It feels like time has moved in a flash. Usain Bolt, once celebrated as the fastest man on earth, still looks strong from the outside, but he admits his body no longer feels the same. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist stepped away from competition in 2017 after setting world records in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the 4×100 meters relay. Now 39, Bolt openly says that age has finally caught up with him. The 11-time world champion no longer trains on the track, and most of his days are now spent at home.
“I usually wake up just in time to get the kids ready for school, and then it really depends on my schedule. If I don’t have much to do, I just relax. I might go for a workout if I feel like it, otherwise I’ll watch a series until the kids return. I spend some time with them, play around, and when they start driving me crazy, I take a break. Later, I might put on a movie or build Lego sets, which I’ve really gotten into,” Bolt shared with The Guardian.
Recently, Bolt was seen at the World Championships, sitting in a skybox above the stadium. Even from there, his aura dominated the sport, which has never been quite the same since his exit. Although Oblique Seville holds the 100-meter crown today, Bolt remains the only sprinter of this century whose fame stretches well beyond athletics. Nearly a decade after his retirement, his records and his presence remain unmatched.
Fatherhood has added a new chapter to his life. Bolt is now raising his five-year-old daughter Olympia Lightning and his twin sons, Saint Leo and Thunder, who are four. They have no real idea how famous their father once was. Bolt hopes that will change when he takes them to Beijing for the World Championships in two years, the same city where his career first soared, so they can see the stage on which his story began.
Life beyond sprinting, however, has reminded him that time spares no one. For the man who once flew across tracks, even climbing stairs now leaves him out of breath.
“I stick to gym training these days. I don’t enjoy it much, but I know I need to start running again. When I go up the stairs, I lose my breath, and that tells me I need to push myself back into it. Maybe some laps will help get my breathing under control again,” Bolt admitted.
