Rio's favourite bar launches campaign to bring Usain Bolt to the favela
Musicians, journalists, actors and even Olympic athletes join call for Jamaican sprint start to visit Bar do David
David with the Swiss synchronised swimmers Sophie Giger (left) and Sacia Kraus as part of the campaign to bring Bolt to the favela (Photo: Facebook)
Earlier this week, Usain Bolt invited children from some of the favelas surrounding his training base to visit as he prepared for the Olympic Games. Now, on the other side of the city, fans of Rio 2016's biggest star want more.
Chef extraordinaire and one of Rio's best known figures, David Bipso, dreams of seeing the Jamaican sprint star getting to know the favela in which he lives. That is the Chapéu Mangueira community in Leme, where David's Bar serves as a point of contact between the favelas that line the hills surrounding Copacabana beach, the wealthy high rises down below, and a regular band of curious foreigners.
To achieve his goal, David has launched a social media campaign called 'Come to the favela Usain Bolt'.
Owner David Bipso promises to name a dish after Bolt (Photo: Facebook)
On his Facebook page, David has posted a series of videos featuring notable musicians, journalists and actors all adding their voices to the campaign to bring Bolt to the hill (as the hillside favela communities are often called).
Usain Bolt keeps it simple as he prepares to make history at Rio 2016
Even athletes have got in on the act. Swiss synchronised swimmers Sophie Giger and Sacia Kraus visited the bar and took a photo with the owner to confirm that it would worth the six-time gold medal winner's time. David is optimistic and hopes a visit from Bolt will inspire the children of the community.
"I want to make this dream of mine come true for the children who live here. Like them and like me, Bolt comes from humble beginnings and found sport on his journey. We've lost a lot of children to drug trafficking and a visit like this could really change someone's destiny. It would be noble of him to recognise this and come. Therefore, I say: come to the favela, Usain Bolt," he said.
David also knows that Bolt enjoys his food, especially intense and spicy dishes characteristic of Jamaican cooking. In a national competition this year, a snack from his bar was voted best in the country. And the cook has already gone to the trouble of creating a dish in Bolt's name, to be served should he choose to visit.
"I know he like some spice, and I'm good at spice. I'm certain he's going to like the dish I've named after him," says David, who will be carrying the Olympic torch in Copacabana on Thursday night (4 August).
