The first thing that struck me when I read about this last night was that it came down from the Chinese organizers. I can't imagine the toothless Rogge came up with this all by himself.

I disagree. Bolt's showboating does strike me as disrespectful to fellow competitors, not to mention juvenile (and not in that nice wonderment of childhod kind of way).

As for his accomplishment: sure, a great, great performance, but way better than Phelps? How so? He ran real fast in two races that are at least as specialized as anything Phelps does--that is, as specialized as any two of the EIGHT things Phelps did. One moved fast on land, twice. The other moved fast in water, eight times. Not to mention that Phelps was voluntarily being submitted to massive and sometimes lengthy drug testing due to his participation in an above-and-beyond monitoring regime, which has got to be draining in itself.

How about we just enjoy what Bolt did (sans the showboating) and enjoy what Phelps did? Why compare? But if we're going to, let's get it right. We don't always have to be contrarian just because this is Salon. Sometimes it's OK to agree with the mainstream focus. In this case (Phelps), they've got it right.

The nice white athletes are less boisterous, see? They know how to act like they just won a friendly tennis match at the old yacht club when they break a world record. And they don't threaten the virtue of our treasured white virgins with their selfish celebrating and lustful natures.

Jacques Rogge is a buffoon and should be sent to a re-education camp with those nice old Chinese ladies.

Since we are splitting hairs and trying to create hierarchies of glory (a game played by those not involved in the physical games?): Based on evolutionary and developmental history, isn't movement in water more fundamental than movement on land?

I think Mr. Bolt knows geometry better than you think he does.

Bolt's behavior out on the field when he turned back and slowed down to make fun of his opponents before the race was over was completely uncalled for, showed poor sportsmanship, and is very offensive. Celebrating when the race is over is perfectly okay but to mock opponents in a race is outrageous. I don't even like Bolt now though I do admit the man can run. Bolt needs to learn some manners.

I didn't see Bolt's 100 meter run, and thus the supposed showboating. I have to agree, however, that short of doing a cartwheel with 10 meters to go while flipping off his competitors and roman candles shooting out of his ass, I don't get what Bolt could possibly have done to offend "Rogue" and whoever "we" is. They should be celebrating him and his great accomplishment.

Then again, these are the same tone-deaf morons who gave us the shady dealings that awarded the games to Salt Lake City, the horrendous judging scandal at those games, and the many less-than-savory aspects of these games (see 79-yr-old women assigned to labor camps for applying for protest permits; 12-yr-old girls masquerading as 16-yr-old gymnasts, etc.) that King rightly points out.

When I first watched the 100 m, I thought Bolt was thumping his chest in some kind of alpha male display at the end (like that shot we keep seeing of Phelps after one of his races, where he's smacking the water and hollering). But when I saw it again the other night, I think instead that he was trying to call attention to the "JAMAICA" across the front of his jersey, as a way of celebrating with his home country. Watch it again and see if that's what it looks like to you. He does it a lot, and sometimes grabs both sides of the jersey and holds it up.

I *was* disappointed to see that he maybe eased up a bit at the end of the 100. But that 200? WOW! That was just amazing to see. Pulling away from a field like that one!

As for the other antics...isn't he 18 years old? Remember what that felt like? Now crank up the testosterone and flip on the international spotlight. How would you have looked/acted?

The IOC should probably concern itself with the bigger stuff, agreed.

not just beat them by fingertips as he did in a few cases.

I felt the way Rogge did when I first read about Bolt's finish in the 100, but when I actually saw it, I didn't feel that way -- it did seem like unbridled joy, even if calculated in terms of just lowering the world record incrementally, as I've read some suggest.

In any case, Bolt's competitors (from the quotes that I've read) didn't seem to mind or take it as disrespect; they seemed caught up in the hysteria of the achievement as much as Bolt was.

I couldn't agree more. What en eejit. I though Bolt's celebration 20 metres from the line was pure class. Absolutely incredible and a joy to watch. We need more of that 'disrespect' in sport, not less. The guy was enjoying his moment of triumph BEFORE it had even happened. Alright!

Shame I had to watch it twelve hours after the rest of the world, because NBC is such a jingoistic, stubborn organisation. They didn't show the men's 100 metres final because there was a basketball game on. OK, fair enough, it was the redeem team and this is the USA.

Then they didn't show the 200m final because of a volleyball game. One of the greatest athletic achievements ever, breaking a record that everyone thought was impregnable (and the record-holder himself said could not be broken) and I get to watch it twelve hours later, running 'as-live' but knowing the result. A joke. Thank you, NBC.

He's one of the few athletes who, like Andre Agassi, realizes that fundamentally they are entertainers. Willie Mays knew it. Why do you think his cap always flew off between 1st and 2nd base when running out a double? He deliberately left it loose so it would fly off and make him look like he's running really fast.