Bolt Puts Penn Relays Crowd under His Spell

The moment Usain Bolt stepped onto the field and headed to the warm-up area, the sold-out 53,000+ crowd rose to their feet and cheered frantically. The shoulder-to-shoulder packed stadium had waited with bated breath t see him.

Thousands in the stands, Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans alike, sported Bolt T-shirts or wore the colors of the Jamaican flag in anticipation of a glimpse of the man who captivated the world almost two years ago.  Then later, just before the introductions of the teams in his race, the world’s fastest man turned 360 degrees and waved to the crowd, sending the entire University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field Stadium into a deafening frenzy.

Of the 367 track and field events spread over three days at 116th edition of the Penn Relays, everyone was mostly focused on the men’s sprint relay, in which the incomparable Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt would run the anchor leg for one of Jamaica’s two teams. Then came the moment the world was waiting for: the baton handover to Bolt, who got a step on USA’s Ivory Williams and cruised to a comfortable victory in a world-leading time of 37.90 secs. His split was timed at 8.79 secs, the second fastest electronically timed anchor in history, behind the record of compatriot Asafa Powell, who clock 8.70 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Bolt’s performance lifted the reaction and spirit of the spectators into a state of euphoria before they were given something extra. On his victory lap, just about at the 300m mark on the track, Bolt stopped to give his trademark “to-the-world” pose. The crowd erupted even more, delaying the start of the next event.

The presence of Bolt had Security as well as the Penn Relays Media department working overtime to ensure his safety on and off the track, and that every inch of the media room was available to accommodate reporters at the post-race press conference.

Bolt told the media that the thing he liked most about competing at Penns [Saturday] was the crowd, which he described as “very loud.” “For the past two years I have a lot of people supporting me and knowing who I am. I can never get used to this.”

The double world-recorder holder commended his teammates for doing a very good job in getting the baton to him in front, noting with a chuckle that he had told them he did not want to have to work too hard.

“We have taken the Penn Relays very seriously as we have been working on our baton exchange for the past two weeks,” Bolt said, noting that his coach simulated the Penn Relays track in practice to keep them mentally focused on the task at hand. “This was a victory,” he said.

Like Bolt, the other members of the winning squad – Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake and Marvin Anderson – belong to the Racers Track Club in Kingston and are coached by Glen Mills.

The 23-year-old Bolt ran at the Penn Relays four years in a row as a teenager; this was his first time back since he became the sport’s biggest star. When asked if he would be back at the Relays next year, Bolt had a quick answer: “Ask my coach.”

WHERE WAS ASAFA DURING BOLTMANIA?

(April 26, 2010): In Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt was king for a day, and deservingly so. It’s not every year that Philly gets to see Bolt, and it’s not everyday that the world get a chance to see an athlete effortlessly run 8.79 secs or lower for 4×1 relay split and then imply in a post-race press conference that he didn’t have to work hard in the race.

Although the afternoon build-up and race excitement had everyone in an ecstatic state of mind, one element was missing from the Saturday afternoon “Boltmania”: the previously announced showdown with Asafa Powell, Bolt’s fellow countryman and former world record holder. Powell was schedule to anchor the other Jamaican team but word started circulating Friday that he would not be running, fueling speculations (ranging from injury to sponsorship issues) without any official specific reason.

“His coach made the decision not to let him compete…,” was how one MVP Club official vaguely put it. Powell (in photo) was seen hanging out with coach and clubmates at the warm-up area, where all focus was on Bolt. He is schedule to compete at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica on May 1.      -Edited by Desmond Palmer