Bolt's legacy will remain unmatched: Coe
IAAF president pays homage to Jamaican after his final race on home soil
PHOTO: AFP
KINGSTON:
Usain Bolt is without question the greatest-ever track athlete and the Jamaican's involvement in athletics after his retirement will be paramount to ensure its relevance to a younger generation, according to International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe.
Coe watched Bolt cruise to victory in the 100m at the national stadium in Kingston on Saturday, the 30-year-old bidding farewell to more than 30,000 spectators at his last meeting on home soil.
Coe, who won back-to-back 1,500m golds among four Olympic medals, said no other sprinter could compare to the eight-time Olympic champion, who will bow out at the world championships in London.
"When you're sitting in the pub and you're having the discussion: who is the greatest footballer? Nobody will agree on that," said Coe. "But it's a slam dunk that [Bolt] is the greatest sprinter the world has ever seen.
Coe believes Bolt's brilliance on the track and his charisma off it is what defines his legacy. "If you look at the records he set, if you look at the Olympic championships he's had — three in a row — I'm not sure I'm ever going to see that in my lifetime," said Coe. "So it's a massive legacy and the most important legacy is that he has connected our sport to people who weren't traditional track and field fans, that's the measure of the man."
Usain Bolt is without question the greatest-ever track athlete and the Jamaican's involvement in athletics after his retirement will be paramount to ensure its relevance to a younger generation, according to International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe.
Coe watched Bolt cruise to victory in the 100m at the national stadium in Kingston on Saturday, the 30-year-old bidding farewell to more than 30,000 spectators at his last meeting on home soil.
Coe, who won back-to-back 1,500m golds among four Olympic medals, said no other sprinter could compare to the eight-time Olympic champion, who will bow out at the world championships in London.
Bolt headlines star-studded field in farewell meet on home soil
"When you're sitting in the pub and you're having the discussion: who is the greatest footballer? Nobody will agree on that," said Coe. "But it's a slam dunk that [Bolt] is the greatest sprinter the world has ever seen.
Coe believes Bolt's brilliance on the track and his charisma off it is what defines his legacy. "If you look at the records he set, if you look at the Olympic championships he's had — three in a row — I'm not sure I'm ever going to see that in my lifetime," said Coe. "So it's a massive legacy and the most important legacy is that he has connected our sport to people who weren't traditional track and field fans, that's the measure of the man."