Massive Kingston crowd chanted ‘Bolt! Bolt! Bolt!’
THIS is part seven in the Observer’s 10-part serialisation of Usain Bolt: My Story 9.58 — Being the World’s Fastest Man, chronicling the life of triple Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, from his early primary school days to the present time.
Bolt speaks from the heart in this revealing autobiography. From his experiences as a schoolboy athlete and his struggles with injuries; to his family life and performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he recounts and shares, in his customary easy-going and candid style, his hopes and his regrets, and his plans for the future.
Inspiring and entertaining, this easy to read book at over 280 pages is in full colour and contains never before seen photographs of Bolt at work and at play. Testimonials from those who have had a major influence in the young athlete’s life give the book a truly authentic voice. Enjoy:
I was still only 15 at the 2002 World Junior Championships which, as luck would have it, were held in Kingston. The competition was for under-17s, which made me much younger than many of the other athletes, but, being almost 6ft inches tall, I didn’t look out of place and certainly didn’t look 15.
It is the one and only time I’ve felt real pressure. There was a lot of attention on me and a girl sprinter called Anneisha McLaughlin, and were being talked of as stars of the future. There might have been even more pressure for Anneisha, who had taken a silver in the relay at the previous World Juniors and a bronze in the 400m at the World Youths.
There was a list showing the fastest times in the world that year, on which I was placed fifth, but none of the four above me showed up in Kingston. That meant that I was in with a real chance of victory in front of my home crowd. In later years I would be disappointed if my main rivals weren’t present, because it was important to show I could beat everybody, but back then the less challengers the better…
Having got through to the 200m final, I was extremely nervous walking out through the tunnel into our national stadium. The crowd was cheering, and I thought it was all for Anneisha, who had gone out ahead of me. Then, as I set foot on the track, the place went ballistic with shouts of ‘Bolt, Bolt, Bolt’. I was a kid of 15 and the enormity of it hit me. I cannot recall feeling so much pressure in my life. I had never been in a situation like this before.
I was so messed up that I put on my spikes on the wrong feet, left on right and right on left. My hands were shaking. When I finally got the shoes on the correct feet it was almost impossible to stride out and do my warm-up sprints, my body was so lacking in energy. It was going to be a disaster.
As we went to the blocks I wasn’t feeling good at all. When the starter announced ‘On your marks, set….’ and then the gun went off, I was last off the blocks, my arms so weak I barely got going. It is hard to explain how tense I felt. No race I’ve ever been in since compares. Everything appeared to be in slow motion, but as I started to run the tension drained away. I rounded the corner and the crowd gave me a tremendous push as they cheered me down the home straight. I came right through the middle of the other sprinters, hit the front and finished four metres clear of the rest.
The place went absolutely crazy…I was proud of what I’d achieved. To win an individual medal for my country was a big moment.
9.58 — Being the World’s Fastest Man by Usain Bolt, published by Ian Randle Publishers, price J$2,000/US$22.95.