Featured Image Credit: Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Athletics, Olympics, Usain Bolt
Godwin Mathew
Topics: Athletics, Olympics, Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt revealed how he won the 100 metres gold at the 2008 Olympics in unique style after a heated exchange with a fellow runner on the track.
The Jamaican, who is widely respected as the greatest sprinter of all time went, in to the 2008 Beijing Games as one of the most exciting prospects across all events.
There was a lot of excitement around Bolt especially because of who he was coming up against in the men's 100m event, with the likes of Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay also taking to the track.
Bolt was the world record holder going into the race. But it was during the semi final heat before the big finale that he revealed Team USA rival Walter Dix tried to get into his head with a rather on the nose comment.
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Going into the Olympic final, Bolt revealed that Dix attempted to rattle him. But it did not end well for the American.
Speaking about the race, Bolt said on Ready Set Go podcast: "We ran the semi-finals together, and I ran like 9.8.
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“He came second, I think, and when we were walking in, he was like, ‘There ain’t going to be jogging in the finals! There ain’t going to be jogging in the finals!'.
"I looked at him like, ‘what?’. It was funny because, no disrespect to him, but he never worried me.
"For me, I was worried about Asafa because I needed to catch him. I was not worried about Dix.”
Eventually the race finished with Bolt beating the world record in 9.69 seconds, while Dix completed the race with a 9.91 mark - a personal best for him but significantly off of Bolt's pace.
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Bolt improved on his own WR time when he finished the 100m World Championships race in 2009 with a time of 9.58. And as for 'jogging' before the line, Bolt went one step further and took his foot off the pace before gloating at his easy win.
He revealed his only concern in the 100m race was Asafa Powell as the Jamaican was also a serious contender to win the gold medal.
"Asafa was the only one who was like, if he got it right, you are in trouble.
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"That was the only person I was worried about in the race because he can get it done.
“If I am there in the race at 50 meters, I am going to win. I know that much because I know my top-end speed is that good," Bolt said.
Powell did not have the best of races as he finished only in fifth position with a 9.95 timing.
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Bolt and Dix met in the 200m final as well. There was no luck for the US sprinter once again as Bolt finished with another world record time of 19.30 seconds.
Dix, on the other hand, was third and finished the race with a time of 19.98.
Bolt certainly had Dix's word in his head and decided to make him pay with a dominant performance in both races.