Elite Montreal Business School Hautes Études Commerciales Apologizes for Blackface Mockery of Usain Bolt

Students at elite Montreal business school, Hautes Études Commerciales, under fire for blackface mockery of Jamaicans, including Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

A group of students at elite Hautes Études Commerciales, the Université de Montréal’s business school, have engaged in racist behavior after they painted themselves in blackface and chanted in mock Jamaican accents at a back-to-school event and even mocking Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The university has issued a statement expressing its regret. Um, you would think that someone who is a student at an elite business school would have some COMMON SENSE.

The frosh-week stunt was organized by a student sports committee at the Hautes Études Commerciales, the Université de Montréal’s business school. Participants were encouraged to dress in Olympic-themed costumes, with one group choosing to portray Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

Along with donning the colours of the Jamaican flag, several students also covered their face, arms and legs in black paint. The colourful attire included at least one Rastafarian hat, one green underwear patterned with monkey faces, and a stuffed animal that students carried around.

One witness, who is of Jamaican descent, said he felt uncomfortable and was shocked to hear some students chanting, “Smoke more weed.” At one point the students also repeatedly chanted, “Ya man!” Source: The Star

This was deeply offensive and disturbing on so many levels. As someone who was born in Jamaica, I find it racist and degrading not only because Jamaica has made a significant contribution to the world of sports and music, but because it is just plain wrong and insensitive. Usain Bolt, or any black person for that matter, should not be denigrated and reduced to a mockery.

Usain Bolt Leads Jamaica to 4X100M Relay World Record, As USA Relay Curse Continues

Usain Bolt leads Jamaica to a new 4X100m relay world record, clocking 37.04 seconds, to end the IAAF Championships in Daegu, South Korea, while U.S.A. falls to the relay curse once again! Great work by the Jamaicans. Usain Bolt and his team mates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake did the "No Problem Mon" island proud!

Usain Bolt Wins Gold Medal in 200m Final at IAAF Championship in Daegu South Korea, USA Walter Dix Takes Silver

Usain Bolt wins gold in 200m at IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Bolt, who was disqualified after a false start in the 100m six days ago, redeemed himself by running the third fastest time in his career. Bolt ran the race in 19.40 seconds. He becomes the first man since Calvin Smith in 1987 to retain a 200m world title. USA's Walter Dix took silver in 19.70 secs with France's Christophe Lemaitre running his personal best to take bronze in 19.80 secs.

Usain Bolt coasts to 200m Finals in Classic Style at IAAF World Championships in Daegu South Korea

Usain Bolt coasts to 200m finals in classic style in IAAF World Championship in Daegu, South Korea. Last week's false start disqualification a distant memory!

Usain Bolt Shatters his Own 2009 Beijing Olympics Record, Clocks 9.58 in 100M at IAAF World Championships to Beat Tyson Gay (VIDEO)

UPDATE

After a phenomenal year, Usain Bolt has pulled out of the Daegu Pre-Championship Meeting in South Korea this month citing fatigue, organisers say. His withdrawal means he is also likely to miss the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix which takes place five days earlier.

"Bolt's agent on Wednesday informed us that he cannot take part in the competition in Daegu due to his not-good physical condition," said an official from the Daegu organising body. "We feel really sorry not to have him at the competition given the huge publicity effect he can bring to any athletic event."

UPDATE

The "Thunderbolt" strikes again! Usain Bolt shatters his own world record (19.30 in 2008 Beijing Olympics) in the 200m race, clocking 19.19.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Usain Bolt delivered -- 9.58! He broke his own world record in the 100m from the 2009 Beijing Olympics. Tyson Gay couldn't catch up to him. Usain is the fastest man in the world. Bolt shattered the world record at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany!

Jamaica's Bobsled Team on Track to Qualify for the 21st Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver

Laugh all you want, the Jamaican Bobsled Team is back and on track in its qualifying bid for the 21st Olympic Winter Games scheduled to be held February 12-28, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. According to the Jamaica Information Service, the team recently concluded four months of training and competition with a 10th place finish in the two-man race at the Bobsled and Skeleton World Championship in Lace Placid, New York. Yes mon, laugh all you want, as a Jamaican expat, I have to be happy for my yaadies.

Other highlights of the team's season include a 20th place finish at the Junior World Championship in Koenigsee, Germany, as well as extensive sliding time in Park City, Utah. While on a brief stopover in New York on April 3 on their way home from Lake Placid, Alexander, Wallace and Marvin Dixon, toured the Jamaican-owned Caribbean Food Delights production plant located in Tappan.

Devon Harris, a member of Jamaica's first bobsled team, which qualified for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, served as chaperone during the group's stop in New York. Source: JIS

Don't count the island out yet, if the past Olympics in which Usain Bolt and the other sprinters made a tremendous mark, this may be yet another area in which the island does well. Okay, I am not saying they will win, but they may surprise everyone. Yeh mon, Jamaica's got a bobsled team!

Swimming Phenomenon Michael Phelps Seen Inhaling Marijuana from a Bong, Acknowledge's Behavior as "Regrettable"

UPDATE

Michael Phelps has acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper showed him smoking marijuana.

In a statement released to, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, conceded the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World. Shameful. Simply shameful. So, when Kobe Bryant was accused of raping a young lady a few years ago, he lost his endorsements. Michael Phelps should lose his endorsements. Gone is that wholesome, youthful and decent image.

Imagine if Jamaican thunderbolt Usain Bolt was caught with smoking marijuana? It would be all over the news. But wait, America's golden boy, has allegedly been caught in a very compromising position. According to Britain's News of the World, Phelps was seen in a photo smoking from a bong. No! Say it ain't so.

For those of you who feign ignorance, a bong is a water pipe normally used for smoking marijuana. The alleged photo was taken at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where Phelps was visiting a female student who he was secretly seeing. The paper's anonymous source relates that Phelps partied hard each night he was there, which is not out of keeping with other reports of the Olympian since his swimming triumphs.

I don't know if this picture was doctored, but it's a damaging one for Michael Phelps. He portrayed such a wholesome image that this has undoubted become a PR nightmare for him. Well, I guess we now see what he does in his spare time. Weed. I wonder what his next speech to be given to school children will be about? Ridiculous. He ought to lose some of his endorsements for this latest revelation.

Swimming Phenomenon Michael Phelps Seen Inhaling Marijuana from a Bong, Acknowledge's Behavior as "Regrettable"

UPDATE

Michael Phelps has acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper showed him smoking marijuana.

In a statement released to, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, conceded the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World. Shameful. Simply shameful. So, when Kobe Bryant was accused of raping a young lady a few years ago, he lost his endorsements. Michael Phelps should lose his endorsements. Gone is that wholesome, youthful and decent image.

Imagine if Jamaican thunderbolt Usain Bolt was caught with smoking marijuana? It would be all over the news. But wait, America's golden boy, has allegedly been caught in a very compromising position. According to Britain's News of the World, Phelps was seen in a photo smoking from a bong. No! Say it ain't so.

For those of you who feign ignorance, a bong is a water pipe normally used for smoking marijuana. The alleged photo was taken at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where Phelps was visiting a female student who he was secretly seeing. The paper's anonymous source relates that Phelps partied hard each night he was there, which is not out of keeping with other reports of the Olympian since his swimming triumphs.

I don't know if this picture was doctored, but it's a damaging one for Michael Phelps. He portrayed such a wholesome image that this has undoubted become a PR nightmare for him. Well, I guess we now see what he does in his spare time. Weed. I wonder what his next speech to be given to school children will be about? Ridiculous. He ought to lose some of his endorsements for this latest revelation.