Usain Bolt Given Piece of Berlin Wall
August 25, 2009 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Sports
Usain Bolt showed up at the World Championships in Berlin last week wearing a t-shirt that said “Ich bin ein Berlino” which was a twist on the words said by JFK “Ich bin ein Berliner” when he visited after the Berlin Wall was erected. He changed it to say “Berlino” as a tribute to the event’s mascot. I thought it was pretty sweet.
Just a few days later, Bolt was honored by the city with a three ton piece of an original segment of the Berlin Wall after he broke records in the 100m and 200m races. The 12-foot high piece will be sent to Bolt’s training camp in Jamaica. At the small ceremony, the sprinter said: “I will never forget Berlin. Ich bin ein Berlino.”
In case you’re wondering why Bolt would be given something like this, it might help to know that the Berlin Mayor, Klaus Woworeit, explained that Bolt “can tear down walls that had been considered as insurmountable.” The Berlin Wall came down in 1989.
In another tribute to Bolt, the mascot showed up wearing a shirt that said “Ich bin ein Bolt.” Can it get much better than this?
images: Zuma Press
