Sad farewell

For many, the IAAF Championship in London this weekend presented an unanticipated heartbreak. The Lightning Bolt, as he is lovingly called by his fans across the globe, revolutionised the field of Athletics like nobody before him had. Running his last 100m race, many had expected Bolt to bag the gold medal like he always does, making it seem like a simple stroll down the park. Yet, this time, it was not his day. At 30, standing at a height of 6ft 5inches, Usain Bolt, has given the unthinkable to athletics. Nobody before him had ruled this sport with the invincibility and sheer glamour that he has. Since he made his breakthrough at the Beijing Olympics, clocking a record time of 9.69 seconds, there has been no turning back. One championship after another, one Olympic after another, the one man who was assured of the gold was this Jamaican giant—who ran with elan and celebrated his victory with his signature gratitude to the Gods.

This time however he had to settle for a bronze being tipped over by Justin Gatlin, a legend of the sport in his own right, whose success had been clouded largely by the Bolt phenomenon; and Christian Coleman, a 21-year old American who is showing marks of promising progress, looking to set forth the beginning of a new legacy. Bolt has created and broken, only to recreate world records for himself. The fastest man in the world, as he is proudly referred to, broke his own record of 9.69 seconds, by setting a 9.58 seconds record at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009. He came back in London in 2012, to clock a new Olympic record, breaking his previous one at Beijing by clocking in a time of 9.63 seconds. Winning countless medals, and setting numerous records, Bolt changed the face of athletics in today's time.

Garnering love and unanimous support from sports lovers all across, his farewell left many in dismay. His defeat was unprecedented for many who equated his gift as almost godly. There was stunning, arguably a deafening silence in the Olympic Stadium at London, where a crowd of over 55,000 could not believe what they had just witnessed. The God had finally fallen. This only reminds us all, that he too is human. A fantastic human whose dedication and success in the sport left hundreds spell-bound, yet he was human, bound to fall at some point in time. In his last Olympics too in Rio, Bolt had managed his three gold medals across his three major events. This was his last solo event, "I've proved to the world I'm one of the greatest athletes. This doesn't change anything," he rightfully said. A legend, he will be fondly remembered for his candour and legendary signature victory sign pointing to the skies, bidding farewell to Bolt will not be easy. Yet, such is the world of sport, a legend gone, only signifies a new legend to be born.