Usain Bolt had a plastic beer bottle thrown at him just moments before winning the 100m final at London 2012.
The worrying incident unfolded when the Jamaican sprint legend took to the start line at the London Stadium, as he prepared to defend his 100m title.
Bolt claimed the first of his three gold medals at London 2012 in the 100 metresAFPMany will remember Bolt’s heroics that summer, as he cemented his legend status by retaining his 100m and 200m gold medals, as well as triumphing in the 4x100m relay.
But fewer will recall events in the moments leading up to his first medal of the Games, where the athletics hero was targeted by a man suffering a ‘manic episode’, who had gained entry to the 100m final without a ticket.
Ashley Gill-Webb, then aged 34, used an old ticket to get into the Olympic Park and then the stadium.
Gill-Webb, who has bipolar disorder, then pushed his way to the front of the exclusive seating area, where he began to hurl abuse at Bolt.
The man from South Milford, North Yorkshire, began to taunt the fastest man of all time, shouting: “Usain I want you to lose, Usain you are bad, you are an a*******.”
He also yelled in support of Bolt’s leading rival, Yohan Blake: “Believe in Blake, no Usain.”
As the race began, Gill-Webb’s behaviour became more alarming; he threw a plastic beer bottle onto the track as the 100m race began.
But this did little to affect Bolt, who raced to victory in a time of 9.63 seconds, an Olympics record, ahead of compatriot Blake in second place, and the USA’s Justin Gatlin, who won bronze.
And Gill-Webb soon found himself in trouble for his conduct, as he was confronted over the bottle throwing by Dutch judo bronze medallist Edith Bosch, who had been close by in the stadium.
He was escorted from the stadium and arrested, before being found guilty of public disorder in January 2013.
Mr Gill-Webb used an expired ticket to get into a restricted area of the Olympic Stadium, before aiming abuse at BoltGetty Gill-Webb then threw a bottle at the track just moments before the race beganYouTube But the unsavoury incident did not stop Bolt from claiming his second 100m gold medalAFPA month later, Gill-Webb was given an eight-week sentence at Thames Magistrates Court.
Judge William Ashworth said that he had tarnished the spirit of the Games with his behaviour.
He said: “Your intention was to target the highest-profile event at the London Olympics and put off Usain Bolt.
“The potential harm of triggering a false start was significant. By good fortune, you failed.
“You did, however, spoil the occasion for some spectators and tarnish the spirit of the Games.”
The court heard how he used an old ticket to get into the Olympic Park on August 5.
Getty Images - GettyNothing could stop Usain Bolt from crossing the line first in the final of the 100m at London 2012[/caption]Defence psychiatrist Dr Roberta Adams told the court: “I don’t believe that he expected to get into the Olympic Park. I think he thought he would try it.
“He got into the Olympic Park and was in the Olympic Park for quite a while, and then he thought: ‘I have got into the Olympic Park, maybe I can get into the stadium’.”
While Gill-Webb originally denied throwing the beer bottle at the track, his DNA was subsequently found on it, and he later said he could not remember the incident.
His lawyers said he was suffering from a ‘manic episode’ at the time, which the judge later revealed had been taken into account, as he was given a reduced sentence.
Gill-Webb was unable to have any impact on the rest of Bolt’s Games campaign in London, where he went on to make history.
Days after his 100m triumph, he completed the sprint double with victory in the 200m, becoming the first man to successfully defend both crowns after recording the same feat at Beijing in 2008.
After adding another gold medal to his collection by winning the 4x100m relay, he then cemented his immortal status at the 2016 Olympics.
In Rio de Janeiro, Bolt once again defended his 100m and 200m titles to record an historic ‘triple-double’, making him the first ever athlete to do so.
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