Was Usain Bolt's Premature 100-Meter Dash Celebration Financially Motivated?

Jamaica's Usain Bolt easily won the 100-meter dash gold medal this weekend, blowing away the field for the first 80 meters or so before celebrating, coasting and showboating his way across the finish line, still setting a world record of 9.69 seconds but probably costing himself at least a tenth of a second with his finish.

Most fans watching at home probably just assumed Bolt became excited when he realized how far ahead he was, and that's why he celebrated. But Darren Rovell of CNBC makes a great point: Bolt might have had a financial incentive to slow down before he crossed the finish line.

Rovell writes:

You see, the reason Usain Bolt didn't push through and finish in 9.60 seconds instead of 9.69 is -- as the rumor goes -- because he's smart. He didn't want to kill his gravy train.

Runners often get six figure bonuses for doing things like breaking world records and if you study the previous four times the 100 meter has been broken over the last three years, it's never been by more than .03 seconds. Asafa Powell (9.77) broke Maurice Greene's record (9.79). Justin Gatlin (9.76) broke the record of Powell, who broke it back a little more than a year later (9.74). That stood until Bolt broke the record (9.72) in May.

So, the conspiracy theory goes, that Bolt knew before the race that he had to win the race and take the gold, but not push it too much, otherwise he'd kill his opportunity at future bonuses.

If Bolt gets a bonus every time he breaks a world record, and if he knows he's capable of running the 100-meter dash in the 9.55-second range, he might just decide to keep lowering the record by a couple hundredths of a second with each successive race, and not burn himself out by setting a record that he himself can't break. That doesn't exactly mesh with our ideals of what the Olympics are supposed to be about, but it's hard to blame the guy for wanting to milk every dollar he can out of being the world's fastest man.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

8-18-2008 @ 10:59AM

hugh constantine harris said...

usain bolt is a jamaican kid raised in jamaica not as sophisticated and media savvy as athletes from the usa and other more developed nations.

8-18-2008 @ 12:14PM

Joyce said...

Hugh Constantine harrisi will have you know that Jamaica is developed...at least they could carry the olympics live

8-18-2008 @ 6:25PM

haajnu said...

And what exactly does that mean? Jamaica is a very well developed country for your information. We are very media savvy. We didnt have to wait 12 hours later in a country like AMERICA that is well developed to see the games. WE CARRIED IT LIVE.

8-21-2008 @ 10:14PM

Trina said...

For your information Jamica is a highly developed country not like the US of A but it is on the map! Try no that! U damn bright an feisty! I am proud of Usain Bolt, but that is not the problem with you Americans, if it was Mr. Tyson Gay whon had won no one would be talking!Because of course it is the Great America! Try to stop everybody's progress when them no ina it!
Same way them try to take away the girl dem glory but is alright! Tell them fi try dat ina d relay dem! O jus remember, dem no in de! Good fi dem! Nuff respect to Usain Bolt and the Jam dung team! One Love-Bob Marley said it best!!

8-18-2008 @ 10:54AM

cant a young man have fun anymore?

8-18-2008 @ 10:27AM

Ilanin said...

He wouldn't be the first person to take such an approach, if it's true. Look at the world record for the women's pole valut. Yelena Isinbyeva has been steadily raising it for several years, and it's kind of suspicious how she never breaks her current record by very much.

8-18-2008 @ 10:50AM

Alex Smith said...

It is amazing what the American media and their commentators come up with when they find that their athletes disappoint and lose a race. To their credit the men did not make excuses for their performances in the 100m although the reporter was trying to give them one. I have been following Bolt's achievements from 2002 in Jamaica and those who know him knows that he is the type to be always showboating and that he does not run through the finsh line at top speed if he is not pressured. When he won the World Junior Games 200m in Jamaica over 5 years ago and became the youngest champion he did the same thing and just as when he won the high school "Champs" championships prior to that. There was no money for him to get at the school's "champs" then nor at the World Junior Games where he
set records at both events. All countries tend to have a little bias when it comes to supporting their athletes but give credit when it's due, and stop tainting other countries athletes when the US athletes do not win.

