Usain Bolt almost decided not to race before setting 100m world record and revealed what changed his mind
The Jamaican has eight Olympic gold medals to his name thanks to his exploits in Beijing, London and Rio.
Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest sprinter of all-time but history could have been very different indeed if he had gone through with an original plan to only race in one event.
The Jamaican won eight gold medals across three Olympic Games to cement his legacy as the GOAT sprinter.
The 38-year-old stood on the top step of the rostrum at Beijing 2008 after claiming gold in both the 100m and 200m.
Bolt then competed at London 2012 and claimed gold in both events once again, as well as being part of the victorious 4x100m Jamaican relay team to take his tally to five.
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And Bolt achieved another clean sweep in the same three events four years later at Rio 2016 to take his tally to eight Olympic golds.
The sprinter ended up retiring a year later in 2017 with his last race at the World Athletics Championship ending in injury as he suffered a hamstring problem during the 4x100m relay final.
Bolt ended up running both the 100m and 200m as he became Olympic champion in both disciplines and holds the world record in the two events, as well as in the 4x100m relay.
But the now retired athlete once revealed he almost did not compete in the 100m before he broke the world record at the 2008 Beijing games.
Bolt was already the world record holder in the 100m heading into the 2008 Olympics, with a 9.7 set at the end of May that year at the New York Grand Prix at the age of 21.
And he broke his record in Beijing by running a 9.69.
But coming into those Games, Bolt revealed he was considering using the 100m for speed work to help with the 200m, but after claiming the world record for the first time in New York, he changed his mind.
Speaking in 2008 as per World Athletics, Bolt said: "We're doing the 100m for speed work, really.
"My coach told me we'd be doing more 100s this season, but not to get my hopes up about running it in the Olympics.
"I think that will change today. I think I'll be doubling."
The rest, as they say, is history.
Topics: Usain Bolt, Athletics, Olympics
John McDougall