Is Usain Bolt The Greatest Sprinter Ever?

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100 meter and the 200 meter races at the 2012 London Olympics, to go along with winning both at the Beijing Olympics back in 2008.  Since winning both races in two different Olympics has never been done, the easy answer is yes, he is the greatest sprinter of all time.

Not long after crossing the finish line of the 200 meters, Bolt was faced with the question of whether the Jamaican sprinters have been using steroids, by none other than Carl Lewis, the gold medalist in the 100 meters in 1984 and 1988.  Lewis also won the 200 meters in the 1984 Olympics, but was second in the 200 meters in 1988.  Lewis was actually beaten in the 100 meters in 1988 by Canadian Ben Johnson, who was later disqualified for testing positive for steroids.  Almost immediately after the loss, Lewis claimed Johnson was cheating.  At the time, I remember thinking it was sour grapes for getting beat, but he was right.  Maybe he has a keen eye for doping.

The dominance of the Jamaicans sweeping the medals in the 200 meters, encouraged Lewis to speak up about his doubt that Jamaica was running a clean program.  Bolt responded to reporters by saying about Lewis, “I have no respect for him. He’s just looking for attention because nobody really talks about him.”  Lewis should not have stolen Bolt’s thunder so quickly after his impressive feat, even if he is right, it looks like he is jealous.  Bolt’s response didn’t need to be so nasty, especially since it doesn’t go along with his playful personality, that so many people like about him.

The way I look at it. you’re innocent until proven guilty.  If the Jamaicans haven’t tested positive for steroids, and the testing is good enough to detect it, then the accusations really shouldn’t be made.  Bolt will be trying for his 6th gold medal overall, in the 4 x 100 relay on Saturday, while Lewis has 5 gold medals and a silver medal running the same events.  However, Lewis has 4 additional gold medals in the long jump.  Even if Bolt is clean, you still have the long jump over him Carl.

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My name is Frank Thomas. I have lived in Southern California all my life, and have loved sports almost as long. Although I grew up out here, I am not necessarily a big fan of all the teams in my area. In fact it's the opposite in most situations. I appreciate you visiting my blog. I hope you become a regular reader. Please feel free to leave a comment anytime.. Thank you
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