Jamaica gets 123 in 200m final

I am so proud of Usain Bolt and his fellow athletes of Team JA, Blake and Weir.  Usain Bolt has now won both 100m and 200m Gold at two consecutive olympics. I actually thought it would be a tight race between him and Blake but he excelled. There were no new world records but Jamaica and her diaspora are truly celebrating the 50th year Independence anniversary with a whole new sense of pride. Jamaica may be a small island in comparison to the UK and America but they love sports and truly have been excelling. Many people may complain about Bolt non-serious pre race antics but I love it. It makes the sport exciting and less boring. If you cant have fun in what you do why bother. 

Usain Bolt getting ready 2012

Usain tweeted this video today. I guess he is getting ready for big things in 2012.

I do not blame Bolt

For a while now I have been hearing about Usain Bolt not wanting to compete in the UK in athletics events. This includes Diamond league events were the top athletes travel around the world and race against each other. They can earn huge sums for taking part and if they break any records they are paid more.

I watched the event in Paris and Colin Jackson asked Bolt if he would change his mind to come to the UK. He politely explained that to come to England would mean that he would be taxed by the British tax man (otherwise known as HRMC) more than he would earn than taking part in the event. Therefore its not worth it as he does need to provide for his family and his self. Think about it, unless you are volunteering your services, you would expect to get paid. Why should he come to England for the greedy tax man to take more than what he earns from him in tax. The tax man also will demand 1/6th of all money he gets from his worldwide endorsements for the year. He is not even a citizen here.

HRMC knows this is a problem in attracting top athletes to compete in the UK. As they have already agreed to lift these rules for the Olympic 2012 games coming to East London. Surely HRMC can make more money by having tax laws that make participating and adding to the UK  tax pool (surely they have enough and just need to manage their funds better) more inviting. Oh well, even though Bolt is happy to pay 50% tax HRMC is sticking to their greasy palms. It would have been nice to see Bolt, Gaye, Powell all compete together in the UK.

So I do not blame Bolt at all for not coming here to the UK. I also understand more why Lewis Hamilton change his residency. UK tax system does not encourage anyone to earn serious money unless you earn enough that your interest makes up the difference from what the tax man has taken.

Read more Usain snubs Britain and Usain predicts a new best

Usain Bolt honorary doctorate

Usain Bolt has surely made his fellow islanders (including my whole family) very proud. Not only has he firmly put his name in the track and field history books and can be seen doing the latest dancehall moves in video and at clubs.

He is now being given a honorary doctorate by the Queens University London. He will be honoured amongst other great people such as Nobel Prize winner from India Professor Amartya Kumar Sen and many others.

Bolt is also due to release two books about his life. An autobiography and an illustrated book. (read more here)

Now let us see and admire what Bolt achieves next!!