As Jamaica readies itself to celebrate 50 years of independence, its most famous son blasted to 100m gold in the capital of the country's former colonial rulers – a point made by the Jamaica Gleaner who thank both Usain Bolt and the silver-medallist Yohan Blake for a "birthday gift".
Eschewing the lightning headlines scattered liberally elsewhere, The Gleaner instead dubbed the sprinter "Hurricane Bolt", noting that the hurricane "Ernesto might have spared Jamaica, for the most part, but the world felt the effects of 'Hurricane Bolt'". Later in the report comes a quote from Blake, who says: "Jamaica, we likkle but we tallawah". Elsewhere, the Jamaica Observer simply cries: "Bolt is a legend!".
In America, Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated makes the point that Bolt's win in London outstripped his 2008 victory in Beijing, adding that while his China gold was sealed with "playful arrogance" as part of the "Bolt Show", "the scent of vulnerability trailed him into London". This time, writes Layden, Bolt had a fight on his hands with both a strong field, recent injury and poor form to contend with.
"He walked onto the track at 9:41 Sunday night, energizing a stadium that had struggled to rise again to the manic level of the previous night, when Great Britain won three gold medals in 46 minutes. Bolt gave them the juice they needed to rise again." Layden concludes that Bolt is wrong to say he's "one step closer to being a legend" because "he is already there, larger than life and larger than his sport".
In the New York Times, Campbell Robertson reports from The Electric club in Brixton, scene of an impromptu Jamaican carnival and "the closest thing to a hometown crowd [Bolt] can get 4,700 miles from home."
"'Who won the race?' the D.J. shouted at the crowd on Sunday night. 'Who won the race?' 'Bolt, Bolt, Bolt, Bolt, Bolt!' the crowd shouted back. With that fact established, Bob Marley's 'One Love' came over the speakers. And two hours before Jamaica's 50th anniversary of independence from Britain, the Jamaican outpost of Brixton began to celebrate the success of its countryman Usain St. Leo Bolt, the fastest man in London and anywhere else."
In Italy, Gazetta dello Sport, reckon Bolt "literally unplugged' Justin Gatlin saying that "the fastest man on earth" won the race his way: "not superb, but not disastrous". They add that, by the second half of the race "Bolt was just so impregnable that at the finish line he allowed himself a hint of a sideways glance to make sure everything was in order".
In Germany, Eurosport celebrated "The Bolt Show", likening his trademark celebration to an archer drawing back a bow. "Gold, gold again! Olympic champion Usain Bolt was the 'Archer', bouncing with the Jamaican flag on the track of his dreams, and then turning a cocky somersault. What a night, what a time! As the fastest man in the world shot across the finish line in the 100 meter final, thousands of cameras flashed as the hurricane in the London Olympic stadium reached its peak."
Around the world, and closer to home, variations on "Lightning strikes twice" was the headline of choice. "Who says lightning can't strike in the same place?" says The Australian. "The Lightning Bolt, it's back, baby," says USA Today. "Lightning strikes twice," adds The Wall Street Journal, while Agence France Presse says: "Lightning Bolt flashes to London gold".
There were few striking sour notes, though China Daily managed to point out that, though Bolt was the fastest in the 100m, when it came to the medals table China was "back to top".
Perhaps it's the fierceness of that medal race that got to the AP sports columnist Jim Litke. The American called our Olympics "overhyped and increasingly over-budget" before pointing out that Bolt's 100m display "saved" everyone with a stake in the Olympics, including the IOC, Locog and the American TV channel NBC.
Oddly, one of the places to carry Litke's piece was an NBC channel itself: "It took [Bolt] longer to get down on both knees and kiss the track than it did to glide over the most important 100 meters of it. Yet it's everyone else with a stake in this overhyped and increasingly over-budget extravaganza – the International Olympic Committee, the London organizers, NBC, his sport and even his fellow competitors – who should be kissing the ground Usain Bolt walks on. He saved their games."
An odd point, perhaps, on a day in which the rest of the world seemed ready to celebrate Bolt's remarkable run.