He’s the fastest man in the world who hung up his spikes last month, but Usain Bolt has no plans to come out of retirement unless it’s guaranteed to be as big as an ordeal as Floyd Mayweather’s recent comeback to defend his title against Conor McGregor.
Speaking to Fairfax Media from Sydney, where he is spending time as ambassador of Optus, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist said that although he is enjoying putting his feet up, he could be coaxed back on the track.
Sprint champion Usain Bolt opened up about his next career move at a charity event in Japan.
“It’s not on the cards right now … I just want to be a bum and I have sponsorship work to do … but you never know, if a big bout comes up, you never know where I might show up,” he laughed.
“If it is something like a Floyd Mayweather comeback, I’ll be back.”
At the age of just 31, the Jamaican is open to moving from athletics into another sport, but there’s no point in McGregor rubbing his hands together in glee with dollar signs in his eyes over another potential cross-sport dust-up.
“Not fighting, no, the sport it could be is football as a massive Manchester United fan, we’ll see,” he said.
The sprinter’s final race last month at the World Athletic Championships was not the fairytale ending he had hoped for his stellar career when he took a dramatic tumble during the 4x100m relay with a torn tendon in his hamstring.
But he said it doesn’t define him as he focuses on recovery.
“For me, I am definitely happy, it doesn’t change anything, so for me I am trying to relax now and take it easy and do some work outside of track and field.
“I can’t do anything physical for the next month, but by the end of the month, I’ll be fine to start moving around again – playing football and running and stuff.”
He’s been to Australia “many times” but said he was looking forward to “chilling” for a few days and getting to see the sites – mainly the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour.
Despite being offered many global sponsorship roles, he chose Optus because it was most like him.
“Innovative, very competitive and the fastest,” he said.
