Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

LESS THAN a month after appearing on 'The David Letterman Show' and 'Live with Regis and Kelly', two popular television shows in the United States, Jamaican triple gold medallist, Usain Bolt will be profiled on 'Real Sports' with Bryant Gumbel this month.

The edition of 'Real Sports', perhaps the most celebrated sports journalism show in the United States, will air on October 21 on cable channel, HBO.

Since he set world records in the 100- and 200-metre sprints and the 4x100-metre relay at the Beijing Olympics in August, Bolt has captured the imagina-tion of the world, breaking through into an American market like no other non-American track and field athlete in recent memory.

No dent in appeal

Such has been his popularity, criticisms of his celebratory antics by president of the International Olympic Com-mittee, Jacques Rogge, and aspersions cast by others that his performances might have been influenced by the use of per-formance-enhancing drug have failed to dent his appeal.

In fact, his popularity has only grown. Some of the world's leading sports stars are eager to meet him, while others have heaped praise on him.

Man to save the sport

Lamine Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, has described Bolt as the man to save the sport.

Track and field's image has been tarnished by repeated drug scandals over the past 20 years.

Real Madrid, one of the richest and most popular football clubs, has even extended an invitation to Bolt to join its training squad.

This, after Bolt expressed publicly that Ruud van Nistel-rooy, who plays for Real, was one of his favourite players.