[UPDATED] Usain Bolt’s memorable quotes, 19 global golds
Usain Bolt will compete for the final time when he races in the 100 metres and 4x100m relay at the World Championships in London this summer.
Here we take a look at some memorable quotes – from the man himself and from those associated with him.
“I am a living legend; bask in my glory.” – Bolt’s parting statement at the end of his press conference after his 200 metres gold at London 2012.
“I have broken every record there is to break, in every event I have ever done. For me, I have proven myself since I was 15. I have shown I was always going to be great. I am confident in myself and my team, the people I work with. And I know I am clean.” – Bolt when asked to defend his own exploits in the light of his rivals Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay failing drug tests.
“I like to entertain, because that’s what people come out and see. I try to make it different, this is why people love me so much.” – Bolt on his global appeal.
“I’m going to say something controversial. Carl Lewis – I have no respect for him. The things he says about the track athletes are very downgrading. I think he’s just looking for attention, because nobody really talks about him. I’ve lost all respect for him. All respect.” – Bolt launches a scathing attack on Carl Lewis over remarks about doping.
“I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 metres. I understand the joy. He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was ‘catch me if you can’. You don’t do that. But he’ll learn. He’s still a young man.” – Former International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge misjudges the public mood by criticising Bolt’s showboating at the Beijing Olympics.
“It has been a pleasure being in the same era as Usain Bolt. The guy’s last name is Bolt and he’s the fastest man ever, you can’t write stories like that.” – Two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton shows Rogge how it is done.
Usain Bolt’s 19 global golds
Usain Bolt will bid to mark his final appearance at a major championships with another two world titles, in the 100m and 4x100m relay, in London.
The Jamaican already has 19 global gold medals – eight Olympic victories and 11 from the World Championships.
Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at those triumphs:
2008 Olympic Games, Beijing – 100m
Bolt announced himself as a sporting superstar by storming to the 100m crown in a world record 9.69 seconds, even slowing down to celebrate before reaching the line.
2008 Olympic Games, Beijing – 200m
The Jamaican ended Michael Johnson’s reign as world record holder by racing to victory in 19.30secs.
2009 World Championships, Berlin – 100m
Bolt shattered his world record with a run of 9.58s to take gold.
2009 World Championships, Berlin – 200m
The world’s fastest man took the 200m mark to new heights by clocking 19.19.
2009 World Championships, Berlin – 4x100m relay
Bolt added a third gold with his Jamaican team-mates in the sprint relay in a time of 37.31.
2011 World Championships, Daegu – 200m
Having been sensationally disqualified from the 100m final for a false start, Bolt bounced back in the 200m, taking the title in 19.40.
2011 World Championships, Daegu – 4x100m relay
Bolt finished the championships with another gold and another world record as Jamaica won the relay in 37.04.
2012 Olympic Games, London – 100m
Bolt answered doubts about his form and fitness in emphatic fashion by defending his crown in 9.63, an Olympic record.
2012 Olympic Games, London – 200m
He became the first man in history to retain both the Olympic 100m and 200m titles, winning over the longer distance in 19.32 and declaring afterwards he was a ”living legend”.
2012 Olympic Games, London – 4x100m relay
Bolt left the capital with another world record in the relay, Jamaica winning in 36.84.
2013: World Championships, Moscow – 100m
The 26-year-old defied pouring rain and a drenched track to hold off Justin Gatlin and reclaim his crown in 9.77, his best time of the year.
2013: World Championships, Moscow – 200m
The world’s fastest man blazed to victory with an emphatic performance at the Luzhniki Stadium, storming to glory in 19.66.
2013: World Championships, Moscow – 4x100m relay
Bolt took his World Championships career medal tally into double figures by anchoring Jamaica to gold in 37.36.
2015: World Championships, Beijing – 100m
Riding to the rescue of his beleaguered sport once again, Bolt dashed Gatlin’s hopes of 100m in China. The Jamaican lived up to his billing as the saviour of athletics as he held off the challenge of two-time drug cheat to win in 9.79.
2015: World Championships, Beijing – 200m
Made it four straight half-lap world titles, blowing away Gatlin with a world-leading 19.55 time in front of a raucous Bird’s Nest crowd.
2015: World Championships, Beijing – 4x100m relay
Bolt wrapped up another event to remember by anchoring Jamaica to victory in a world-leading time of 37.36.
2016 Olympic Games, Rio – 100m
Bolt overcame a now trademark sluggish start to power home in the final 50m and cross the line first in a season’s best of 9.81, beating rival Gatlin into second.
2016 Olympic Games, Rio – 200m
Bolt targeted the world record ahead of the race but rain ruined that prospect and, although he was a comfortable winner, he had to settle for a season’s best time of 19.78.
2016 Olympic Games, Rio – 4x100m
The 29-year-old completed what at the time was a ‘triple triple’ of Olympic sprint titles, taking the baton from Nickel Ashmeade and storming away from second-placed Japan on the final leg.
:: Bolt was earlier this year stripped of his 4x100m relay gold medal from the 2008 Olympics after one of his team-mates, Nesta Carter, retrospectively failed a drugs test taken at the Beijing Games.
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