Bolt denies criticizing Glasgow
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, July 31, 2014
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Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts as he watches the netball match between Jamaica and New Zealand at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, July 30, 2014. |
Usain Bolt denied reports yesterday that he called the Glasgow Commonwealth Games "a bit shit," ahead of his appearance in the 4x100 meters relay.
History's fastest man accused The Times newspaper of "creating lies to make headlines" after it reported he rubbished the 2014 Games while waiting for a car outside the athletes' village.
Asked whether he was having a good time in Glasgow, the Jamaican sprint star replied "not really" and said that the London 2012 Olympics "were better," according to The Times.
But Bolt's manager called the claims "rubbish" and the athlete himself took to Twitter to deny the report.
"I'm waking up to this nonsense... journalist please don't create lies to make headlines," he wrote.
Bolt later turned up to watch Jamaica play New Zealand at netball, where he joined in with a Mexican wave and told reporters the Games were "awesome."
Angus Macleod, The Times's Scottish editor, said that the paper had "utter confidence" in the story and that the reporter has "verbatim notes" of her encounter with Bolt.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist is due to make his first appearance in the Commonwealth Games at the 4x100m heats tomorrow, with the final on Saturday.
A Commonwealth Games Federation spokesman brushed off the reports, saying: "The Glasgow Games have so far been fantastic and everyone there, including the competing athletes, seems to be having a brilliant time."
Bolt met Prince William, his wife Kate and Prince Harry on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's world silver medalist Warren Weir got his campaign off to a confident start, while Canada took the first of the diving golds.
Weir, who won the bronze medal behind Bolt and Yohan Blake at the 2012 London Olympics, is one of the hot favorites to claim the 200m to make it a sprint double for Jamaica after Kemar Bailey-Cole clinched the 100m gold on Monday.
He lived up to that tag by cruising through his 200m heat in a comfortable time of 20.71 seconds.
In diving, taking place in Edinburgh, the favored Canadian pair Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion took gold in the women's synchronized 10m platform.
In women's field hockey there was joy for England as it edged Scotland 2-1 to reach the semifinals and a matchup with New Zealand, which was too good for Canada.
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