A MESSAGE TO THE IOC

Getty Images

This is not a scene from Jesus Christ Superstar.

This is rich.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Usain Bolt overdid it with his celebration following the most remarkable run any sprinter has ever had.

"That's not the way we perceive being a champion," Rogge said Thursday.

Just shake hands, hand the ball to the ref, act like you've been there before. Problem is, nobody had been where Bolt just went—9.69 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.3 in the 200, both world records, the second of which came on his 22nd birthday.

And while we can quibble over whether the lanky Jamaican merits a turn on "Dancing with the Stars," his celebrations should be a cause for, well, celebration.

Because what we saw was a breakthrough in post-contest partying. For the past dozen or so years, "fierce" has been the key to a victory dance, lap, spike. Pounding chests, dagger pantomimes, warrior looks, anger and spite and assertion of dominance.

Chad Johnson, Joe Horn and Steve Smith started the trend away from rage, but, like he does with everything else, Bolt took it to another level.

What we saw from Bolt was joy—pure, unadulterated, genuine. "Can you believe what you just saw?! Me, neither! Commence to boogie!"

"I like having fun," Bolt said.

So do we. So let him.

And one more thing, an FYI to the IOC: How about getting your own house in order?

Allowing Wallace Spearmon, Bolt's good friend, to get three-quarters of the way through a victory lap before disqualifying him, taking away a bronze medal and thereby embarrassing him on his sport's biggest stage, was a low-class, low-life blunder.

That's not the way we perceive being a competent organization.

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine