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Bolt was accused of showboating when he slowed down near the finish line before thumping his chest on his way to winning his first 100 meter Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
When Usain Bolt crossed the finish line of the 100 meters final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his exuberant chest-thumping celebration became an iconic moment in sports history.
Recently, the Jamaican sprint legend explained why he chose to celebrate in such a unique way, shedding light on his mindset and personality at the time.
In Beijing, Bolt had doubled up on the 100 and 200 meters, entering the Games as the 100-meter world record holder and the favorite to win. Bolt did not disappoint: he blasted to victory in the 100 meters final with a world record time of 9.69 seconds, despite visibly slowing down before the finish to celebrate.
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Reflecting on his performance during an appearance on The High Performance Podcast, Bolt shared how his instinct to celebrate stemmed from his long-held love for entertaining the crowd.
“That was just my personality. If you follow my career throughout my years, when I was 15 and I won in Jamaica, I saluted the crowd and was vibing,” Bolt said. “The next year, I won at world youths and was dancing. It is always something I have done throughout my career.”
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Bolt’s confident, celebratory display stirred mixed reactions at the time. Olympic medallist Kriss Akabusi saw Bolt’s actions as costly showboating, believing he could have achieved an even faster record.
Meanwhile, Jacques Rogge, then-President of the International Olympic Committee, criticised the move as disrespectful. But Bolt was unfazed. “When I got to the senior level, it did not change,” he explained. “People were like, ‘What are you doing?’ But I was just being myself.”
After the race, Bolt approached fellow athletes to gauge their feelings about his celebrations, only to find they were supportive. “I went to the athletes that I knew and asked them if they felt disrespected, and they were like, ‘If we were leading by that far, we would be doing the same thing.’”
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Bolt detailed how the race itself unfolded, describing his focus and excitement as he gained the lead.
“The gun went, I got a good start. The first five steps, I actually stumbled a little bit… My biggest competitor was my compatriot Asafa Powell, and he always gets a good start,” Bolt recounted.
“At 60-65, I looked across and was like, ‘I am winning.’ I got to 80, looked across, and thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna win!’” It was at that moment, realizing his triumph was imminent, that Bolt thumped his chest—a spontaneous release of emotion.
“For me, it was just to win. That is what really mattered at the time for me. The emotions just came out,” Bolt added. “You know when you work hard and then get what you wanted. I did not know what to do. I was just happy.”
With that one chest-thump, Bolt’s natural joy and bold personality changed the way the world looked at sprinters forever, transforming a victory lap into a celebration of individuality and unrestrained joy.
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