While you were at the beach this weekend, two of the most iconic athletes competing today had bona fide meltdowns.
On Friday, Usain Bolt finished his 100-meters race in 9.97 seconds, well behind America’s Tyson Gay, who clocked in at 9.84 seconds. It wasn’t just Bolt’s loss that stunned fans, though; it was the way in which he ran. The AP reports that Bolt never seemed to be a serious contender in the race, straining to keep pace with his American counterpart and looking visibly winded.
Gay himself commented on Bolt’s apparent struggles after the race: “I’m really happy with the win, even though Usain Bolt isn’t in the best shape,” he said.
While Bolt found himself winded on the track, Tiger Woods had the wind knocked out of him on the golf course.
We spent most of Friday mocking his goatee (along with the 10 other worst goatees in history), but we never would have imagined that it would instead be his golf game that would become something of an overnight punch line.
Woods shot 18 over par at the Firestone Country Club over the weekend, the single worst performance of his career. The abysmal score means that Woods falls to 10th place in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, which is well outside the automatic picks. Meaning he would have to get a special exemption to be included on the team.
Just how bad was Woods’ golf game this weekend? The superstar basically had to admit that he shouldn’t be given a Ryder berth: “I wouldn’t help the team if I’m playing like this. No one would help the team if they’re shooting 18 over par,” he said Sunday.
After the LeBron James primetime debacle, now Bolt and Woods join the hall of shame right alongside him. Fame can come quickly for star athletes, but when those skills start to waver, so can humility.