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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 18: Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the Men’s 200m Final on Day 13 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 18: Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the Men’s 200m Final on Day 13 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Usain Bolt was then standard and icon for every track star during his time in the sun. As the fastest man on the planet, he knew few rivals and even fewer could give him a run for his money on the tracks. The Jamaican dominated the 100m and 200m events for three consecutive editions of the Olympics and was absolutely unstoppable.?
Now with the Tokyo Games approaching quickly, a new man will be crowned the fastest in the world. Bolt will not defend his 100m and 200m golds, having retired from the sport entirely after the World Championships in London, 2017.?

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 20: Gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica stands on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men’s 4 x 100 meter Relay on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Although he won?t be present, Bolt is still in the minds of every person watching. He also has a way of making his presence felt and made sure to give the new blood of athletes a few words of wisdom before the competition.?
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?Just remember how hard you all been training for this moment and all will be ok,? he tweeted, sharing a picture of his own success in Beijing.?
Just remember how hard you all been training for this moment and all will be ok. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/AKKcrm3smI
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 19, 2021
Bolt?s era of undisputed dominance ended in 2017, just one year after his third Olympic triumph. The Jamaican competed in only the 100m sprint and placed third, losing out to Americans Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman.
Usain Bolt suffered a hamstring pull in the last race of his career
His swan song was amplified by a hamstring injury at the peak of the 4x100m relay, which saw him collapse and lose out to the other sprinters. Bolt was helped across the finish line by his teammates.?
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The eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist was already considering retirement and this series of events pushed him over the top for that decision. At the age of 31, he decided to hang up his spikes. Given that track athletes usually continue for at least a few more years, fans believed he would eventually make the return.?
However, Usain Bolt has made it abundantly clear that he does not wish to return and does not really miss the training at all. He revealed that he did actually consider returning a few years earlier, but his coach advised him against it given the amount of training and toil he would have to go through to get back in peak condition.?

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BEIJING – AUGUST 20: Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after breaking the world record with a time of 19.30 to win the gold medal in the Men’s 200m Final at the National Stadium during Day 12 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 20, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
We will see a new king crowned in Tokyo and USA?s Trayvon Bromell and Noah Lyles seem to be favorites for the 100m and 200m sprints as of now. Only time will tell who succeeds Bolt as the fastest man on the planet.?
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