Usain Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion and universally regarded as the greatest sprinter in history, has offered a candid glimpse into his post-retirement life—revealing that he now sometimes gets out of breath just climbing a flight of stairs.
The 39-year-old Jamaican, who still holds the world records in the men’s 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, spoke to journalists at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he reflected on how drastically life has changed since he hung up his spikes in 2017.
Bolt, famous for his lightning speed and iconic “To Di World” victory pose, said he no longer runs due to a ruptured Achilles tendon sustained after retirement. Instead, he relies on gym workouts to maintain his fitness.
Still, he admitted with a laugh that even the gym has not been enough to stop him from feeling winded during everyday activities.
“No, I mostly do gym workouts. I’m not a fan, but I think now that I’ve been out for a while, I have to actually start running again,” he said. “When I walk up stairs, I get out of breath. I think when I start working on it fully again, I will probably have to do some laps just to get my breathing right.”
Far from the grueling training schedules of his peak years, Bolt described a relaxed daily routine centered around family life. He wakes up in time to see his children off to school and spends much of his free time at home.
“If I have nothing to do, I just chill out. I might work out sometimes if I’m in a good mood. I just watch some series and chill until the kids come home,” he explained.
Playtime with his children often fills the afternoons, though he joked that once they become “annoying,” he takes time to himself. His current hobbies include watching movies and building Lego structures—a pastime he says helps him relax.
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The sprint legend also weighed in on the state of athletics today, particularly why the new generation of male sprinters has yet to match or surpass the times he and his peers set.
Despite the introduction of advanced sprinting shoes and spikes, Bolt insists that natural ability, not technology, remains the deciding factor. “You want the real answer? We’re just more talented,” he declared.
He contrasted this with women’s sprinting, where performances have steadily improved, citing fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as an example of how innovation and talent have combined to push boundaries.
“You have Shelly, who has got the new spikes, and she ran faster. So it’s just the talent. We’re just way more talented men over that time. It shows if you look at it,” he said.
CNN
