The “fastest man in the world,” Usain Bolt, withdrew from the Olympic trials on Friday because of a torn hamstring, reports USA Today. The Jamaican sprinter says he still hopes to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
On Thursday, Bolt, 29, complained of a tight hamstring after a preliminary race, and the pain reportedly resurfaced after his semifinal run on Friday, where he won the 100-meter race with a time of 10.04 seconds. He saw a doctor who diagnosed the grade 1 tear in his left hamstring.
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Bolt outlined his situation in a tweet late Friday night.
He also tweeted that he was starting the recovery process right away, showing a photo of himself with electrodes on his legs at physical therapy.
Although Bolt will miss the trials, the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association selection policy allows for medical exemptions as long as athletes can prove that the injury prevented them from competing.
Rio would be Bolt’s third consecutive Olympic Games where he hopes to earn gold in the 100- and 200-meters and the 400-relay.
In early June, Bolt ran 9.88 in the 100 at Kingston's National Stadium, where the trials are currently taking place. It was the second-fastest time in the world this year.
Read more at USA Today.
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