Bolt says was tempted to make a comeback
ATLANTA: Sprint legend Usain Bolt has revealed that he considered coming out of retirement but opted not to do so after receiving a bit of advice from his track coach.
Bolt’s career had a disappointing end as he faced a hamstring injury in the last 50m of the 4x100m race at the 2017 World Championships.
“I talked to my track coach. And he was like, ‘No, you’re not doing it. People that retire and come back -- it doesn’t always work out,” CNN quoted Bolt as saying.
“For me, in the end I knew it was time because the drive wasn’t there. But every time I watch track and field I miss it. And every time I go to the track to see my coach and I watch him training I go, ‘Did I make the right decision?’ ... But every time I train with them I think, ‘Ah yeah I made the right decision. I don’t miss this,” he added.
Bolt won last of his eight gold medals in 2016, but a relay gold from the 2008 Olympics was stripped from the Jamaican team as Nestor Cator tested positive for a banned substance.
The ‘fastest man on earth’ has now chosen to sit on the sidelines to watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“I’m going to go and watch, I’m excited for the first time to sit and watch it and see the energy of people. I have seen track and field throughout my life, I’ve always watched track and field and I always know what’s going on with track and field. But I didn’t see Michael Phelps swim live,” Bolt said.
“For me, it’s an opportunity to go and see these other swimmers and see something else. The only thing I got to see once was when I went to the Commonwealth Games and I went to watch netball. But I’ve always wanted to go and watch swimming live ... track and field, I love it, but this is what I really want to watch.”
Since retiring, Bolt has had a stint as a footballer with Australia’s Central Coast Mariners.
Bolt won three golds at consecutive Olympics between 2008 and 2016 in the 100 and 200 meters and ran his world record times of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 sec in Berlin in 2009.