He’s great and he knows it.
Usain Bolt can boldly proclaim that he is the fastest man on Earth fresh off the heels of his jaw-dropping record breaking feat in the 100 meter finals. There’s no doubt that Bolt wants to go down in history as the best to have ever done it, personal pride and overall legacy is what fuels him and he makes no apologies about it. In the post race conference with the media Bolt divulged about how he ate McDonalds just prior to the race–while other competitors had been refraning from eating junk for weeks and weeks in advance here was Mr. Bolt so candidly revealing he had enjoyed fast food just before beating them. Well played.
There’s always been this unwritten philosophy in the realm of anything, in terms of overall greatness does it pay to be cocky, mean or reclusive? I use those words interchangeably despite the fact they carry different meanings, but in general it pertains to what so many average folks consider the opposite way that one should conduct themselves. When we look at the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and even past greats like Mickey Mantle and Joe Brown we see the hearts of fierce competitors who had tough exteriors. They didn’t shy away from their true nature, nor did they change who they were to appease fans or anyone else for that matter. When you reach a certan pinnacle of greatness is ok to do what makes you happy with no damns to give about how others perceive you?
Bolt does his signature ‘bolting’ after dazzling in races and isn’t afraid to celebrate excessively after besting his opponents. The ‘cocky’ label is certanly nothing new that Bolt has heard, but is it the thing that consistently has given him his edge? He obviously carried a chip on a his shoulder to London about his performance in the Jamaican Olympic trials and his dominating win proved that he could not be kept down. Greatness is an innate quality that comes from within, Bolt’s approach may be brash and unapologetic but one thing that’s for sure is that he’s being 100% himself.
The cockiness that comes from him may rattle people because nothing in life is measured in absolutes, but really would be it that much of a stretch to acknowlege Bolt as the greatest in his sport? And in doing so, what’s truly so wrong about the man showing pride in his talents and reacting with the hype of the moment. Every great athlete has their own approach to winning, even if they are widely percieved as ‘nice’ there is an edge that lies within them that makes them cherish winning above all else, Usain Bolt is no different. From his emphatic reactions post races, to his no-holds barred quotes where he essentially pats himself on the back as the medals pile up you really can’t fault him