‘Football Brings Out the Worst in Me’- Usain Bolt Talks About Watching Sports as a Fan

Usain Bolt had to be the most confident man on the planet on nine different occasions. Having won nine gold medals (one stripped away) in the Olympics, he rarely gets nervous before sprinting. However, three years into his retirement Bolt watches sports with a different perspective now; a fan’s perspective.

Usain Bolt gets nervous before watching sports

Having sprinted for Jamaica for more than a decade, Usain Bolt earned the moniker of the fastest man alive, breaking world records and winning medals. But after his retirement, he indulges in watching sports, especially football and track and field.

With the Tokyo Olympics approaching, Bolt explains why watching Jamaican athletes perform, especially Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce makes him nervous and his unique passion for soccer/football. He revealed this during an Instagram live session with Kiwi sports reporter, Ashlee Tulloch.

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“No. Not really. For me, football brings out the worst in me. But for track and field, I’m more nervous. I get really nervous watching, like Shelly-Ann and all these guys just competing. I don’t know why.”

“But because when I was running, I was never nervous. But watching them I get really nervous watching the 100 meter finals are 200, even 400 meters. Like, I get nervous and worried. You know, I mean, in track and field. But in fact, when I watched football I’m not a good person to hang around.”

Bolt is a long-time fan of English football/soccer club Manchester United. His passion for football is so strong he even trained with Australian soccer team, Central Coast Mariners. He never played professionally for them, but scored two goals in a friendly match. His ultimate dream was to play for Manchester United, but the closest he came to that was captaining World XI for Soccer Aid 2018.

Who is Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce?

During the session, Bolt praised fellow Jamaican and track and field icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Nicknamed the ‘Pocket Rocket’, Shelly-Ann is one of the greatest female sprinters in the world and one of the most decorated athletes of all time.

Shelly-Ann will take part in her fourth Olympic Games, the same as Bolt who competed in four Olympic Games. Although she isn’t as popular as her compatriot, she has the chance to leave him in the dust with a triple victory in Tokyo.

Having won a medal in every Olympic Games she took part in, Shelly-Ann is a huge favourite in this year’s games. However, will she fare well against the fearsome Sha’Carri Richardson, the fastest member of the US track and field team.

Read more: ?I Just Moved On?- Usain Bolt Says He was Offered ?Big Cheques? to Compete Again