Happy 22nd Birthday, Usain “the lighting” Bolt. Today is the young world record holder’s 22nd birthday. The amazing 6’5 Jamaican won both the 200m and the 100m gold medals in Beijing and is easily the fastest human in the world. For the first time since 1979, one man holds the world record in both events. The last man to do so was Donald Quarrie, a Jamaican and it is a Jamaican holding the title once again.
Bolt astonished everyone breaking world records in both events. Usain is doing in the second week of the Olympics what Michael Phelps was doing during the first week, dominating and making a name for himself. Usain become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 golds at an Olympics. Bolt also broke another American’s record (Michael Johnson’s) in the 200m from the 1996 games. Usain seems confident and has a great attitude with the media, saying, “Michael Johnson is a great athlete, and he revolutionized the sport. I just changed it a little bit.”
Bolt changed the sport, simply by winning both races in world record times. Some call the sight of him running, poetry in motion, and believe he is extremely elegant to watch. At 6’5 he is a rather tall sprinter but has none of the awkwardness of other taller sprinters of the past. He uses his huge 9-foot strides for his benefit much like Michael Phelps, Darren Heitner’s man crush (hahah), uses his long strides and perfect turns to his advantage. He really is a bolt of lightning, with a badass attitude.