Friday was the official start of the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They have already had a few spectacular events and fans all over the world are pumped to cheer on their countrymen. However, track and field fans are on pins and needles waiting for those events to commence. One person they will all be watching for, in particular, is Usain Bolt.
There is no doubt that Usain Bolt is already the greatest sprinter of all time. The Jamaican star who is aptly named the "world's fastest man" rose to universal stardom at the Beijing Olympics, where he set world records and won the gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 4x100 meter relay. He followed up this astounding performance by defending his three Olympic gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012.
The fastest man in the world has already made it clear that this will be his last Olympics. "It's going to be hard to go four more years for me, to keep the motivation that I want, especially if I accomplish what I want to in Rio," Bolt reportedly said. And he's got a very interesting goal he wants to accomplish. Not only does Bolt want to win another three gold medals in the same three events, but he also wants to run the 200m under 19 seconds, something that has never been done before. But the elite athlete with the quick feet believes he can be the one first one to do it.
Unfortunately for Bolt, he has a tough road ahead of him. Bolt was forced to pull out of the Jamaican National Championships in July with a hamstring injury. He is reportedly still recovering from that injury and many are questioning whether or not he is at his best physically. He also missed the opening ceremonies on Friday after he claimed that he was feeling too lazy to make the journey to the Maracanã Stadium. I believe that this might be Bolt putting on a front to cover up that his recovery may not be as far along as he originally thought it would be at this time.
If a possible injury flare-up isn't enough, the emergence of other young talent may lead to a very interesting few races. Trayvon Bromell, the 21 year old from the USA, burst on to the scene in 2015 when he won the bronze medal at the world championships in Beijing. This is his first chance to show what he's got on the Olympic stage and he's poised to not disappoint. He finished second in the Olympic trials behind Justin Gatlin, another strong competitor who might give Bolt a run for his money.
Two tough U.S. competitors are not the only ones standing in Bolt's way. He also has to watch out for one of his fellow countrymen, Yohan Blake. Blake won the silver medals in the 100 and 200 right behind Bolt at the 2012 Olympics in London. He also has the second fastest 100 time in history and may be ready to accept the mantle as Bolt's successor.
With a very strong field around him, don't expect a repeat of Bolt's Beijing dominance in Rio de Janeiro.
Suffice to say, the stage is set for a very engaging Olympic finish for the decorated track and field superstar. The preliminarys for the sprinting events start this upcoming Friday.
