Usain Bolt reveals emotional reason for postponing his retirement by a year

Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt has opened up about the emotional and external pressures that led him to postpone his retirement by a year.

Initially, he had planned to retire after his historic triple Olympic triumph at the 2016 Rio Games.

However, Bolt decided to race one final time at the 2017 World Championships in London, despite his doctor’s advice and his own intentions.

Bolt, the only sprinter to win the 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016), revealed that the decision to compete in 2017 came largely from the overwhelming support of his fans and stakeholders.

“I wanted to retire after the Olympics in Rio, but the fans and everybody said, ‘It’s London, please come… please come,’” Bolt shared during an interview with The Final Leg Track and Field YouTube channel.

Despite his doctor warning him against the strain of another championship season and predicting a high risk of injury, Bolt felt compelled to give his supporters one last performance on the world stage.

“My doctor told me, ‘Do not go to the World Championships. If you compete at the level I know you can, you could get injured. But I felt like I had to go. Everybody wanted me to make it. Everybody was there to see me,” he recalled.

Kenyan born Bahraini Winfred Yavi joins Forbes 30 Under 30 List

True to his doctor’s words, it was at the 2017 World Championships in London where Bolt sustained a serious hamstring injury.

He was the anchor runner for Jamaica in the final, and Bolt pulled up with 50 meters remaining, later discovering that it was a serious muscular tear.

The retirement decision also came during a particularly challenging time in his life.

In April 2017, just months before the London championships, he tragically lost a close friend in a motorcycle accident.

The grief disrupted his training, and he admitted to struggling emotionally during that period.

“I was sad, I did not train, and I was drinking, trying to get past that moment. It was a tough moment for me, but I don’t think it damaged what I had done before. I did it for the people, and it was a wonderful moment,” he concluded.

Rock 'n' Roll Running Series to end San Antonio Run after 2024

Bolt turned professional in 2004, and it was at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing that ‘Lightning Bolt’ established himself as a household name.

The Jamaican sprinter secured two golds in China in both the 100m and 200m finals, repeating the same feat four years later at the 2012 London Games.

This time, he also added a 4 x 100m relay gold, as a strong Jamaica team, featuring the talented Nesta Carter, Nathan Blake, and Michael Frater, held off strong competition from Trinidad and Tobago to scoop the gold.

Bolt appeared in his final Olympics in Brazil in 2016 and repeated the success of London, becoming the first athlete ever to win three successive 100m and 200m golds.

As was the case in 2012, the Jamaican team cruised to another 4 x 100m win, with Japan and Canada having to settle for the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

He called time on a glittering career with eight Olympic gold medals, 11 World Championship golds, two silvers, and one bronze in his medal collection.

Julien Alfred-inspired costume makes appearance at Miss Universe 2024 [PHOTO]