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  <updated-at type="datetime">2008-09-10T07:14:55-04:00</updated-at>
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  <title>Bolt's celebration: Over the top or just good fun?</title>
  <published-at type="datetime">2008-08-21T11:21:52-04:00</published-at>
  <comments-count type="integer">25</comments-count>
  <created-at type="datetime">2008-09-10T06:40:13-04:00</created-at>
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      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-23T16:04:29-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <state>NJ</state>
          <display-name>Mark from Basking Ridge</display-name>
          <city>Basking Ridge               </city>
          <id type="integer">477448</id>
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        <body>Asserting that Chinese gymnasts are underage and accusing swimmers of using performance enhancing drugs (as implied in the postings) without proof reflected the same bias and arrogance you accused of Rogg and it devalued and discredited your arugments and opinions posted here. You can allege a misdeed and vioce your suspicion before proof, but making a statement and presenting it as a matter of fact without concrete evidence to back it up shows immaturity and extreme prejudice. It is funny how you never used the same imagination and suspicion that Bolt might have been juiced for him to be cranking out his exceedingly impressive performance at these Olympic Games.</body>
        <id type="integer">2571509</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-23T10:48:12-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <comments-count type="integer">1</comments-count>
          <state>FL</state>
          <display-name>Proud Jamaica</display-name>
          <city>Clermont                    </city>
          <id type="integer">480270</id>
        </user>
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        <body>Rogge's comment was unnecessary....Since he has not walked in 
Usain's shoes, much less to run 100m, he will NEVER understand 
why the young man was excited....Could it be that he lost a bet on the race !!!!!

Yes arjay13, Bolt has added GOLD  in Relay team- Best Record!!!! Is that enough for you to recognize the hottest star athlete at Bejing?Go Usain....a

From the thoughts of a 
 Proud Jamaican in Clermont Florida</body>
        <id type="integer">2570718</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-23T02:14:40-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <comments-count type="integer">1</comments-count>
          <state>FL</state>
          <display-name>feargame</display-name>
          <city>Fort Lauderdale             </city>
          <id type="integer">480119</id>
        </user>
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        <body>Common now! He should have given more in 100m because this is the Olympics? HE BROKE THE WORLD RECORD! Remember, he already held the world record title. While some of you may say that his premature celebrations in 100m was over the top, disrespectful and making a mockery of the race, what you fail to realize is that next time he runs this event, everyone will be on the edge of their seat waiting to see what he is going to do and so will you. He broke the world record, did it in style and everyone was left with something to look forward to in track and field. 

Fittingly, Bolt shrugged off Rogge's remarks! Why? Because the fans and supporters, his country and his sponsor loved it!

Here is some info to dwell on! Puma, Bolt's sponsor, sold 1 million pairs of his shoe within an hour of him winning the 100m. After the 200m, they sold 2 million! Which other athlete at the games did that for their sponsors? 

Say what you want, but he'll be celebrating all the way to the bank!</body>
        <id type="integer">2570181</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-22T19:35:56-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <comments-count type="integer">1</comments-count>
          <state>CA</state>
          <display-name>dbordelon</display-name>
          <city>Anaheim                     </city>
          <id type="integer">479895</id>
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        <body>Amazing performance. All the more so in that he essentially jogged across the finish line.

But therein lies the one serious problem with Bolt's victory procession; it began BEFORE the finish line. 

In  the Olympics you give 100%. Anything less is an insult to the games, and to all those who have endured so much to get there.</body>
        <id type="integer">2569028</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-22T14:45:35-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <comments-count type="integer">1</comments-count>
          <state>NY</state>
          <display-name>shan44</display-name>
          <city>New York                    </city>
          <id type="integer">479787</id>
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        <body>you people all need to look at what is really the issue at hand here. this has nothing to do with race, as alot of you have so quickly pointed out. Usain Bolt's obnoxious demonstration during the last 20 meters of his 100M was disrespectful not only to his fellow competitors, but to viewers and to the spirit of the Olympic Games. Rogge is not critizicing him for his celebration afterwards, or for the color of his skin, but for the flagrant lack of sportsmanship he displays. of course, in today's society Rogge is accused of being a racist. 

