Allon Sinai's Olympic Diary: A Bolt from the blue strikes the Nest

It wasn't the victory, but rather the manner of his world record dash of 9.69 seconds which made it so special.

By ALLON SINAI - BEIJING
olympic promo 224 (photo credit: )
olympic promo 224
(photo credit: )
Words fail to capture the sensation of sitting in the bird's nest and watching Usian Bolt run in the 100 meters final on Saturday, but I'll give it my best. Seeing first hand the long-legged Jamaican make seven of the fastest men on earth look like children was a sporting experience of a lifetime. It wasn't the victory, but rather the manner of his world record dash of 9.69 seconds which made it so special. The velocity and ferocity displayed by Bolt on Saturday cemented his place in Olympic history and gave the Beijing Games a moment it will forever be remembered by. Just two hours before the final it was clear to the capacity crowd in the National Stadium and to the millions worldwide that the night could end with something extraordinary. Bolt, as strange as this may sound, strolled to the win in his semifinal, completing the 100 meters in 9.85s, an outstanding time for mere mortal sprinters. Nevertheless, no one dared to even speculate that the final would end up being such a one-sided affair. After all, fellow Jamaican and former world record holder Asafa Powell was regarded as the favorite by many and he was supposed at the very least to push his countryman. Bolt, however, was in a league of his own on Saturday and after looking to his left and right for an opponent who didn't exist crossed the finish line with his 41st stride of the race. More astonishing even than his time was the fact that Bolt was already midway through his celebrations as he reached the line, denying himself an even more remarkable record. The final time, however, is of no real importance. Records are eventually always broken, but the exhilarating experience Bolt gave everybody who watched him on Saturday will last a lifetime.