Olympic icon, Usain Bolt, says he could be extremely good if he worked at it

Via www.theaustralian.com.au: For being so cheeky that he starts to learn Spanish to better woo members of the opposite sex, instead of just staring at them? For unashamedly loving to party and, most important of all in his case, knowingly under-utilising a world-beating talent unique in the history of sport?

GMM: This Aussie report breaks down Bolt and gets to the grit. 

Bolt is, apparently, lazy, a raw talent, born with nitro in his viens and little need to train.

"If I really worked at it, Bolt states in his biography,  "I could be extremely good indeed, but I never have. Yes, I put the effort in at times, but I could do more. If I train right, eat right, go to the gym all the time and dedicate myself 100 per cent then I definitely will do crazy times."

The reporter calls B.S. on the quote above, that, perhaps, Bolt was "teasing us in hopes of selling more books."

I think this is an age-old go-to for world-class athletes, true icons in the making. They load the media up with scintillating stories of injuries or their lack of training, creating drama, only to blast their competition. It's a transparent tactic, but seems to work more often then not.  

The best athletes, the world-beaters, always appear to have two personas: one behind closed doors that's dedicated and methodical, and then the media-face that's always spinning entertaining yarns. 

I wonder, in Bolt's case, if it all began--really clicked for him--when IOC president Jacques Rogge blasted him in 2008 for the ostentatious chest-slap at the 100m finish-line and the post-race showboating? Bolt didn't suffer any blowback from it. If anything, his fans came to his aid, defending him. I wonder if Bolt thought the moment through, saw that the story ran around the world, saw that the media and his fans could be a force of power? 

This point may seem incidental, but I believe there's more to it than that. I believe champions ride a wave of positive energy. I believe they actually tap into a collective consciousness that gives them flight. It makes practices, however short, more efficient, and races, however challenging, easier to flow with and win. 

Bolt's clearly enjoying his fame (while netting $300,000 per race), and he does party, but most champions do anyway.   

I hope Bolt remains Bolt, the fun-loving showboater, and I hope the positive energy for him keeps flowing.  And, by chance, if he really isn't training, I hope he gets in a few more practices too.

SIDE NOTE: I'm a swim-fan first, but track and field is shaping up to be the sport to watch in London. After the 2011 FINA World Championships (swimming), I would've said swimming will command the biggest audience at the Olympic Games. Now I'm not so sure. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

Comments

[gmm]

ageed..... Swimming is for swimmers. Fortunately there are nearly 23 million competitive swimmers worldwide, meaning nearly 23 million are members of a national governing body in countries globally. Swimming is a universal language...

[alejandro]

i agree with Richard Skerrett post!!! swimming is more interesting to swimmers than other sports like track and field!!! anyway, swimming is getting everyday a better presence in media and people likes!

[Richard Skerrett]

Really only swimmers like swimming events, in my opinion. To the non-swimmer it's just a bunch of white trails in the water and anything longer than 100m is too long and boring. Serious swimming nerds like the longer events best. All those lovely splits!