Pressure could have broken Bolt - aunt

Paul Clarke, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The pressure brought to bear on Olympic champion Usain Bolt, after twice losing to training partner and World champion over 100m, Yohan Blake, at the Jamaican trials in last month, could have broken his resolve, revealed the sprinter's aunt.

Lillian Bolt said that if her nephew had been weaker mentally, he would have given up.

"Usain is only human. He will make mistakes and like anyone else he certainly wants to have a little fun. So comments made in the public about him partying too much and that he perhaps was not focused for the Olympics were unfair.

"And if it was that he was a different kind of person, he would have simply given up," Ms Bolt told The Gleaner after Usain posted a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds to take gold in Sunday's men's 100m final, beating Blake into second place.

The sprinter's aunt made the revelation following the big win, noting that he had the right to enjoy his hard-earned money, but was quick to add that he must not overdo it.

Too much partying

Bolt was taken to task on the heels of his double loss to Blake at the Jamaica trials. Countless calls to talk shows and bar talk suggested that the double world-record holder was not taking training seriously enough and that he was seen too often at parties spanning the length and breadth of the island, which resulted in him playing second fiddle to Blake.

However, all that was thrown out the window with a stunning run to land the title in emphatic style, becoming only the second man in history to win back-to-back 100m Olympic titles, joining Carl Lewis.

Lewis, who got gold in 1984 and 1988, was handed the latter title after Ben Johnson was stripped of his gold medal for a doping violation.

"They handled him really rough, but he is not like any other man. He is Usain Bolt," Ms Bolt said with a smile.

"The Jamaican Government don't know who they have. They really don't. Usain is a little piece of gold that has lifted Jamaica to unprecedented heights in the eyes of the world. And other people who couldn't even call Jamaica's name now are singing it because of one man, Usain Bolt," she boasted.