2017 World Athletics Championships: Bolt risks it all
Usain Bolt may be the 'fastest man on Earth', but will this 30-year-old make history for one last time at the 2017 World Athletics Championships? Will he add more to his already illustrious kitty of 11 world titles or lose it all in London? It seems that luck is favoring him as his nearest competitor Andre de Grasse has suffered a hamstring tear.
Who is Usain Bolt?
Usain Bolt's sprint to stardom began in 2008 Beijing Olympics where he won the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m events. In 2012 Olympics, he repeated the magic to become the world's fastest man. In 2016 Olympics, he made history with 'Triple Triple', 9 gold-medals across 3 Olympics. However, he was stripped of 4x100m gold from Beijing Games because his team-mate was found guilty of doping.
A false start in 2011 lead to Bolt's only defeat
In 2011, perhaps the only time this giant lost a major championship when he false started in Daegu in the 100 metres race.
What makes Bolt fast as lightning?
Many had written-off Bolt because of his freak height (6'5" ft) claiming he wasn't cut out for 100m. Bolt was considered a genetic freak because given his height, ideally "he shouldn't be able to accelerate at the speed he does with the length of his legs". This has worked to his advantage: he takes 41 steps in 100m, while most others take 43-50 strides.
What does the human 'Flash' eat?
Bolt may love his nuggets but doesn't get to eat them much, confirmed his nutritionist. He starts with an egg sandwich and some natural yogurt with berries, cinnamon, and chia seeds. For lunch, he eats pasta with lots of coloured vegetables, with turmeric dressing. Bolt eats Jamaican dumplings with vegetables for dinner and for snacks, he gets fruits like mango, pineapple, and apples.
Human side of the speed God: Why is he retiring?
While his fans, father, and friends feel he is retiring too early, Bolt revealed that he wants to go back to the real world. Known to be a fun loving person, he revealed that he has to make more sacrifices now which include cutting back on drinking, eating properly, going to bed early etc. He said he wanted to "be like a human again."
Today's Bolt: A struggle against body and mind
As revealed in I Am Bolt, the movie on his life, Bolt's success is tougher than he makes it seem. His mentor, Glen Mills revealed that Bolt is often torn between the need to "balance his ferociously competitive nature with the urge to cease competing all together". Moreover, he's always been battling injuries, which Bolt sees as a sign of deterioration as he ages.
