I just finished reading Ann Killion’s article in the SJ Mercury News. 

She asked the same question I was asking and arrived at a different conclusion, that Usain Lightning Bolt was the real star of the Olympics.

And I must agree with her.

Usain won the prestige event, the 100m race. That is the event that has 90,000 people in the stadium and a billion world wide holding their breath to see who will win. I know I’ll be talking about Bolt with my cousins in Greece. I know they won’t care about what Phelps did or did not do.

Phelps is undoubtedly the greater champion, but Bolt, by virtue of coming later, by virtue of winning the biggest races in the grandest of style is the star of these Olympics.

And perhaps the problem is that Bolt’s victory is surreal but understandable. I mean he ran fast and he won three gold medals, and we understand that. But Phelps, well Phelps won the moral equivalent of the 100m, 200m, 400m, 110m hurdles, 4x100m, 4x400m, 4x400m hurdles, and the long jump. That’s incomprehensible.  You just say it and want to go: no, can’t be done…

So yes Phelps is the champion, but Bolt is the star.