World best sprinters Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens, Ed Moses and Michael Johnson dominated their respective events by winning gold medals and smashing records.
After winning three more gold medals in the Athletic World Championships, Usain Bolt has added his name to the list of gold medals, as well as surpassed others to become the G.O.A.T: Greatest of All Time.
Bolt has won eight gold medals at the World Championships, carrying him at the level of Carl Lewis’ record. In addition, he won two silver medals, which gave him the edge over Lewis, who won a silver as well as a bronze medal. Both Bolt and Lewis have defended their 100m Olympic title. However, Bolt has gone far better to become the first ever sprinter to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the 200m title at the London Games in 2012.
It can be considered that his record-breaking times are those out of comic books, which implies that times was so skeptical that they were not considered possible before he darted on the scene. Of course, in that way he is like Johnson, whose 400m world record set in 1999 is still retained. In addition, Johnson’s 200m record score in 1996 seemed undisturbed too, until Bolt wiped it out, claiming as the first man to run less than 19.2 seconds.
Till date Bolt has been ahead of his opponents in the sprints that he is truly running against himself, doesn’t matter how gracefully he might speak about others. In fact, he has the opportunity of easing up the finish and rejoicing the moment, while the others will be straining every muscle and sinew to reach the finish line. He is well aware of the fact that even less than his best is good enough, while his best is better compared to anything the world has witnessed.
In fact, his brilliance on the track is always celebrated. His trademark lightning pose and the Russian dancing after winning the 4x100m relay proves this.
There was a time when athletics was a part of mainstream culture. Owens’ four golds in 1936 were a reflection of his greatness as an athlete.
Tommy Smith of America, who won the gold medal in the 200m event in the 1968 Games and John Carlos, who won the bronze, each raised a black-gloved fist during the American national anthem to protest against the institutionalized racism that existed in the United States.
To the knowledge of everyone, the last true athletic star was Lewis, who won four gold medals at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 made him a household name. Since that time, athletics has descended from mainstream consciousness, infected by doping problems and the emergence of other sports, specifically in the US. Remarkably, every four years, the Olympics revives interest in the “World’s Fastest Man”, but it is a fast moment that recedes quickly.
However, Bolt has transcended all this issues. With course of time, he has become a mainstream star and his overwhelming feats are followed all over the world. He stuns the crowds as his legs begin to pump and advance on the ground, making it to feel like the others are running backwards. Truly, it is one of the thrilling sights in world sport. It cannot be ignored that he is both a throwback to the past of real track stars as well as a vision of the future with his ever increasing speed.
This is the reason why Bolt is the fastest man in the world and arguably the best ever.
