On the ninth night of the XX Commonwealth Games and 329 days after his last competitive run, it came to pass that Usain Bolt made it on to the track. There had been pre-race talk that he might be booed for criticising Glasgow 2014. There was even an aborted campaign urging people to turn their backs on him. No chance.
The fans had paid their money to see the greatest foot-racer in history and accorded him the rapture that has accompanied him every long stride of his journey since he redrew the boundaries of human propulsion between the Augusts of 2008 and 2009.
He might only have been in a 4x100 metres heat, but the benevolent crowds of families stood up and hollered their approval as he warmed up and waved at them. He smiled a big smile back.
The predicted shunning was related to unguarded comments he apparently made in The Times, yet which he vehemently denies, slating the leaden skies of Glasgow, and possibly the whole ex-imperial shebang, as ‘a bit s***’.
The BBC’s Gabby Logan had waded in, saying the Games were fine with or without their greatest star. And, after Phil Jones of the Beeb had won a gold medal for fawning in the post-race interview, Bolt chided Mrs Logan for her comments.
‘I heard somebody said they are enjoying the Games without Yohan Blake and me,’ he said. ‘Yeah, I’m talking to you. She knows who I am talking to.
I’m talking to you Gabby. I’m a fun person. Look at me. I was never worried about the reception I’d get because I know my true people would never say something like that. I always go to every country with an open mind.’
A bigger question than his treatment at the hands of a benevolent crowd was whether Bolt would run at all. Some cynics wondered whether he would pose with royals, lark at press conferences, lend his face to a hundred billboards paying him millions, sell the tickets, lend lustre to an event low on world-class stars — and then make his apologies, vaguely citing a sore hamstring or back.
Was he ever thinking of that? ‘No, it’s a lie, it’s a lie. I was just looking forward to coming out here and showing the people that I’m here to have fun.’
There were at least two reasons why the chances of his withdrawing receded in the countdown to last night’s heat. One, after the brouhaha about his criticism of the Games, it would have been a PR disaster to scarper. Two, he probably intended running in any event because there was next to nothing to lose.
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