Usain Bolt set a world record in the 100m at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, but the Jamaican sprinter believes he could have gone even quicker
Sprinting icon Usain Bolt has revealed that he thinks his 100-metre world record could have been slashed and that he could have recorded an even quicker time.
At the 2009 World Athletics Championships, Bolt stunned the world with a phenomenal 9.58-second dash, setting the all-time record. Yet, the man himself is convinced that there was more in the tank.
During the final stretch of his historic run, Bolt appeared to ease up as he glanced over his shoulders and noted the gap to his competitors. Despite this, he shattered the world record – a feat unmatched to this day.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Bolt reflected: “In those seconds I was able to think. I divided the race into several segments. It is fast for the others, slow for me. Maybe in the end I could have pushed a little harder and finished at 9.55.”
Since hanging up his spikes in 2017 following a hamstring injury at the same championship event, Bolt has not slowed down in life, keeping busy by any means.
Over the past eight years, the Olympic hero’s curiosity has led him to experiment with various sporting pursuits, notably dabbling in football.
He played two exhibition games in 2018 with Australian side Central Coast Mariners, yet he didn’t secure a contract. Bolt has also partaken in a number of charity events.
Moving past his brief football stint, Bolt has dived into a fresh endeavour that continues to thrill him and take up a lot of his day, reports the Express.
The legendary sprinter, now 38, has a lesser-known hobby that he’s incredibly passionate about – dominoes. He’s devoted to the game, playing for extensive hours back home in Jamaica.
“I play for six hours a day with friends.” he admitted. Last year, on The Jonathan Ross Show, Bolt shared his fervour for dominoes and mentioned how it brings out a fiercely competitive spirit among pals.
“If you see me playing dominoes, anybody following me on Instagram knows, when I play with my friends, I get really aggressive,” he said. “It’s an exciting game. It’s very exciting and stressful.
“Like, [it’s exciting] when you know you’re going to win because the key is to get to six without the other players winning one game. So, when I’m going to get to six, I’ll get on the table and say: ‘My bag!’ just to celebrate. it’s just something we do.”
