There are very few times in sport when everything comes together like the Hollywood story deserves. The most incredible and unbelievable moments are caused by everything falling nicely into their film script places. A historic occasion with the world watching, the supreme sportsmen in the peak of condition and the almost unbelievable performance; better and more astounding than anything ever seen before.
The incredible comeback of Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final with seconds remaining, the world-beating destruction of the golfing elite by Rory McIlroy at the 2011 US Open, the almost near perfect tennis played by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during the 2008 Wimbledon final but more than any other, Usain Bolt dominating all comers on his way to three Gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and another two medals a year later at the World Championships.
They are all moments that will stay with everyone watching for the rest of their lives but when a man dominates an event the size of the Olympic Games and produces the most incredible performance three times in a week; it’s almost beyond the realms of belief.
Born in Jamaica on August 21st 1986, Bolt was quite the precocious young sprinter even though he had an original preference for other sports. He originally didn’t take sprinting all that seriously and it’s arguably turned out to his credit; having avoided potential burnout and disillusion from the discipline.
His large powerful frame meant he rightfully stood out amongst his peers and comfortably beat them to boot. His international breakthrough came in 2002 when he became the youngest winner of the 200m at the World Junior Championships and by 2003 and following a string of encouraging runs, he was tipped by American sprinter Michael Johnson as the eventual successor to his own seemingly superhuman 200m time.
A couple of injury interrupted seasons followed for Bolt before a change in attitude and focus saw him find his stride at the World Championships in 2007. The Jamaican came away from Osaka with two silver medals but more importantly, the meet lit a fire under Usain to produce more and run quicker.
Less than a year later, he produced the performance of an generation to lead the Jamaican team to domination over the sprint disciplines at the Beijing games. Bolt was so impressive in his accomplishments that he even overshadowed the eight Golds picked up by Michael Phelps in the pool.
What the Montego Bay native did; just could not have been predicted. Johnson told the Telegraph in the build-up to the games that his world record was safe from Bolt during the games. Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell had proved to be more than a match for Bolt over 100m, given that he was more of a 200m specialist.
And then it happened. Bolt blew out of his blocks and left everyone one of his opponents behind as though they weren’t moving. The race was won within sixty metres and with it; he smashed the 100m world record. In seven days, Usain Bolt claimed the 100m Gold medal, the 200m Gold medal, the 4x100m Gold medal and put his name next to three world records in the process.
A year later, he broke the 100m and 200m records again on his way to adding the World Championships to his incredible haul. Usain Bolt has ran quicker than any over man, woman or child has ever ran. He is the quickest sprinter in history. He is the best ever.
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