"It’s embarrassing for the country" - When Usain Bolt opened up about the downfall of Jamaican sprinters following his retirement

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Nov 03, 2024 13:24 GMT

Usain Bolt put Jamaica on the top of the sprint world, earning the status of the GOAT on the track. His career was nothing short of legendary. Bolt ruled the sprinting events, earning a total of eight Olympic and 14 World Championships medals throughout his career.

Following his retirement, Bolt voiced his opinion on the fading dominance of Jamaican athletes in the sprint events. He was speaking to Jamaica Gleaner magazine in a video published in July 2019.

Bolt along with other fellow Jamaican sprinters conquered the sprinting events during his time at the top. At the 2012 Olympics, Bolt and Yohan Blake secured the top two places in the men's 100m, and the podium for 200m was an all-Jamaican affair, with those two followed by Warren Weir.

The Jamaican squads at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games dominated the men's 4x100m relay events. During his years at the top, the Jamaican national team, with Bolt the chief attraction for fans, won the 4x100m relay events at the 2009 Berlin, 2011 Daegu, 2013 Moscow, and the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

Bolt hung up his spikes in 2017, which for many marked the beginning of the fall of Jamaican sprinters, as the track world saw the growing influence of American sprinters, including Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin, to name a few. The two Americans clinched the first two places in the 100m at the 2019 World Championships.

Some time after his retirement, Bolt expressed his concern over the state of athletics in Jamaica, calling it "embarrassing." Speaking in 2019, Bolt said (via NBC Sports),

“I’ve walked away from the sport, and no one is there to pick it up, pick up the pieces, keep the level. It’s embarrassing for the country. Every time I see people, [they say] come back. We need you. But you have so much talent in Jamaica.”

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Jamaican 4x100m squad, including Kishane Thompson, Ackeem Blake, Jelani Walker, and Jehlani Gordon, failed to qualify for the final round of the men's relay event.

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"If I don't do so well they're not going to love me" - Usain Bolt on the environment of Athletics in Jamaica

Usain Bolt during the red carpet prior to Laureus World Sports Awards 2024 at Palacio De Cibeles on April 22, 2024, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo via Getty Images)

Usain Bolt reflected on his career this past week, noting the emotional toll of competing for Jamaica.

Making an appearance on a live show of the "High Performance" podcast, Bolt said he realized when he was young that fans' support depended on his performance, which put him under pressure.

"I started when I was really young in Jamaica so it would be 'yeah!'... and then I wouldn't do so well and it was like, 'Boo!' and then if I would win again they'd go 'yeah!' and then 'boo!' I kind of figured out that if I do well they're going to love me, if I don't do so well they're not going to love me."

The Olympian legend's world records in the men's 100m and 200m still stand.