he emerged in a picture with three female Swedish handball players, supposedly partying with him in his room at 3 a.m.
This isn’t to be critical of Bolt for any of that, by the way. As an American, I’m asking this:
Why can’t we have one of those? By “those’’ I mean Bolt. I wonder if the US is ever going to get Bolt, understand him, build from him. Meanwhile, it was just a few months ago that U.S. hurdler Lashinda Demus referred to track as “a dying sport.’’ It was just Sunday night that two million people wanting tickets to Bolt’s 100-meter race were turned away.
Well, the spark to American track is here, in London. We can’t keep waiting for some US athlete to do the job. Justin Gatlin impressively got the bronze, and Tyson Gay finished fourth in the 100, but both will be well past their times by the 2016 Games in Rio, when Bolt wins again.
I think America would like to open its arms to Bolt, but it’s not realistic for a guy who only pops his head into the country every few years, especially in a country that no longer embraces track and field.
Instead, USA Track and Field needs to pony up and bring Bolt to the US for a barnstorming tour. It would be the best investment the USATF could make, giving American kids the chance to see this type of personality and style, much less speed, on the track. The chance to see track and cool.
“What do you want to know?’’ Bolt said when asked about the photo with the handball players. “I went to the cafeteria to get food. I saw them. We started talking. They wanted pictures. I told them I had a great idea of a picture, so we took a picture.’’
That picture did not appear to be in a cafeteria.
Will he see them again?
“No,’’ he said. “They’re gone.’’
The thing is, the NFL gobbles up most American kids who have incredible speed. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But US Track and Field doesn’t even put up a fight.
Bolt ran his heat Tuesday and then went into the mixed zone, the area where athletes are basically forced to walk before getting back to their stuff. It is a long area lined with reporters from around the world.
Bolt stopped and talked for a few minutes, then moved on to another group of us, then stopped again for another guy.
He gave five minutes. Allyson Felix ran the other night, stopped, smiled nicely and spoke nicely for exactly — I timed it — 29 seconds. And another runner came through, took a few questions, then started to walk off, with a USATF official saying “Just jog through.’’
How come Usain Bolt can talk for five minutes, but Carmelita Jeter cannot? Felix cannot?
I realize no one cares about the problems of the media. The point is, if you think the sport is dying in your country, and you have a row full of writers and other media types who have flown to London to write about you and your sport, can you see a better PR plan than to tell your athletes to “just jog through?’’
That’s not to say that Bolt is popular because of his media ability instead of his incredible speed. But he does make a show, and the world wants to watch it.
“If you want that trial at Man Utd shout me, I’ll speak to the boss!!’’ Man. U player Rio Ferdinand tweeted to Bolt. “Well done in the 100m.’’
Bolt tweeted back: “After the Olympics we work on that. . .lol. .thanks man’’.
There is something about Bolt that brings people to him, something beyond running 100 meters in 9.63 seconds. Great athletes are one thing. Great athletes who are The Show are something else.
Carl Lewis was almost big like that, but could have been way bigger if he had been likable.
You can say it’s unrealistic to think an American athlete can be Bolt-like, that it takes Bolt- or Lewis-like skills. That’s fine. I agree.
Then just bring him to the US. He can even stop in Dallas for an auto race with American sprinter Wallace Spearmon. Spearmon, who also qualified for the semis Tuesday, talked about his souped-up, racing Nissan. He said Bolt bought one on his advice.
“I told Bolt about it,’’ Spearmon said. “Now he has a sponsorship deal.’’
Can’t you get a sponsorship deal?
“I highly doubt it,’’ Spearmon said.
Me, too.
http://olympics.yardbarker.com/blog/..._care/11394883
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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