a letter from Jaques Rogge

"It's one thing for the Chinese government to jail dissidents, to forge the passports of underage gymnasts, and to set up official protest zones and then arrest anyone who applied to use them. These are matters that I met with disciplined silence, or as I so adroitly put it, with 'quiet diplomacy.' But I cannot ignore Bolt's disturbing spontaneity. Him, I feel compelled to rebuke.

...'I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters,' I said.

...Some people might ask what separates Bolt from other athletes who have celebrated unselfconsciously here...How is he different, for instance, from the U.S. women's beach volleyball team, which shrieked, hugged each other, cavorted, and fell about in the sand for several minutes, before congratulating its opponents?


Isn't it obvious? They are women in bikinis."

[the full -- BRILLIANT -- article is available here]