Usain Bolt on the importance of competing in front of fans, raising Jamaica's next track sensation
The Olympics will look a lot different this year for a number of reasons, one of them being the notable absence of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The world's fastest man retired from competition in 2017, leaving track and field with eight gold medals to his name across the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Games.
Though his absence will be felt, the 34-year-old is perfectly content watching "anything and everything" from the comfort of home. Not to mention, Bolt admitted he'd probably struggle going for gold without the support of a live audience.
"Anything and everything I can watch, I'll be watching," Bolt said to Yahoo Sports on behalf of Michelob ULTRA. "I can't compete without fans. It would be so weird and out of the ordinary. I know for people who are like me and really live for fans, it's going to be tough for them. So, hopefully they can remember that it's been two years of training and dedicating their lives to this moment."
In the same breath, Bolt also tossed in some advice for first-time Olympians.
"Enjoy it. They're going to put a lot of pressure on themselves because it's their first Olympics and they want to do great. But, also enjoy the experience. You've already done the work and there's nothing else you can do right now. Go in there, give it your best and enjoy being at the Games."
Will another Bolt become Jamaica's next track sensation?
Just because he hung his track cleats up for good doesn't mean life is slowing down anytime soon for Bolt. In addition to one-year-old daughter Olympia Lightning, the "It's a Party" singer and longtime girlfriend Kasi Bennett welcomed twin boys Thunder and Saint Leo in June. Though still infants, the doting dad is already beginning to notice some characteristics between the two.
"I think Thunder is the one who is going to be full of energy and always wanting to do something," he gushed, adding that "Saint is just chill. He's the type of person who you feed and he goes straight to bed. Thunder is always up, always crying and moving around. So, I can spot the differences already. I can tell Thunder is going to be the most trouble."
Even though Bolt captured a fun video of Olympia "training" for his 10 million followers on Instagram, he affirms he won't push track and field onto his children. But, the philanthropist does hopes one of them shows interest so he can attend and cheer them on in future Olympics.
"Anything they want to do, I'm going to 100% support them. Getting into track is going to be a lot harder because their dad is Usain Bolt. It's just one of those things, but we'll see what happens."
Consider your next beer on Bolt. In partnership with Michelob ULTRA, Bolt is opening a literal "running tab" on Saturday. Participants across the country can head to their favorite local bar and celebrate international athletics with an ULTRA on Bolt’s tab. If you can’t make it to the bar on July 24, you can still get a free Michelob ULTRA through ULTRA’s Beer Run program. Whether you did yoga, ran a 5K or lifted weights, enjoy a cold one while tuning into the Tokyo Games. To learn more about the initiative, visit ULTRABeerRun.com.
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