For some, there were no words. For others, there were superlatives: legendary; greatest of all time; heroic; the giant king; fastest human in history; exceptional triumph; lightning fast; king of sprinting. For Usain Bolt, the man who inspires a range of emotions and adjectives, the win was dedicated to his countrymen and women. It was simply “for you my people”.
Jamaica Stand Up!!! This for you my people — Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) August 15, 2016
Bolt flew into the history books on Sunday evening winning, for the third consecutive time, the men’s 100m at the Olympic Games. And, of course, he did it in fine style, clocking 9.81 seconds, coming from behind to beat the USA’s Justin Gatlin. Canada’s Andre de Grasse came in third.
“It wasn’t perfect today, but I got it done and I’m pretty proud of what I’ve achieved,” he said. “Nobody else has done it or even attempted it,” he said after the race.
While the roars were deafening at the Olympic Stadium in Rio, and in Jamaica where there were huge outdoor gatherings watching the race, social media lit up with reactions to Bolt’s feat. Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Hon. Roosevelt, Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica extended congratulations to Bolt.
Congratulations Usain Bolt! You are the first athlete to win three consecutive Gold medals in the same race! The Caribbean is proud.
