Usain Bolt has spoken for the first time since ending his career in World Championship agony after he was struck down with injury in his final appearance before retirement.
The 30-year-old bowed out in the worst possible way on Saturday night as he pulled up during the anchor leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay effort, with the world’s fastest man inheriting the baton in third place behind eventual winners Great Britain and the United States.
Bolt collapsed on the track clutching his left hamstring, but after refusing help in the aid of a wheelchair, he dragged himself back onto his feet and across the finish line one final time despite being in visible agony.
“After the injury, I pretty much tried to get home quickly to treat it,” Bolt said at a press conference. “I stayed up for a while texting people who were concerned what was going on. I woke up and was getting treatment this morning. I will see what it is o. Monday to see if it is worse than I think it is.”
The Jamaican relay team hit out at organisers for the delay caused to Saturday’s final event as the medal ceremony for the women’s high jump overran, meaning that the likes of Bolt and the rest of his competitors were kept waiting for nearly 45 minutes after warming up for the race.
Bolt was not fussed about the delay – with the relay beginning 10 minutes later than scheduled – but was more unhappy with being kept in the call room for so long where the athletes were unable to jog and run in order to stay warm, something that Bolt described to his teammate Yohan Blake as “crazy”.
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