The sporting world witnessed a special moment at the 2025 World Athletics Championships when Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville clinched the men's 100m title. Celebrating in the stands was none other than the legendary Usain Bolt, who retired from athletics eight years ago.
Bolt, widely considered the greatest sprinter ever, holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist has been busy crafting a new life since his final race at the 2017 World Championships ended with an unfortunate hamstring injury.
Bolt's Manchester United Football Dreams
Shortly after retiring from athletics, Bolt pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a professional footballer. The Jamaican superstar made no secret of his love for Manchester United and his desire to play for the club.
His football journey began with training sessions at Norwegian side Stromsgodset, where he played as a forward in a friendly match. Bolt then headed to Australia to join Central Coast Mariners, scoring two goals in a friendly match.
Despite receiving a two-year contract offer from Maltese club Valletta, Bolt's professional football career was short-lived. After just eight weeks with the Mariners, he decided to walk away from the sport altogether in early 2019.
"It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was much different from track and field," Bolt told Reuters. "The sports life is over, so I'm now moving into different businesses."
Manchester United fans did get to see Bolt play at Old Trafford, though. He captained the World XI team in multiple Soccer Aid charity matches, fulfilling at least part of his Red Devils dream.
Family Life and Current Activities
These days, the 39-year-old sprint king is embracing life as a stay-at-home dad. Bolt shares three children with his long-term partner Kasi Bennett: daughter Olympia Lightning and twins Thunder and Saint-Leo.
Bennett, a successful model and businesswoman with over 400,000 Instagram followers, recently described Bolt as "the ultimate provider" in a heartfelt birthday message. The couple has been together since 2013.
"Normally, I wake up just in time to see the kids off to school, and then it depends on what I have to do," Bolt shared with The Telegraph. "I spend some time with them, hang out, until they start annoying me. Then I leave."
Surprisingly, the fastest man in history admits he's "not a fan" of running. Even more shocking is his confession that he now gets out of breath walking upstairs.
"I think now that I've been out for a while, I have to actually start running," Bolt admitted. "I mostly do gym workouts. I think when I start working out fully again, I probably have to do some laps just to get my breathing right."
While Manchester United missed out on signing their famous supporter as a player, Bolt remains connected to the football world through his charitable appearances. His journey from Olympic superstar to family man shows how even the greatest athletes face new challenges in retirement.
