Thousands Greet Usain Bolt

Thousands of Jamaicans turned out yesterday (September 8), at the Norman Manley International Airport and along the route into Kingston, to welcome home triple Olympic Champion and double World Record holder, Usain Bolt.
The Golden Boy of track and field made his much anticipated return to an atmosphere fit for a King.
Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, headlined the list of dignitaries who gathered to meet him at the Airport.
“Usain has demonstrated that we can be the best in the world and he has demonstrated that in a way that nobody else has done,” the Prime Minister said in an interview with JIS News.
“His performance is so extraordinary that although Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens both secured three gold medals individually, none of them brought home three World Records and Usain Bolt has done that. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes of all time,” Prime Minister Golding added.
In anticipation of talking to Mr. Bolt upon his return to Jamaica for the first time since his performances at the Beijing Olympics, the Prime Minister said: “What I really want to say to him is welcome home, this is your land that you have made so proud and we want you to feel good about coming back to your country.”
Those who were fortunate to see the Olympian, or even better, to touch him, were beside themselves with emotion.
“It is just awesome. I feel like I am living in historic times and it is just a pleasure for me to be a part of this and to be able to have an opportunity to see him for the first time, coming back to Jamaica after such a performance,” said Samantha, an employee at the airport.
“From the very first event that he won, I have been anticipating his arrival,” she said.
Another proud Jamaican, Dion, who was able to see Bolt as the motorcade travelled by the Harbour View round-about, was ecstatic, as she told JIS News, about a kiss she received from Mr. Bolt.
“I was the first one standing out there and I saw the motorcade coming and I ran down there and he gave me a kiss on my lips and my hand, that was so exciting. The fastest man in the world gave me a kiss, oh my God,” she said with excitement.
Such was the anticipation and yearning to see Mr. Bolt that not even the rain could deter Jamaicans from coming out to greet their hero.
“A Bolt wi come fi meet rain or sunshine,” said Tameka Reid, who was travelling with a busload of people who were intent on seeing Mr. Bolt.
The motorcade travelled along Mountain View Avenue, Arthur Wint Drive, Tom Redcam Avenue, Trafalgar Road, Knutsford Boulevard and ended at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, where a press conference was hosted for local and international media, to get a chance to speak with the athlete.
As the first man to set three World Records at an Olympic Games, Mr. Bolt has cemented his place in history and those who were able to see it, will remember it for a very, very long time.
On October 3, the Government will put on a massive celebration for all the Olympic athletes.
Mr. Golding said that the event would be more extravagant than the Independence Grand Gala, which was hosted on August 6, to local and international acclaim.