Bolt charms them all in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO: As a dozen scantily clad Brazilian samba dancers gyrated on the stage, rocking peacock-style headdresses and glittery thongs, Usain Bolt, pictured, was not about to be intimidated or upstaged.
Instead, the world 100m record holder hoisted his arms in the air and began moving to the samba beat.
The contrast with every other press conference at the Rio Olympics was stark, showing once again that very few people transcend sport or command the world’s attention the way Bolt does.
The scale of media interest in the 29-year-old has soared to new heights at Rio. More than 530 media members registered to attend the Jamaica team press conference on Monday, according to sportswear company Puma, Jamaica’s team sponsor.
“Guys like Usain happen once every several generations. You cannot expect to hit the jackpot every four years,” said Carlos Laje, the Latin America general manager for Puma.
Bolt had a knack of producing “once in a lifetime moments in history”, and he drew comparisons with Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona, who delighted fans across the globe with his virtuoso performances at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
“You’ve got to clap louder than that,” Bolt cheekily said as he walked on to the stage. “That was weak.” In the end, Jamaica’s team conference morphed into an event focused on Bolt.
Other athletes wheeled out were mostly peppered with questions about what it is like to live, train and be inspired by the greatest ever sprinter.
“I don’t have a question, I just want to say I love you,” blurted out one Norwegian.
The journalist proceeded to serenade Bolt, rapping an ode to him in a Jamaican accent.
Bolt demanded an encore so he could film it on his phone. – Reuters