Usain Bolt didn't hang around on the track and the 100m and 200m world record holder didn't take long to name the four faces he'd include in his personal sporting Mount Rushmore.
The retired Jamaican sprinter lent his voice to one of the evergreen debates among sports fans, identifying four men from four different sports as the virtual replacements for US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln on the famous South Dakota monument.
As a nine-time Olympic Gold medallist and holder of two world records whose own website describes him as "arguably the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen", Bolt is well positioned to take a view.
"Oh my god," said Bolt when asked by TIME to name his Mount Rushmore of all-time sporting greats.
Advert
"Muhammad Ali. Michael Jordan. Pele. And me."
It's difficult to argue with those suggestions, though Pele's place would be keenly contested among many football fans who have a rich selection from which to choose. Bolt himself, though, is a lock. And he knows it.
"I’ve accomplished something that no one has ever done before," said Bolt. "I’m comfortable to say I’m a legend, because I’ve done great things."
Advert
There's no denying that. His taste in rock-mates is on point too.
Ali is widely considered one of the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived. He won 56 out of 61 professional bouts, before which he too won Olympic Gold, and was his sport's most magnetic personality throughout his 21-year career.
Jordan is the ultimate NBA legend. He was one of the driving forces behind six NBA championships won by the Chicago Bulls between 1991 and 1998, and was named the NBA Finals MVP on all six occasions. Like Bolt and Ali, Jordan is also an Olympic champion whose cultural value extends far beyond sport.
Pele won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, making him one of the most successful international footballers ever as well as a revered giant of the sporting world.
Advert
Bolt's passion for football is well documented. The Manchester United fan joined Australia's Central Coast Mariners on a training deal in 2018 but the parties couldn't come to an agreement before he left the club after eight weeks.
Topics: Usain Bolt, Pele, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali
Chris Nee