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Usain Bolt was unsure about the field of questioning at his Commonwealth Games press conference.

Sporting selfie hunters losing control: Commonwealth case studies

A journalist asked Usain Bolt for a selfie during a press conference, while Chris Hoy got a shock.

THE SELFIE IS a phenomenon that is not just restricted to sports, but it often appears that sporting figures, fans and players are more willing than anyone to indulge in a bit of self-centred photography.

The trend of teams taking instant selfies in the aftermath of victories or trophy successes is now well established, while many supporters will whip out their mobile phones as soon as they get within touching distance of their favourite stars.

Even the Queen of England is getting involved in the act now. But, when does this fun become frankly ridiculous?

Usain Bolt arrived at the Commonwealth games this weekend and was presented to the media at a press conference yesterday. The fact that the Jamaican star is so rarely available for interview surely meant that he would be bombarded with intelligent questions?

Not entirely so, as one journalist from Australian broadcaster Channel Ten asked Bolt if it would be possible to take a selfie with him, having reportedly stated, “Usain, we’re not here as journalists, we’re here as fans.”

The incident may seem like a light-hearted joke in the midst of a serious sporting event, but it could also be seen as an entirely unprofessional incident centred around the increasingly-infamous selfie.

Perhaps even more bizarrely, former Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was given something of a fright this morning when a random passer-by jumped uninvited into his taxi with the aim of snapping a selfie.

While no one was hurt and the cycling fan got their precious image with the six-time Olympic gold medallist, it seems like extreme lengths to go to for a photograph.

Has the sporting world become over-obsessed with the selfie? Or is it all just a bit of fun?

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