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

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Usain Bolt Given Piece of Berlin Wall

image: Zuma Press

America’s Shawn Crawford came in fourth place and said: “He’s a gift to this earth.  He’s a blessing to the track game. … I’m just waiting for the lights to flash ‘game over’ ’cause I felt like I was in a video game.

Wallace Spearmon, who took the bronze medal, echoed the sentiments: “Even if I run the best turn of my life, I’m still going to be behind.  I knew what was in store for the race. I expected it to be at least that fast.”

I think that Bolt is the most dynamic athlete to step on to the track ever.  Of course, I don’t mean any disrespect to greats like Michael Johnson, Donovan Bailey and Carl Lewis (among others) but he’s just incredible.  He’s changing the sport, one race at a time.

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Usain Bolts Sets World Record in 200m

Presumably not content to hold the world records in the men’s 100m and 200m events, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt told the Associated Press this week that he is considering vying for the world record in the 400m, set by Michael Johnson at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain. Said Bolt,

“There are no major championships in 2010, so I could go for the 400-meter record that year,” Bolt said in a BBC interview. “The training for 400 meters is so much harder, but I’m thinking about it.”

Bolt won three Gold Medals at the Beijing Games–in the 200m, 100m, and the 4×400m relay.

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Bolt Eyes 400m World Record

Bolt won three Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympic Games this summer in the 100m, 200m, and 4×100m events.

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Usain Bolt on Letterman

The crowds have gone home; the athletes, journalists, and dignataries have boarded flights for cities all over the world; the scores of volunteers have turned the Bird’s Nest back into an empty stadium; and the torch has been handed over to the British. In other words, the Games of the XXIX Olympiad are now history. It’s time to get some sleep.

International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogges said on Sunday that his favorite Olympic moment was that of Matthew Emmons, the American shooting contender who blew a chance at the Gold Medal in Athens by shooting the wrong target in the last round, who repeated that farce in the Beijing Games with a similar failure, and who remained calm and philosophical about both events.

What do I take away from the Beijing Games? I’m struck by the heros and the not-so heroes. It’s always the side stories that intrigue me. I will remember:

1. Michael Phelps, of course, for his historic eight medals, but also for his humility and graciousness in his victories.
2. Usain Bolt for his amazing athletic ability, but also for his playfulness at an Olympic Games that sometimes took itself a little seriously. I also applaud him for his generosity towards the host nation, a story that never quite made it to the front page.
3. Natalie du Toit’s determination and courage (and nonchalance when interviewed about it) in being the first woman amputee to participate in the Olympic Games. (We’ll see her again at the Paralympics, which begin September 6.)
4. Those who sailed through the Games undefeated: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh; the US men’s basketball team; and the Chinese synchronized divers
5. Those that almost achieved Gold: the US softball team and the Chinese men in the 10m platform event
6. And, I guess finally, the chance to see inside of China and at least a little bit about the people who live there. Say what you will about the government, the citizens of Beijing came out to see and cheer for athletes of all nations…and the city put on quite a show.

What was your favorite moment of the Beijing Olympics? Leave a comment below and tell us about it or vote in the poll at right. (If your favorite moment isn’t listed, you can add an answer.)

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My Favorite Beijing Olympic Moments

Three-time Gold Medalist, Usain Bolt of Jamaica held a press conference on Saturday to donate $50,000 of his own money to the Chinese Red Cross, earmarked to helping the survivors of the earthquake that hit China’s Sichaun province on May 12, 2008. The earthquake killed nearly 70,000 people and left more than 10 million people homeless.

Two children injured in the earthquake attended the press conference and presented paintings to the sprinter. Bolt indicated to the China press that he was made very welcome in their country and wanted to give back something to the country that hosted the Olympics that made him a Gold Medalist.

Success in the Olympic Games is a lucrative venture these days. Winning athletes have agents, management companies, endorsement packages, and often six-figure bonuses for winning Gold Medals. It’s heartening to see an athlete that remembers to share his good fortune.

Bolt won the Gold Medal at the Beijing Games in the 100m, 200m, and 4×100m relay, setting world records in each event.

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Bolt Donates $50,000 to help Sichaun Earthquake Survivors

In the women’s 5000m event, Ethiopa’s Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene took the Gold Medal, her second of the Beijing Olympic Games. She was followed to the finish line by Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey for the Silver Medal and Meseret Defar Tola of Ethiopia for the Bronze Medal.

Dibaba also won the Gold Medal in the women’s 10,000 event. She is the first woman to win both long distance events in a single Olympics. American Kara Goucher finished ninth.

In the womens long jump competition, Brazil’s Maurren Higa Maggi took the Gold Medal. The Silver Medal went to defending Olympic champion, Tatiana Debedeva of Russia and the Bronze Medal was awarded to Blessing Okhagbare of Nigeria.

In the women’s 4×100m relay, the drama continued as the Jamaican women botched the hand-off in the final race, causing them the favorites to be disqualified and ruining the Jamaica’s hopes of a perfect eight for eight Gold Medals in the sprinting events. The Russian women prevailed to win the Gold Medal, followed by the Belgians for the Silver and the Nigerian team for the Bronze Medal.

It was all business to the Jamaican men in the 4×100m relay. The team, including Usain Bolt, easily bested the field and set a new world record time of 37.10. It was the third Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing for Bolt.

The men from Trinidad and Tobago took the Silver Medal and the Japanese team took the Bronze Medal.

Australian, Steve Hooker set a new Olympic record of 5.96m/16-6.5 with his Gold Medal performance in the pole vault. Evgeny LUkyanenko of Russia took the Silver Medal and Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine took the Bronze Medal.

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Scenes from the Bird’s Nest – August 22

If there was any question that Jamaica’s Usain Bolt was the fastest man on the planet, he erased all doubt today in his 200m win. Bolt set a new world record of 19.30, besting the field by more than a half second. Wallace Spearmon of the United States was presumably so awed by Bolt’s performance that he ran out of his lane, causing him to be disqualified and costing him the Bronze Medal.

Coming in second for the Silver Medal was Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles. Shawn Crawford of the United States earned the Bronze Medal. Walter Dix, also of the United States, finished fourth.

Bolt won the 100m event earlier in the week. He is the first man to win both sprinting events since Carl Lewis in 1984. He is the first man ever to set a world record in both the 100m and the 200m event.

Update: Upon review, Churandy Martina–the Silver Medalist–was also disqualified for running outside of his lane. That moved Crawford up to the Silver Medal and gave Walter Dix the Bronze Medal.

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Usain Bolt Wins the 200m

After all of the hype surrounding this event, the men’s 100m “dash” turned out to be not much of a race at all. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt easily bested the field with an astonishing time of 9.69 seconds, a new world record. Richard Thompson of the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago finished second and Walter Dix of the United States finished third for the Bronze Medal.

Fellow Jamaican, Asafa Powell finished fifth.

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Usain Bolt is “World’s Fastest Man”