ATHLETICS NEWS - A misty-eyed Usain Bolt sat in a cramped, poorly ventilated room in Johannesburg this week and battled to hold back the tears as a recap of his career played on a screen in front of journalists.
Rare clips from his childhood races were included in the video, transporting the now-retired track giant back to a time that seems like yesterday, but also sometimes like a lifetime ago.
So much has happened between the beginning and the end. The end is something the Jamaican superstar is still trying to come to terms with but it hasn't been easy. The Usain Bolt Show has evolved courtesy of the PR machine behind the Big Guy, now consisting of appearances at Puma-sponsored events and club gigs. There has been little time for reflection. No down time. And now Bolt has set his sights on an extension of his career as a professional athlete with an upcoming football trial with Borussia Dortmund set for March.
This week it was apparent that the former sprinter is energised by the spotlight. Bolt was in the country as the headline celebrity guest at the glamorous Sunmet in Cape Town and he hit the clubs hard, posing for pictures and dancing with fans into the early hours before playing football with the Puma-sponsored Mamelodi Sundowns on Monday and then travelling to the main event – an appearance as the Principle of the Puma School of Speed event in Ruimsig.
Bolt arrived at the track low on energy and possibly still hungover from partying in Cape Town before running through a training session under Pitso Mosimane and Co at Chloorkop. A dreary press conference was probably the last thing he wanted to suffer through but the video review of his career caught him off guard.
“I get goosebumps when I relive those moments – especially the early races because I ran those races back home in front of my own people in Jamaica. It was a special time for me.”
Questions about how he stayed focused, what inspired him and how much work he put in all received similar responses so the message was clear – you have to want it more than anyone else, you have to set goals, be confident and most of all, trust and listen to your team.
Looking back it was a case of the stars aligning: his big personality, raw talent, hunger and drive coupled with the skill of coach Glen Mills, and cunning of agent Ricky Simms that turned Bolt into the Chief Entertainment Officer of athletics. A clean athlete – one of the most tested of his time – a beacon for a sport dogged by doping scandals. He carried the sport with his stunning performances on the track, but his Larger Than Life personality charmed fans from the time he made his debut to his last race as he cramped up ended up on his back.
Bolt pushed his career a year too far but he’s not ready to let go yet as he seems determined to attempt a career in football. He’s Usain Bolt so a few will indulge him but he’s 31 and his body has been through a lot. Football clubs will have to weigh the pros and cons of a gimmick signing but it will be nothing more.
