Rogge chides Bolt for lack of respect to rivals

Source: China Daily | 08-22-2008 11:32

BEIJING - Jamaican double sprint gold medalist Usain Bolt is now on a par with the great US sprinter Jesse Owens but should show more respect to his fellow competitors, IOC chief Jacques Rogge said on Thursday.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates winning the men's 200m final at  the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium at the Beijing Olympic Games  on August 20, 2008. Bolt should "show more respect" for his  rivals, said IOC President Jacques Rogge on Thursday.

Owens became one of the biggest names in the Olympics by winning four golds in the 1936 Berlin Games but Bolt's 100 and 200 meters wins, both set in world record times, have earned him a place alongside the American, according to Rogge.

"Bolt is another dimension in sprint," the International Olympic Committee president told international news agencies in an interview.

"Bolt must be considered now the same way like Jesse Owens should have been in the '30s. It is different in that Bolt has a bigger edge than Owens in his finals."

The Jamaican won both races by a wide margin.

"Bolt in a way -- if he maintains that in the future -- will bring a mark like Jesse Owens."