He’s Bolted: Sprinting superstar quits A-league trial with Mariners
Usain Bolt has quit his A-league trial, rejecting a contract offer from the Central Coast Mariners.
The Olympic sprint great was unable to strike a deal with the Mariners, which largely hinged on finding a commercial partner to boost his salary.
Bolt had been on trial at the club for the past two months.
‘‘I would like to thank the Central Coast Mariners’ owners, management, staff, players and fans for making me feel so welcome during my time there,’’ Bolt said in a statement released by the club yesterday.
Central Coast were understood to have offered Bolt a contract in the vicinity of A$150,000 (NZ$162,570), without any guarantee the Jamaican would get an A-league game.
Bolt’s camp, the Mariners and Football Federation Australia were unable to find commercial partner to increase the amount of the offer.
Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said there was some regret ‘‘this huge opportunity wasn’t able to be maximised’’.
‘‘It’s more of a timing issue,’’ he told reporters. ‘‘Unfortunately for us . . . we weren’t able to come to an agreement in terms.
‘‘But in all fairness, it was such a crazy moment that everyone just got a brilliant chance to enjoy the ride that happened.
‘‘There’s no doubt that everybody – Usain, to the players, to the club – everybody together genuinely believed that if this was the right fit and if this could make a big difference, then it would have happened.’’
Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth said Bolt, a winner of eight Olympic gold medals, had made ‘‘great strides as a footballer’’ during his trial but the 32-year-old was widely thought to be well short of A-league standard.
Bolt made his professional football debut for the Mariners when going on as a substitute in a friendly game against a local Central Coast select team on August 31.
On October 12, he scored twice in another friendly, against amateur club Macarthur South West United.
Six days later, Bolt was offered a two-year contract from Maltese club Valletta, which he rejected.
The Mariners then offered Bolt a contract in a move coinciding with the start of the A-league season.