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Watch Usain Bolt get mowed down by cameraman on Segway

Technically Incorrect: You always thought Segways were dangerous, didn't you? The gold medal sprinter thinks they're deadly.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


Look behind you. Iridium33/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

I don't have the statistics of accidents involving Segways at hand.

This one, though, could have involved tragedy, but ended up only containing poetry and a little ballet.

Here was Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt celebrating his 200 meters victory at the World Championships in Beijing on Thursday.

And there was a cameraman on a Segway trying to capture the moment.

Suddenly, down went Bolt, as if struck by -- no, I'm not going to write "lightning" -- a cameraman on a Segway.

The Telegraph quoted Bolt as saying: "He tried to kill me!"

I fear this may be a slight exaggeration. The Segway rolled up onto a metal barrier as the cameraman tried to take a better shot.

After that, it was out of control and the ballet-hoo began.

The Guardian offered another quote from Bolt: "The rumor I'm trying to start right now is that Justin Gatlin paid him off." (Gatlin, Bolt's rival from the US, was soundly beaten in the race.)

Gatlin replied: "I want my money back."

As for Bolt's actual injuries, he said: "It's alright, I will get over it. Never a doubt [for the relays], never a doubt. I am just going to get it massaged, ice it up a bit and I should be fine."

I wonder if famed Segway-rider Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak ever had an accident like this. I certainly know of no incident in which he accidentally plowed into, say, a long line of people waiting for a new iPhone to come out.

Something we can forget is that technology isn't perfect. GPS can lead us into ditches, just as the Internet can lead us into terrible temptation.

So remember, kids, Segways can be dangerous. Steer them carefully. Don't text and Segway. And don't take pictures with your iPhone while you're on one either.