One debate which has cropped up as the Commonwealth Games close is whether Bolt’s showmanship and bravado in front of the camera was detrimental to the games or a beacon of light for future Games to come.
Certainly ‘the Bolt show’ which drew the Games to a climax on Saturday night can be viewed as singularly detaching from the sport in general and the other athlete’s successes.
And on one rainy day in Glasgow he was quoted to have not been the happiest athlete in the village regarding the Games as ‘a bit s**t’ and that the Olympics in London ‘were better’, Sir Steve Redgrave suggesting that the Commonwealth Games had ‘failed to capture’ the sprinters imagination.
Even Gabby Logan herself said that he wasn’t needed ‘to have a good party’, Bolt replying in tandem however singling her comments out after a scintillating run in the Semi’s of the men’s 4×4 100m.
His choice not to run in the men’s 100 or 200m individual races may have seemed frustrating from a Glaswegian point of view, leading them to ask the question of whether he thinks he is too good for the Games?
To many, Bolt’s antics and bravado in front of the camera may come across as arrogant, but whether he is an arrogant athlete or not, what he adds to Athletics is another dimension, he makes the sport look cool and serves as a role model to young people looking to get into sport.
In one sense whilst he may be a limelight stealer from other athletes, it doesn’t really take away from the athlete’s achievements; when he is there, people take notice of athletics and what is happening in athletics, drawing attention to other stars of track and field.
Whilst Bolt remains on the scene, athletics will continue to grow and develop a following and the Games in general will too. Bolt’s presence, arguably the greatest sprinter of all time, makes it worthwhile to watch the event on our TVs.
Despite being a showman, a loud-mouth, he still retains this magic that attracts people to the sport and this year he has managed to announce the Commonwealth Games as a key event in the sporting calendar.