Ann-Marie Campbell | Shame on Bolt and Blake!

I have been following a recent development involving the two fastest male sprinters of all time – Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Jamaica is blessed to be called ‘home’ by both of them. Jamaica is also home to the ‘Sub-10 King’, Asafa Powell, who blazed a trail for these two men in question. Imagine just how many other countries in the world would love to boast this feat.

Yet, here we are at home fuelling and renewing unhealthy rivalry between two of our gems. Shame on the media for sensationalising the story. The article first appeared locally in the tabloid newspaper, The Star with the divisive headline ‘Bolt overshadows my career - Blake’. A cursory glance at the headline led a multitude of Jamaicans to label Blake as ‘bad mind’. However, upon reading the article, one gets a better understanding of what Blake was trying to say.

Blake, who, to date, is the second-fastest man over 100m and 200m, was simply saying that Bolt was impossible to beat and that he should have been born at a different time. Most competitors want to win, and it is difficult coming to terms with settling for second because you are ahead of your time. There are many more athletes who would echo similar sentiments.

Blake’s comments underscore the need for athletes to have publicity personnel on hand when being interviewed so they do not make comments that could haunt them. Perhaps Blake didn’t need to say those words, especially in light of bad blood between himself and Bolt, who jumps to the defence of Coach Glen Mills, whom he worships. But he said those words, and, unfortunately, he may live to regret them. I sincerely hope he gets a chance to redeem himself.

TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS

Bolt, on the other hand, obviously has too much time on his hands and lacks the emotional intelligence, humility, and grace required to handle this situation. Instead of remaining quiet, he felt the need to choose the petty route and has launched an entire social-media campaign aimed at ridiculing his fellow countryman and rival.

The latest news is that he is working on a rhythm called ‘Overshadowed’ with his idle crew. This gentleman has never been the humblest of the bunch, and it is quite a turn-off for many. I have seen many comments online that suggest that people are not necessarily fans of Bolt but are rather proud Jamaicans happy to see their country do well and who genuinely applaud his success.

Bolt needs to calm down. There is an old Jamaican proverb that says, ‘The higher the monkey climb, the more him expose.’

Find something meaningful to do with your time because no good shall come of a campaign designed to tear down another human being.

It is time that these two men grow up and bury the hatchet. The enemy shouldn’t be found within. The media should put an end to this circus, remembering that ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’

The Olympics is scheduled for 2020, and we do not have a lot of time to prepare. This negative vibe will do nothing but set a bad example for the upcoming athletes. Jamaicans should also be mindful of the way they treat athletes, many of whom have only the track.

Shame on us all!

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