Of Bolt and his bolt

On the 5th of August, at the stroke of the midnight hour when this part of the world slept (well, most of it did), there was another part of the world, wide awake in patient expectation, the multitudes that had filled the athletic arena of the olympics village. They had shelled out bucks to the tune of 5000 Euros, for something that would get over well within 10s or an extended blink of the eye. Back home, I was fighting my heavy eyelids with unflinching determination to last for another 2 hours, for I couldn’t risk losing the once in a lifetime opportunity of witnessing the fastest race ever.

At 2:20 a.m. the league of the fastest men took their positions. The gun shot, Bolt kick-started, bolted, accelerated, at around 40m edged past, cantered comfortably and horse-powered past the finish line. It was all over in a flash marked by the frantic, incessant camera flashes, caressing the 6 foot 5 frame. Trivia: The previous olympic record was broken (guess whose? no prizes for guessing anyway). Back home I felt cheated, was it worth the wait? Those 9.63s! I felt like a character straight out of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ , where the countrymen waited all day long to catch a fleeting glimpse of the victorious Caesar.

Today at 1:25 a.m., it was the same arena, but twice the distance and twice the time(approx). More bang for the buck? (maybe, because it cost lesser bucks). Not really, for this is sprint’s lesser child, its ranks not occupied by the league of the fastest men on the planet. At the starting position, the cameras romanced the same man in flesh and blood. And what followed with the gun-shot, was all deja vu. Been there, seen that stuff. Guess what? I felt cheated again, though the wait was lesser and the event lasted twice much. Keats’ famous quote: ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’ came to my rescue. I took heart for I had witnessed a thing of beauty( however beastly!).

As the fastest men on the planet lined up for the 100m sprint, tension and anxiety was writ large on their countenance, despite their desperate attempts to mask it with a plastic smile. The cameras rolled and stopped again to caress Bolt, the showman. Bolt gave them a picture of his relaxed, jovial self, breaking into an impromptu jib, even when his arch nemesis ‘ The Beast’ was standing just two blocks away. ‘If you can hold your head when all about you are losing theirs.’

Quiz Bolt on his showmanship and he says: “ Lot of people come to see what I am going to do, they pay a lot of money, I enjoy giving them a show, It’s fun for them and I like to share with them the joy I get from it, because they give me the energy to do it.” No wonder he has won millions of hearts worldwide and has added millions to his fat bank balance. Truly, a heady cocktail of style and substance.

It was not so simple, for Bolt, as it is made out to be. That in his thunderous victory he did much more than just beating the fastest men to pulp, he demolished something much bigger and more sinister: fear. The fear of losing out to his training partner cum arch-nemesis, ‘The Beast’. The fear rooted in his anxieties of under-performance at the recent world-stage events ( the hamstring problem notwithstanding). The fear of losing the trust of his fans and followers alike. He conquered his fear, valiantly battling his fierce inner demons and glory returned to where it rightly belonged. ‘If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;’

Bolt has defied all logic, despite suffering from a back condition called scoliosis- which causes his spine to curve to the right and implies that his one leg is shorter than the other, nothing has been able to keep him away from spectacular feats. His 6 feet 5in height with size 13 feet is also not ideal when it comes to going off the blocks. To quote him: “Nobody has been able to explain why I’m so fast. Maybe, I’m a freak by nature. maybe scoliosis actually helps, I don’t know. However, put together, it works,”. Sure, he knows how to magically turn his handicaps into his advantage. Bolt will always remain a mystery, a black swan maybe( but not with any of those evil and sinister forebodings).

In what can be said as a greater achievement, Bolt has put the otherwise nondescript country of Jamaica on the world( well, sporting world) map. Jamaica is the new powerhouse of the sprints world, evident in both the sprints event, in 100m it was a gold-silver double( unfortunately for Asafa Powell), and in 200m it was a touch better as they completed the triple. Jamaica has snatched it from right under USA’s nose, the erstwhile undisputed sprints king. Now, Jamaica has a good sports policy in place putting an end to the talent drain that was taking place for years. Bolt is certainly helping this cause. For now Jamaica can rest assured that they will have a respectable position on the medal’s tally( at least ahead of India!).

Usain Bolt is the undisputed fastest man on the planet. He has made history by defending both his titles, with both the olympics and world records to boot. In doing so, he has done a tremendous service to the game, by bringing the name of the likes of the legendary Carl Lewis to the fore. Before Bolt, it was Lewis who was credited with the unique feat of defending the 100m title( albeit, under controversial circumstances). And trust me Lewis holds Bolt in high regard.

At this stage, my insides compel me to make a mention of Lewis’ legendary feat. The gold medal that he won in 100m sprint at 1984 olympics, was dedicated to his father cum coach William Lewis jr., and when the latter died, Lewis buried his gold medal along with the body. Arrogant that he was, he claimed that he would win another in the next Olympics. But destiny had other plans, for when the 1988 olympics arrived, the reigning world-champion Ben Johnson beat him comfortably. Alas! his in the face arrogance had apparentlydoomed him. However, the heavens were pleased with his bravery and decided to reward him. Johnson was stripped of his medal, for doping (now, I don’t think that a Blake on steroids can better the 9.59s mark), and the gold medal restored to the rightful owner.

Oh Kipling! is this not what you meant when you said: ‘If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss’.

Well, modesty is not one of the virtues that Bolt possesses. His comment that his 100m sprint would be the fastest ever, might be starkly blunt. “This is my pet race and Blake should be aware”, he said in the run up to the 200m sprint. I guess, his not being modest, might take away some sheen from his persona. Modesty, surely is an over-rated virtue, and the compliance with the social conventions the expected norm. What Bolt does is — he blatantly speaks the truth, without sugar-coating it. Is it wrong to call a spade a spade? After all this, when he stands true to his words, he is totally awe-inspiring.

Shakespeare presented his works in the opening ceremony. And I guess, Bolt aptly embodies the elements of thunder and lightning from his works. Bolt is symbolic of ‘The Tempest’. “With a last name like Bolt’s, it makes it even better. It’s like the perfect last name”, said Phelps the most decorated olympian of all time. His name has become synonymous with it’s namesake word in the oxford dictionary. What Bolt does best is — he fills every fleeting instance of those 9.63s(or say 19.32s), with the maximum.

‘If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And- which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!’

To watch Bolt bolt is an exhilarating experience, and to see him emerge a champion, a humbling one.