Opinion | Right Field: Bolt out of the blue a non-event
Controversy over champion sprinter's reported put-down of no longer relevant Commonwealth Games was just ludicrous
Of course, he is bored, why wouldn't he be? He's Usain Bolt, the fastest recorded human in the history of mankind. He has smashed world records on the biggest global stage in ways no one has ever come close to. In 2008 at the Beijing Olympics he set world records in the 100 and 200 metre races as well as the 4x100 relay. He then followed it up four years later in London by winning golds in those same three races to become indisputably the greatest sprinter ever, as well as arguably the greatest athlete in the history of athletics and the greatest Olympian yet.
Combine those exploits with his flair and charisma and the 27-year-old Jamaican has become one of the most visible people in the world, never mind athletes. So on a rainy day in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games while waiting for a ride at another public event he was attending, this time meeting British Princes William and Harry, he was asked by a writer from The Times if these Games were like the Olympics. Reportedly he replied, "Nah, the Olympics are better." He also added that he wasn't really having fun in Glasgow and the Games were "a bit s***."
And, of course, it became an international incident with Bolt and his agent vehemently denying he said it and The Times producing the transcript to prove the authenticity of his remarks. Personally, I believe he did say it if for no other reason than the fact he was right. The Commonwealth Games are in no way close to the Olympics. Perhaps he was being insensitive in saying it was a "bit s***", but he could have been referring to the weather as easily as the event.
To turn this into an international controversy is beyond ludicrous. So many athletes speak in clipped and measure sound bites that interviewing them is a colossal waste of time. This was a 20-second interchange in the street, not a press event. It's not like Bolt sought out the media, he answered the questions asked of him. It was basically a non-event during an event that is largely becoming a non-event.
To turn this into an international controversy is beyond ludicrous. So many athletes speak in clipped and measure sound bites that interviewing them is a colossal waste of time
The problem is not with Bolt, it's with the Commonwealth Games and its growing insecurity. There was a time, not so long ago, when the Games were relevant in places like Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand because it was an opportunity for them to get their fill of gold. Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s the mighty Americans and the robotic Eastern bloc countries were dominating Olympic gatherings. But in 2012, Team GB was third in the medal tables in London and Australia has been a sporting force on the global scene for a good 15 years, while even Canada and New Zealand are now winning more than token medals.