Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Wednesday 2 august 2017
Bolt — or non-comments —
came when he was asked
Continued from Page 17 who might fill his shoes af-
Like flipping through the ter he leaves.
“I’m not going down that
calendar, Bolt ticked off his road,” Bolt said. “The last
goals and motivations for guy I said was going to be
each year since he burst great disrespected me.”
onto the scene in 2008, a It was almost certainly a
relative unknown whose reference to Andre De
only goal was to become Grasse, the Canadian up-
an Olympic champion in and-comer who brazenly
his main race, the 200 me-
ters.
Early on, he took umbrage Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt
to the slights: for instance, celebrates after a press con-
that despite setting four ference ahead of the World
Athletics championships in
world records, his success London, Tuesday, Aug. 1,
in 2008 came because 2017.
his main challenger, Tyson Associated Press
Gay, was hurt. Or how in
2012, many were favoring
teammate Yohan Blake at pushed Bolt last year in the
the Olympics after Bolt lost Olympic 200 meter semifi-
to him twice earlier in the nals.
summer in Jamaica. If there’s going to be dra-
As the calendar kept turn- ma in Saturday’s 100 final,
ing and Bolt kept prov- De Grasse is the best bet to
ing himself, his mission be- provide it.
came more about trying to But Bolt doesn’t see that as
secure his place in history. a problem.
When he swept gold for “You guys know if I show
the third straight Olympics up at a championship, you
last year in Rio de Janeiro, know I’m fully confident
he reached the legendary and ready to go,” he said.
status he sought. He unveiled the gold-and-
“Now that I got to my goal, purple shoes he’ll wear for
I’m good with it,” he said. his final championships.
“I’ve proven myself.” The purple is for his school
He fielded the obliga- colors back home at Wil-
tory questions about dop- liam Knibb Memorial High
ing. Bolt has never been School. The gold is self-ex-
caught. Many in his coun- planatory.
try, and in the sprint game His sponsor, Puma, has
he dominates, have. The been promoting the
last two years have been phrase “Fastest Forever,” in
filled with sordid stories of the lead-up to the worlds,
doping corruption in Rus- which will take place in
sia that brought track and the same London stadium
field to a new low. where Bolt won Olympic
“The only place track and medals 4, 5 and 6.
field has to go is up,” Bolt But Bolt has a different
said. “Hopefully we’re go- idea.
ing to get it going in the “Unbeatable,” he said.
right direction and contin- “For me, that would be the
ue going in the right direc- biggest headline. Unbeat-
tion.” able. Unstoppable. Hear
His most telling comments that guys? Jot it down.”q