I'm not saying he is a saint here people - i think it is disgraceful the way the IOC has turned a blind eye to China's false promises and blatent cheating - but don't give Usain Bolt more credit than he deserves.</body>
        <id type="integer">2566441</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-21T22:24:28-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <comments-count type="integer">61</comments-count>
          <state>CA</state>
          <display-name>tinka</display-name>
          <city>Palo Alto                   </city>
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        <body>Rogge says nothing about US, Russia and Georgia breaking the Olympic truce , launching attacks Aug 7 and killing thousands while fake doves were flying in the opening ceremony.
Yet he tkes a break from shopping long enough to diss Jamaica, which is small  but has always been the most exciting team at the Olympics. Doesn't it top the medals per population table too? 
Rogge swaps vile commercialism and kow-towing to authoritarian regimes for true Olympic spirit, thats why he's the head of IOC.</body>
        <id type="integer">2559585</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-21T20:15:19-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
          <image nil="true"></image>
          <comments-count type="integer">247</comments-count>
          <state>CT</state>
          <display-name>ChinaSucks</display-name>
          <city>Norwalk                     </city>
          <id type="integer">472491</id>
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        <body>Let me add on...

The host country can cheat, lie for 10 years about the things it will do for the Olympics, can put a 77 &amp;amp; 78 year old elderly couple in jail for a year for filing to protest their losing their home for an Olympic garden, but Bolt, who broke two world records, a feat no one thought would be broken, can't celebrate even though these types of celebrations are common in T&amp;amp;F?

The IOC needs an overhaul, starting with its &amp;quot;fearless&amp;quot; leader.</body>
        <id type="integer">2558573</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-21T20:11:55-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
          <image nil="true"></image>
          <comments-count type="integer">247</comments-count>
          <state>CT</state>
          <display-name>ChinaSucks</display-name>
          <city>Norwalk                     </city>
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        <body>The host country and the largest country in the world can cheat, but an athlete from a small island can't celebrate his amazing victories? 

Rogge is a hypocrite, weak and laughable.</body>
        <id type="integer">2558569</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-21T16:11:23-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
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          <state>NY</state>
          <display-name>StGeorge</display-name>
          <city>New York                    </city>
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        <body>Rogge is a joke,
If the other competitors didn't like Bolt's celebration, they should come in first so that they don't have to watch him celebrate.
Bolt's celebration was befitting of the occasion. Who can tell me with a straight face that they wouldn't celebrate winning the hundred in 9.69 for the Gold at the Olympics. I thought so, no one.
These guys work way way too hard to reach where they are. Keep on celebrating Bolt.
The haters like Rogge are just going to keep on hating. It's in peoples culture to celebrate when they have done something unique and special.
Rogge is a hater, instead of worrying about the Chinese obviously using pre-teens, and how these swimmers keep on breaking world records in every race, he decides to hate on the most watched race of the Olympics.
Rogge is a joke</body>
        <id type="integer">2556752</id>
      </comment>
      <comment>
        <quotable>
        </quotable>
        <created-at>2008-08-21T16:07:31-04:00</created-at>
        <user>
          <image nil="true"></image>
          <comments-count type="integer">2</comments-count>
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          <display-name>StGeorge</display-name>
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        <body>Rogge is a joker.
If the other athletes didn't like the celebration. There's only one thing to do, come first next time.
Guys like Bolt work their tails off to get to where they are, I would be worried if he didn't celebrate the way he did after doing what he did. The only thing Bolt did wrong was he made it look to easy for these haters like Rogge. Keep celebrating Bolt, I know I would if I ran 9.69 in the hundred to take the Gold. And whomever says they  wouldn't celebrate like Bolt under the circumstances is either lying to themselves or doesn't deserve to run for their country.</body>
        <id type="integer">2556676</id>
      </comment>
    </comments>
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  <body>&lt;em&gt;By Dick Friedman &lt;/em&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sixty-six-year old IOC president &lt;strong&gt;Jacques Rogge&lt;/strong&gt; has presented the Grumpy Old Man view of the post-race celebrations of Jamaica&amp;#39;s 100-meter and 200-meter gold-medal winner &lt;strong&gt;Usain Bolt&lt;/strong&gt;. As the AP reported: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I have no problem with him doing a show,&amp;quot; Rogge said in an interview with three international news agency reporters. &amp;quot;I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters.&amp;quot; Having built a huge lead in Saturday&amp;#39;s 100 final, Bolt slowed, glanced around with arms outstretched and pounded his chest before crossing the finish line in a world record time of 9.69 seconds. &amp;quot;I understand the joy,&amp;quot; Rogge said. &amp;quot;He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was &amp;#39;catch me if you can.&amp;#39; You don&amp;#39;t do that. But he&amp;#39;ll learn. He&amp;#39;s still a young man.&amp;quot; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Well, for one thing, Bolt isn&amp;#39;t as young as he was yesterday--he turns 22 today. (Happy birthday, my man!)...But to me, Bolt&amp;#39;s celebrations (including his dances) were not out of bounds. He just seemed like an athete reveling in the moment. (Moreover, there was nothing vulgar in his display.) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You gotta wonder what Rogge would say about &lt;b&gt;Chad Johnson&lt;/b&gt;...&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But how do you feel? Do you agree with Rogge?&lt;/p&gt;</body>
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