KEY POINTS

  • Usain Bolt talks about his formative years in the sport
  • Bolt admits that there was a time when he lost the drive to train
  • The Jamaican icon is making his track return on July 13

Ahead of his highly-anticipated return, Usain Bolt made a shocking revelation about his early days in the sport.

Bolt is arguably the greatest sprinter of all time, having won the Olympic gold medal eight times.

But like any other star athlete, Bolt also had a moment in his career when he felt like he could’ve done way better.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Bolt recounted that in 2003, he felt he was “faster than almost everybody.”

At 16, the young Bolt was already ranked ninth in the world, having run 20.13sec to finish on the said year.

However, Bolt admitted that he kind of lost a bit of dedication at the time, having been careless with his body.

Hanging out at nightclubs was among his vices, and he eventually found himself not having the drive to train.

Looking back, Bolt conceded that had he changed his ways back then, he could’ve copped the gold in Athens.

“In 2003 I was running faster than almost everybody,” Bolt remembered. “If I had run in the world championships that year I would have probably medalled. And if I’d continued on that road, I would have run 19 seconds earlier in my career, so for sure I could have won gold in Athens if I’d dedicated myself more.”

Usain Bolt Kasi Bennett vacation
Usain Bolt took his girlfriend Kasi Bennett on vacation following rumors he cheated. Pictured: Bolt standing at the podium during the medal ceremony at the Rio Olympics on Aug. 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Getty Images

Further reflecting on his career, Bolt bared that he lacked the help of a mentor during his formative years in the sport.

“But it was tough for me because even in high school I was famous,” the Jamaican icon admitted. “Everyone knew who I was in Jamaica. And I didn’t have somebody who had already been through it to say: ‘You have to take this seriously, because this is what you could do.’ It was just my coach telling me to train hard.

“That’s why I try to talk to the younger athletes now and explain to them ‘get serious early man’,” the 34-year-old added. “Because the possibilities are endless. When I look back I have no regrets. I did extremely well in my career. True, it didn’t end on the greatest note, but the legacy I left is wonderful.”

The legendary sprinter is set to make his comeback on July 13. As part of a promotion for the US firm CarMax, he will run 800 meters on the track in a challenge that will be streamed live on his official Facebook page.

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