Usain Bolt got wiped out by a cameraman on a Segway after beating Justin Gatlin in the 200 meter final in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Aug 27. The Jamaican Olympic gold medalist was walking barefoot post-race when the cameraman’s Segway went amok and rammed into Bolt, who fell over backwards. The 10-times world champion did not appear badly injured by the incident, managed to see the funny side and was soon posing for pictures with his adoring crowd again.
“It didn’t actually hit me in my Achilles, it hit me in my calf area. It’s alright, I will get over it. Never a doubt [for the relays], never a doubt. I am just going to get it massaged, ice it up a bit and I should be fine. The rumour I’m trying to start right now is that Justin Gatlin paid him off,” Bolt said.
Watch how Usain Bolt got totally wiped out by a cameraman:
An attendant rushed to help Bolt up, while the poor cameraman was left in the dust until another crew member finally came to his aid.
Before the drama, Bolt’s time of 19.55 sec was the fastest in the world this year and his quickest since winning gold at London 2012. Usain Bolt beat two-time drug cheat Justin Gatlin in the men’s 200 metres to secure the World Championship sprint double in Beijing.
The Segway had more of an impact on Bolt than main rival Gatlin, who was quick to look forward to Rio 2016. “I’m the oldest man in the field and still running, running pretty well,” said Gatlin. “It feels good to go against [Bolt]. I’m just going to prepare myself for next year, for the Olympics and come out even stronger.”