The former greatest sprinter of all time did not receive the farewell that his glorious career deserved.
During his 13-year sprinting career, Usain Bolt built a legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time. But a bizarre ending to his final race before retirement meant he didn't get the farewell his illustrious career deserved.
The Jamaican sprint king won eight Olympic gold medals between 2008 and 2016, including back-to-back triumphs in the 100m and 200m.
He also broke world records in his two major events. The all-time fastest times in the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19 seconds) at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin have yet to be broken, despite the efforts of elite sprinters such as current Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles in the years since.
Bolt was not only one of the world's most successful athletes at his peak, he was also one of the most recognizable and charismatic, wowing audiences with his brilliant smile and signature celebration, and using his popularity to secure lucrative sponsorship deals with brands like Puma, Gatorade, Virgin Media and others.
When Bolt lined up for what would be his final individual race in the 100m final at the 2017 World Championships in London – in the same stadium where he had won three Olympic gold medals five years earlier – fans hoped to see the 6ft 5in superstar retire from the sport with one final, well-deserved victory.
However, Bolt finished only in third place, 0.1 seconds behind American sprinter Christian Coleman and 0.3 seconds behind the winner, controversial American star Justin Gatlin, who won the gold medal with a time of 9.92 seconds.
Viewers' disappointment at seeing Bolt's illustrious career end with a victory for Gatlin - who had been banned twice for doping violations - was not well received by fans at the London Stadium, who began to boo the result.
“I was just confused,” recalls British sprinter Reece Prescod, who finished seventh out of eight competitors in the 100m final.
"Normally after a race, everyone applauds, but this was weird. It was like we had done something wrong. And then Bolt started the lap of honours and they were still cheering against him, but they were also cheering for him at the same time. I didn't know what was happening."
Gatlin's victory ended a four-year winning streak for Bolt and handed him his first loss in a major championship since losing in a track event at the 2007 World Championships.
Bolt then took part in one final race, taking the final leg for Jamaica's 4x100m relay team. But that too ended in disappointment, as the legendary sprinter pulled a hamstring injury 50 metres from the finish line. /GazetaExpress/
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