Usain Bolt was so dominant in the 100 and 200 meter dash that some photographers may have needed a wide angle lens to get the other sprinters in the shot. The last time a sprinter blew away the competition by so much, Ben Johnson, a Jamaican born Canadian sprinter ran a 9.79 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. No other runner broke 10 seconds in that race.
The 6'5" Bolt dwarfed the rest the field. His thighs were huge and cut. But one especially notable feature was his bubble head that often comes along with steroid use. Bt all of that is circumstantial evidence and without any empirical evidence, we have to give Bolt the benefit of the doubt.
Still it is hard not to be reminded how another bubble headed athlete, Barry Bonds. Bonds crushed the MLB single season home run record with 73 home runs in 2003. Just as Bonds was arrogant enough to think he could get away with cheating, he was arrogant enough to marvel at his long shots and trot slowly around the bases.
Similarly, Bolt arrogantly glided in at the end of his record breaking 100 meter sprint, celebrating before the race was over. In a post-race interview he disregarded that it cost him a stronger record. Conversely, Ben Johnson did once regret that his celebratory hand raise cost him hundredths of seconds to his since rescinded world record sprint.
Bolt's 19.30 (seconds)in the 200 meter race broke Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record of 19.32, while gliding at nine feet per stride. It is not quite the quick steps we are used to seeing out of sprinters. So while Bolt nonchalantly broke the record, he did it while wearing gold spikes in the same manner that Michael Johnson did.
Glory would cause a man to cheat. But certainly a man who fairly wins can showboat too. And although, Bolt has the look of a doper, we would still love to think that a combination of genetics and hard work can allow a man like Bolt to dominate the field in superhuman yet natural way.
Certainly, jealousy can cause a man to cheat. For five years, Ben Johnson lingered in Carl Lewis's shadow. After doping, Johnson was able to obliterate Lewis in races at the 1987 World Championship and 1988 Olympics. At the 2007 World Championship, Bolt lost to his nemesis, Tyson Gay 19.76 to 19.91. In 2008 Olympics Bolt handily beat Gay, who was nursing a hamstring injury. Though it would have been quite difficult for a healthy Gay to beat Bolt.
It'd be very irresponsible to make any accusations. But it would be wise to be skeptical. We all wanted to believe that Marion Jones was the most dominant female track athlete. Years later, we watched as she bawled at a press conference, admitting that she had cheated.
Pictured in article
Pictures 1-8: Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter
Picture 2: Carl Lewis, American sprinter, 3rd from left
Picture 7: Tyson Gay, American sprinter, right
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