While respecting an opposing country’s national anthem is something you would expect any Olympic athlete to do, we know that is not always the case. Following one of his recent preliminary race’s in London, Usain Bolt was in the middle of an interview when the US National Anthem began playing as Sanya Richards-Ross was being presented with her gold medal. Bolt instantly stopped the interview — which was being aired live — to acknowledge the presentation and show respect for a fellow athlete.
For those of you who are thinking “what’s the big deal,” there are plenty of athletes who would just continue their interview without thinking twice about it. That doesn’t mean they would be disrespecting a fellow competitor or country intentionally, but the fact that Bolt didn’t think twice about it says a lot about his character. He may be cocky and even a bit clumsy at times, but Usain deserves credit for the classy gesture.
