By Louis Ritchie
I read an article in Track and Field News that Usain Bolt wants to someday, be known, as the “Greatest Athlete of All Time!”
The multiple global gold medallist, says he wants to secure his legacy. Nothing against Usain Bolt, but there’s been too many great athletes over the last 100 years, for him to even come close to being the greatest. He still has a long way to go, (in my opinion) to surpass, the likes of, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Wayne Gretzky, Pele, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, and the great distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie!
As of now, he’s the fastest sprinter of all times, but I don’t think, he’ll ever be known, as the “Greatest Athlete of All Time!” If you want to talk about just greatest Track and Field athletes of all time, then we have something to argue about. When it comes to talking about the greatest sprinters of all times, Usain Bolt has never won (4) gold medals in a single Olympics, like Jesse Owens, and Carl Lewis did. Plus, Carl Lewis, and Al Oerter are the only male athletes in Olympic history to win gold medals in a single event in four consecutive Olympics’.
I don’t care what Usain Bolt does the rest of his sprinting career, Jesse Owens will always be known, as the greatest Track and Field athlete of all times! Jesse Owens’ name is synonymous with Track and Field! There are several statues of Jesse Owens around the US. There’s a museum named after Jesse Owens! When Jesse Owens was a sophomore at Ohio State, in less than an hour, he tied the world’s record in the 100 meter dash, broke the world’s record in the 220 yards dash, 220 yard low hurdles, and long Jump! Sports Illustrated, said, it’s the greatest 45 minutes in sports history!
I don’t want to burst your bubble Usain, but until you win four gold medals in a single Olympics’ I can’t even mention you in the same breath as Jesse Owens, and Carl Lewis as the greatest Track and Field athletes of all time (not to mention greatest athlete of all times)!
**The views expressed in this article are those of the author (Louis Ritchie) and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, TrackAlerts.com.
