Devon Dick

I need to apologise to the great Usain Bolt for putting him in the same category as Carl Lewis. In my July 15 article titled 'Bolt for four gold medals', I said: "Can you imagine Bolt winning the 100m and the 4x100m in world record times? He would be regarded as one of the greats such as Americans Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Jamaican Herb McKenley."

However, Carl Lewis is not in Usain Bolt's league. I realised that not because the IAAF president Lamine Diack said that Bolt was better than Lewis, but because of the research I did on Lewis after his comments were reported in Saturday's Gleaner.

Lewis said that he could not respect Bolt's performance because there was no random drug testing in Jamaica. However, The Gleaner should be thanked for contacting Dr Herb Elliot, the Jamaican team doctor and member of the IAAF anti-doping commission, who disputed that claim and stated that he tested Bolt 15 times between November and December.

Lewis should be the last person to question Bolt's performance as being tainted with drugs, since he failed so many drug tests himself. According to a BBC article, 'Lewis cautious over Bolt's success', Lewis failed three drugs tests in 1988.

Caught at 1988 US trials

Jacquelin Magnay, in 'Lewis' positive drug test cover-up', said Lewis was caught at the 1988 United States Olympic trials, which he has admitted. But, on appeal to the national Olympic committee, he was cleared of inadvertent doping. Because of the failed drug tests at the trials, Lewis should have been prevented from participating in the Seoul Olympics. Lewis' achievements are tainted.

The only person that can be compared to Bolt would be Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and whose 100m world record stood for 20 years, and whose long jump world record lasted for 25 years.

However, Bolt would get the edge because he participated in three events in world record times and victories in the 100m and 200m were by unheard-of margins.

I am not the only one who should apologise to Usain Bolt but also the Government for a poorly organised welcome-home at the Norman Manley International Airport. Bolt was bruised and scratched. And when we compare how well organised the Trinidadian welcome and the Kenyan welcome were, for their Olympic heroes, ours was a disappointment.

I also thought that instead of the Government officials lecturing Bolt on what he must do for the country, it should have been stated what the country, through the Government, would do.

Upgrade national awards

The Trinidadian athletes got cash and, Thompson, who won the silver medal, received the second-highest national award.

Bolt deserves no less and his national award of the Order of Distinction (OD) must be upgraded to an Order of Merit (OM), if space allows, but not less than an Order of Jamaica (OJ). By the way, Veronica Campbell Brown's ought to be upgraded also.

Since the Reggae Boyz, who qualified and played in the World Cup in France in 1998 got land, then Bolt, with his achievements, should get house and land and the other athletes get similar gifts.

Courtney Walsh has a diplomatic passport and an ambassadorial title. Bolt deserves no less. Bolt's homecoming should have been used to show our appreciation and for the announcement of the rewards he and others would get.

C. Lloyd Allen, one of Jamaica's most accomplished administrators in boxing, tennis and at INSPORTS, informed me that Jesse Owens came to Jamaica and participated in the ground-breaking for our National Stadium. The homecoming of Bolt should have been used to celebrate all other past Olympians and links to the past.

Again, my apologies to the Honourable Usain Bolt and let us hope that the three or is it four or 10-day celebrations will be much better.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'.