8-19-2008 @ 1:23PM

Joan Lyons said...

My sentiments exactly. Like the fox who could not get the grape and called it sour. Thank you for expressing to the world what many of us think but is not saying in public.

8-19-2008 @ 2:30PM

Heyngel said...

Do American commentators listen to themselves? I'd be embarrassed, when one speaks too much, one eventually starts speaking rubbish.

All I have to say is thank GOD for the moves to rid athletics of drugs, now the natural talent will come through

8-20-2008 @ 4:59PM

gazim said...

Alex respect for that comment.
"US reporter fi go suck dem bomboclat mada and gwey"

they are too bias look at Crawford and druged up Gatlin last olympic, no one spoke about that.

No matter who it was, they would have been elated to have won on the world stage.

big up to all the jamaican atleathes

8-22-2008 @ 12:47PM

Beverley said...

Alex I could not agree with you more , these reporter will say just about anything to cast a bad image just because the american performed poorly

8-18-2008 @ 1:58PM

Joyce McCullough said...

Bolt is the fastest runner in the world now....no matter what anyone thinks....and that's all that matters.
Human beings will say anything they want to say..that's why one shouldn't try to please anyone....besides oneself.
If one walks with a straight head looking in front of one, there is always someone out there to say, "I saw that person turned his/her head". Bolt you have done an excellent job, thumbs up.All this crap about financial incentive is just envy.It's the way of the human minds, luckily everyone doesn't think the same way.

8-18-2008 @ 11:06AM

Odie said...

Interesting point, but are you people actually convinced that even as good as these athletes are they can consciously beat records by 3 one-hundredths of a second.
Sorry, may look suspicious but I can't buy that. Seems to me is everyone is always looking for some hidden meaning behind everything even when it's not there.
I prefer the simple answer. Looked like show boating to me, and in fact he earned that right, end of story.

8-18-2008 @ 11:07AM

I thought the Olympic games were to bring the whole world together....obviously I thought wrong......
I applaud any country who gets gold, silver or bronze....we are all one....it's a lot of fun. I applaud Michael Phelps (fish) also, he's great. As a matter of fact I thiink Phelps was born in the sea (laugh) The gymnastics, the weight lifters, beach volleyball, etc. It's a lot of fun to see the world coming together like this. Great.

8-18-2008 @ 1:24PM

David said...

Congratulations and good job young man!! That's all that should be said.

8-18-2008 @ 1:26PM

Just said...

I don't think he would know how to run .03 seconds faster or slower. A person can't measure such minute times. Sprinters run until they know they will win or pass the tape.

8-18-2008 @ 2:56PM

ryan said...

this guy bolt is a speed machine a freak of nature like no other in a good way this guy is and maybe for years the come the fastest guy the olympics r track n field will ever come across.so what if he showsoff b4 the finishing line with speed like that people r lucky he dont just skip across or something.good job man there might not be a next one like you gratz.

8-18-2008 @ 3:29PM

Bob said...

Do the runners have that type of control of their speed that they can lower a record by .02 or .03 seconds each time they want to? Sounds kind of outrageous to me.

8-20-2008 @ 12:21PM

Sean Bowen said...

This is totally unbelievable, Bolt is so great that he is able to pace his race down to the milliseconds and knows that this amount of "show boating" will result in this time. I personally have nothing against USA and its athletes so why must such a country which professes to be so great always try to belittle the accomplishments of others.

Where was the American media when Shawn Crawford turned sideways to Gatlin and both had a conversation approximately 10 meters before the end of the race during the heats in 2004?

Now I am not saying that because the Americans do it makes it right, I am not here to try to justify what Bolt did has wrong or right because quite frankly he earned that right to show boat but I just would hope that America chooses to first wipe their noses before they choose to wipe others.

I end by saying, isn't Tiger Woods a show boat (looking into an opponent's face while pumping his fist), what of Maurice Green (Mr. G.O.A.T.), Shawn Crawford and so many others.

What of the other athletes who got filthy rich by simply breaking their very own records inch by inch week after week.

8-18-2008 @ 11:32PM