Usain Bolt Going to the Olympics This Year “I miss the competition”: Speaks on Noah Lyles, Fraser-Pryce, Track and Field etc – Watch Interview
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March 22, 2024
While discussing the current state of track and field and the sport’s future, retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt shared what he misses the most about being on the track and the Olympics. Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 with a long list of accolades, including eight Olympic gold medals. Several years after his retirement, the athlete’s 100m and 200m records remain unbeaten.
Speaking with Athletics Weekly, Bolt also discussed the upcoming Paris Olympics and shared that he and his family will be travelling to attend the event in July. Reflecting on his time at the major sporting event as a sprinter, Bolt expressed that he really misses competing and still gets nervous while watching Jamaican athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
According to Bolt, his former coach believes that if Fraser-Pryce can still sprint competitively, he could be doing so as well. He also shared that what he misses the most about competing is the adrenaline and vibes created by the cheering audience before the race.
Bolt went on to share his opinion on American sprinter Noah Lyles, who some have predicted may finally beat his 100m and 200m records. He said the young sprinter has already shown that he has what it takes to top his so far untouchable 9.58 and 19.19 record wins.
However, Bolt, who consistently topped his own records, said that the real difficulty for Lyles will be remaining consistent in the upcoming years.
“When you have to do it back to back to back, that’s when it becomes the issue. Doing it once is never an issue. Many people have won medals like one-off. But he’s shown that he’s training hard [ … ] he’s shown a lot of potential, and I’m in no doubt that he’s gonna do great things going forward,” Bolt stated.
He added that Lyles’ methods to bring attention to the track may be different, but the sport needs it as it often goes under the radar. The sprint legend further expressed that track and field will need to evolve for the betterment of the sport.
“I love the competition, but I think track and field needs to evolve [ … ] To really look in ways they can evolve, change the scenery, and change the way they go about doing meets. And I think until we evolve, track and field will continue to float under the radar,” Bolt said.
Bolt went on to express interest in becoming a World Athletics ambassador to help promote the sport. However, he said that that decision is in the hands of the president of the organisation.
Watch Bolt’s interview with Athletics Weekly below.
