Sprint legend Usain Bolt lives to compete

Bengaluru: “Give me a big stage, a fight, a challenge, and something happens I get real. I walk an inch taller, I move a split second faster. Put me on the big stage and I perform.”

True to the words in his autobiography, sprint legend Usain Bolt performed, and how!

The air of expectancy around ITC Gardenia Hotel in Bengaluru bordered on the surreal. A smattering of running enthusiasts, track and field athletes and journalists had gathered to meet the fastest man on the planet — for most of them a chance of a lifetime.

Steps matching the beat of his rap song ‘Faster than Lightning’ incidentally also the title of his autobiography and with psychedelic lights announcing his arrival, the Jamaican star walked on stage and immediately struck his signature pose. There was no mistaking the identity of the man, although several in the audience had to pinch themselves and say, “Yeah it’s real”.

Some may think he’s cocky, when he makes statements like, “It (his 100 metres world record) is pretty  much out of reach. I think I will put it like that.”

But when he finishes talking and you break out in a bout of laughter, you know it’s the confidence in his ability that makes him what he is.

Excerpts:
On his world record: It is pretty much out of reach. I think I will put it like that. I am not bragging. As an athlete I have seen world records being broken. If you want to be great you have to work hard to get there. So for me I want to push barrier, so if you want to be great as me you have to work extra hard to get there. That’s the way I got there so that’s why my record will stand that long.

On memories of his first record: My first record was in New York and it was the first time I was competing against Tyson Gay. For me going to the race it was all about the competition because I live for competition. When I went there I wasn’t thinking of records I went there to win and I remember after I won I was celebrating and I heard the announcer say it was a new world record and I was like ‘What’?

On the record which is up for challenge: The 200 metres, definitely. I think there is room for improvement there over the years. In the coming years I have to work towards trying to run faster in the 200m and I think pushing myself to the 200m will help me to attack 100m also.

On his favourite race: The greatest memory for me is when I was 15. I was running in the world juniors in front of my home crowd in Jamaica. When I won, for me that was one of the greatest moments of my life, the energy was different.

On slowing done at the finish in the 100m at Beijing: My coach wants me to do my best. When he said why I didn’t run the maximum, I said, ‘Listen. I saw I was going to win and I was just happy. I wasn’t thinking about anything else I was just happy.’

On life after the 2016 Rio Olympics: I will do one more season after Rio and I have always said I want to try and play football. So I might try it out.

On the man who has the best chance to beat Bolt:
Normally, I would say nobody, but you never know. It’s hard to pick one because there are so many great competitors. My coach always says Justin Gatlin is a great competitor and Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake are great.

On his love for music:  Over the years I have always danced and I used to go to the clubs and I really got into DJ-ing. I got all the equipment and I practice at home when I have time and I go to the club sometimes and if there is a DJ I will spin a little bit. It is just that music is a part of my life.