London: Prince Harry beat Usain Bolt in a race during his visit to Kingston, as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour.
When the 27-year-old prince challenged the Olympic champion to a race over 30 metres, he waited until the 100m record-holder’s back was turned, then dashed off down the track.
Bolt was left staring in disbelief, while Harry was so pleased with himself that he threw his arms wide in celebration as he crossed the finish line with a huge grin on his face.
When challenged to a rematch at London 2012, the prince smiled and replied: “I’m busy.”
The third in line to the throne struck up an instant rapport with Bolt when he visited the track where the sprinter trains at the University of the West Indies.
Harry wore a Jamaican team kit, to the delight of athletes gathered at the track named after Bolt.
“I was in my prime when I was 25,” the Telegraph quoted the Prince as telling Bolt, as he prepared his excuses for the race to come.
Then, as Bolt began giving him tips on sprinting technique, the prince made his dash for glory as he showed a clean pair of heels to the fastest man that ever lived.
Later, the two lined up together on the starting blocks, but Bolt again allowed the prince to win as they ran down the track together.
The prince, looking far more relaxed than at any other point in his tour of the Caribbean, even posed for pictures striking the runner’s trademark “lightning bolt” celebration pose alongside him.
“He cheated, but I’m still the fastest man in the world, so he has got a long way to go,” Bolt said.
“He knew that he wouldn’t beat me and he wanted to make sure he went back to London saying he beat me.
“I told him he had better make time for a rematch at London 2012, because it’s on. He said he would be busy!” he said.
Bolt, 25, who smashed the world 100m record with a time of 9.58sec in 2009, was all praises for the young prince.
“He was so cool, we had fun. It was wonderful.
“I think I taught him a few things about the start [of races] he may just tell the people back home,” Bolt added.
In a visit to a new law faculty at the University of the West Indies, where the prince was given an honorary fellowship as he opened the building, he could not resist crowing about his achievements on the track.
“I have to say that it is rather more restful being here than it was an hour ago, when I was being put through my paces by the world``s fastest star - who I beat, by the way,” he said.
ANI
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