Presenting my article on Usain Bolt which appears in Newsweek International this week...
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt: Is He Still the World’s Fastest Runner?
Jul 16, 2012 1:00 AM EDT
Will lightning strike again in London? Or have the years of fast living finally caught up with the speediest man alive? A close look at the Jamaican record breaker.
The Twitter messages seemed calculated to drive Jamaica frantic.
Here's a great article on Jamaica's athletics superhero Usain Bolt, by my illustrious fellow-blogger Annie Paul. Published recently in Newsweek International. Enjoy!
Terrible and degrading article to Bolt and the people of Jamaica. Awful. I read it 3 times and shaked my head. How could this Annie Paul put down an entire nation. He only learnt standard english after winning gold ? The indians left their mark on JA ? Did she read Bolt own book? SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!
I am not sure how this is degrading to Bolt or the people of Jamaica. It is written by someone who lives in Jamaica and who is a great fan of Jamaican athletics – I know she attended the national trials etc. Yes, and we have all been worried about his car crashes, nightclubs etc. Actually, what in particular did you find terrible about it?
I Love YOUR blog and live for it everyday as an expat here in Toronto, Canada. Before I could even respond on the daily beast, seems people who think like me have found the same notes! Here are their comments and the SAME things I found annoying about putting down Jamaica, Jamaicans and Bolt. I was shocked to know she is jamaican at UWI. Here are the comments which mirror my sentiments. Maybe i cant cut & paste due to copyrights etc but you get the idea!!!
mikesiva
Yesterday
This article is so full of errors and inaccuracies that it makes one wonder how badly Newsweek’s standards have fallen. If the author had read Bolt’s book, “Usain Bolt; My Story 9.58″, these mistakes wouldn’t have been made:
1) “his anxiety about getting out of the blocks in time sometimes causes him to jump the gun”. On the contrary, Bolt is slow out of his blocks partly because of his height. He has only false-started once or twice in his career.
2) The nickname VJ has nothing to do with the Indian name Vijay. (please read p31) Bolt himself doesn’t know the origin of the nickname, so is the other trying to find a non-existent link to India?
3) What relevance does Bolt’s family life has to this article aside from yet another attempted putdown of Jamaica? Here in the UK, John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Boris Johnson, etc have all had well-publicised extra-marital affairs, and their wives similarly stood beside them.
4) What’s this nonsense about Bolt only knowing standard English as a youngster? If you’d watched the BBC documentary “Usain Bolt: the Fastest Man Alive” you would’ve seen from the interview done with him after winning the World Junior Champs 200m in 2004, he spoke standard English. He did a semester at the University of Technology (UTech), and he reads his contracts and questions clauses before signing them, so I don’t understand your attempts to make him look like a country bumpkin.
5) ” Blake currently finds himself in the same predicament, his English halting and hard for outsiders to understand.” More nonsense! The BBC have just done a documentary which I just watched called “Can anyone beat Bolt?” Blake was interviewed extensively, and they felt no need to put in sub-titles. If British people can understand what he’s saying, what’s wrong with the rest of you? He spoke English in those interviews, not Jamaican patois.
6) ” Jamaican patois, a dizzying amalgam of English, Spanish, and African languages.” Really? I speak Jamaica patois as well as standard English – surprise, surprise! – and I can’ recall any words of Spanish origin in Jamaican patois. Please enlighten me….
This article seems to be heavily based on dinner table gossip, and the author seems to have done little independent research. Very disappointing….
Reply
bvwalters
3 Days Ago
Shocked that someone would see it fit to denigrate an entire country with factually misleading statements like “Many Jamaican families are loosely polygamous, with the men fathering children by several women.”, or “Bolt is still growing into his role as an international star. He didn’t even know standard English until he began winning gold medals. ”
I would not expect this level of journalism from anyone in the profession; the fact that it originates from someone at the UWI campus in Jamaica, of all places, is insulting to all citizens of our great country, in our 50th year of independence, no less.
Shame on you.
Oh, dear. I would probably have the writer herself respond to these criticisms. But I am sure it was never her intention to denigrate Jamaica or Jamaicans. I have not read all the comments on the Daily Beast, but thank you for sharing. I am glad anyway that you like my blog.
Thanks for your understanding and Keep up the great work of keeping us informed with whats happening on THE ROCK! I read the Gleaner onlilne and then read your blog and know what exactly is going on through your eyes… keep it up… great work! Much appreciated and respected.
Thanks, Patrick. I am so glad you enjoy my blog, and it’s good to hear from a reader I didn’t know before! I’m honored to be in the company of the “Old Lady of North Street,” the Gleaner for your online reading! All the best to you in Toronto…and please stay tuned in (comments always welcome!)
Interesting piece. I was not aware of his struggles but then he is human, no?
Yes. That is my point. They are all human, they are not machines!
Am amazed patios is an amalgam of things including Spanish, I guess this is what is required to get your name in Newsweek. Very unimpressed by the article and I must say I had a little more respect for this blog before.
I m big fan of you Mr bolt. I will try to b a good runner of the world same like you. I wish to the success of next Olympic,good luck Mr bolt.
He’s pretty amazing isn’t he – and he is doing good work in Jamaica. Thanks so much for your comment, and please visit again!