Despite being widely regarded as the best sprinter in history, Usain Bolt has been feeling far less than superhuman lately.
The eight-time Olympic champion admitted he no longer runs after rupturing his Achilles last summer.
“I mostly do gym workouts,” Bolt told reporters at the World Athletic Championships on Sunday, September 14. “I’m not a fan, but I think now that I’ve been out for a while, I have to actually start running because, when I walk up stairs, I get out of breath.”
He added, “I think when I start working on it fully again, I will probably have to do some laps just to get my breathing right.”
Bolt suffered the Achilles injury while playing in a charity soccer match in June 2024.
“Ruptured Achilles but done know we a warrior 💪🏿,” Bolt shared via Instagram at the time, showing off his crutches and walking boot.
Since retiring from professional competition in 2017, Bolt said he spends most of his time now as a family man.
“Normally, I wake up just in time to see the kids off to school, and then it depends on what I have to do,” he said on Sunday. “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 added, “I spend some time with them, hang out, until they start annoying me then I leave.”
Bolt and his longtime girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, share three children: daughter Olympia Lightning, 5, and twin sons Thunder and Saint, 4.
When he gets some time alone, Bolt said, “I’m into Lego now, so I do Lego.”
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Bolt — who still holds the world records for the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay — gave a blunt response when asked why the modern-day crop of sprinters haven’t been able to match the prowess of his generation of competitors.
“You want the real answer? We’re just more talented,” Bolt said. “That’s all I’m saying. Of course, it shows when it comes to the men. You can see the women are different. They’re running faster times and faster times. So it shows – it has to be the talent.”
Bolt also made the argument that today’s track and field athletes are too buttoned up for fans to connect with them.
“I think a lot of people try to be fun, but it comes off different,” Bolt said. “It’s just having a good time. If you try too hard, it’s not going to be the same.”
