Usain Bolt has revealed the only competitor who made him nervous before races.
Despite his dominant track career and usually calm demeanor, the Jamaican sprinting legend admitted that he wasn’t always as composed as he appeared. Bolt, who retired in 2017, said that fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was the one rival who unsettled him before a race.
Bolt set a world record of 9.72 seconds in New York in 2008, but Powell remained a serious threat to his supremacy. The two faced off at the 2008 Jamaican Olympic Trials, where Bolt finished ahead of Powell. This victory gave Bolt momentum heading into the Beijing Olympics, but Powell’s presence remained on his mind.
During a podcast, Bolt shared a memory from his 2008 preparations, recalling a conversation with American sprinter Walter Dix, who won bronze in Beijing. “We ran the semi-finals together, and I clocked around 9.8 seconds,” Bolt said. “Dix came second and told me, ‘There ain’t going to be jogging in the finals!’”
Bolt found the comment amusing, admitting that Dix never worried him. “For me, it was all about Asafa. I needed to catch him,” he explained. He believed his top-end speed gave him an edge over Powell, provided he was in a strong position at the 50-meter mark.
“Asafa was the only one who, if he got it right, could put you in trouble,” Bolt said. “That was my biggest concern. If I was in the race at 50 meters, I knew I would win because my top-end speed was that good.” He also noted that perfecting his start was his main focus during the season.
Bolt went on to cement his legacy with eight Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. He remains the only sprinter to win the 100m and 200m at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016), also securing two golds in the 4x100m relay.
While Bolt had the more decorated career, his acknowledgment of Powell’s talent highlights the impact their rivalry had on his journey to greatness.
Be the first to comment