LONDON — Usain Bolt became a “legend” Thursday night by his own reckoning and then paid homage to the man who showed him what it means to be one.
Bolt became the first man to win both sprints at consecutive Olympics, winning the 200 meters in 19.32 seconds four days after taking the 100 in an Olympic-record 9.63 seconds. Then he gave a nod to his hero, Michael Johnson, who won the 200 and 400 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and once held world records in both.
“I’m now a legend,” Bolt said. “I am in the same category as Michael Johnson. I’m honored. It’s all about Michael Johnson for me. I grew up watching him break world records.”
It was an electric night in the Olympic Stadium filled with 80,000 spectators and palpable suspense. Not even a world record in the 800 meters earlier in the evening by David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya could take the spotlight way from Bolt. The moment he emerged from a tunnel and began warming up on the curve near the 200-meter start, flashbulbs sparkled all over the stadium as if to sprinkle stardust on the night.
Teammate Yohan Blake, who beat Bolt twice at the Jamaican Olympic Trials, finished in 19.44 for the silver medal. Warren Weir completed a sweep for Jamaica with the bronze in 19.84.
“God says it’s Usain’s time,” Blake said. “He has been working hard, he has been a good guy, motivating us, and it’s his moment. Let him enjoy his moment. I’m happy to be there with him. Can’t complain.”
Bolt thanked Blake for giving him the wake-up call he needed.
“He kind of knocked on my door and said, ‘Usain, this is an Olympic year. You’ve got to get serious. You’ve got to remember I’m here and I’m ready to go,’ ” Bolt said. “That was good for me, to have lost at the trials. It really opened my eyes.”
Wallace Spearmon, the only American in the race, finished fourth and apologized to fans for letting them down.
“Those guys are on another planet right now. Congratulations,” Spearmon said.
As if to underscore his connection to Johnson, Bolt ran the same time Johnson posted in Atlanta, then a world record that lasted 12 years until Bolt broke it in Beijing.
Until that night in China, many thought Johnson’s record would never be broken.
Ever the showman, Bolt gave the “royal wave” before the race in the manner of Queen Elizabeth. When he crossed the finish line, he put a finger up to his lips to drive home the way he silenced those who thought he was no longer unbeatable.
“That was for all the doubters,” Bolt said. “That was for them to say: ‘You can stop talking now. I’m a living legend now.’ “
Bolt said he now finds himself in the peculiar position of being without a goal, because he had achieved the one he set for himself here and isn’t even sure where to look. He expressed doubts he would compete in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, saying it would be a “hard mission” for him to stay on top at age 30.
“To set a goal for yourself to become a legend, and to accomplish that goal, is just a wonderful thing,” Bolt said. “It’s not going to hit you until you get home and sit down and really reminisce. When you’re talking to your friends that say: ‘Remember when you got injured? Remember Yohan beat you?’ Those are the things that will bring tears to your eyes, because you’re going to remember the journey that you pushed through. Then the happiness will come out.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616, jmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jmeyer26
