Olympic legend Usain Bolt made a rare public appearance at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Sunday night, where he recreated his famous “To Da World” pose before 60,000 cheering fans. The 39-year-old Jamaican sprinting icon, who retired in 2017, revealed he now leads a relaxed lifestyle focused on family, watching movies, and building Lego sets.The eight-time Olympic gold medalist still holds three unbeaten world records – 9.58 seconds in 100m, 19.19 in 200m, and 36.84 in 4x100m relay. He noted that his generation of sprinters, including Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake, were faster than today’s athletes, with no one breaking the 9.70-second barrier since 2012.Bolt, who is promoting the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, shared his current daily routine. He spends time with his children, watches series, and has developed a passion for Lego. After suffering an Achilles rupture last year, he admitted getting out of breath climbing stairs and mainly sticks to gym workouts rather than running.
I’m not a fan, but I think now that I’ve been out for a while I have to actually start running. Because when I walk up stairs I get out of breath
Usain Bolt
“No, I mostly do gym workouts. I’m not a fan, but I think now that I’ve been out for a while I have to actually start running. Because when I walk up stairs I get out of breath. I think when I start working on it fully again, I will probably have to do some laps just to get my breathing right,” he told The Guardian.The former athlete, who hadn’t watched athletics since retiring until seeing recent performances by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Oblique Seville, now embraces a more laid-back lifestyle at home, focusing on family time and entertainment rather than competitive sports.“Well normally, I wake up just in time to see the kids off to school, and then it depends on what I have to do. If I have nothing to do, I just chill out. I might work out sometimes if I’m in a good mood. I just watch some series and chill until the kids come home.“I spend some time with them, hang out, until they start annoying me then I leave. And then afterwards, I just stay at home and watch movies or I’m into Lego now, so I do Lego.”Addressing the impact of new technology in athletics, Bolt pointed to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s improved times with super spikes as proof that natural talent remains crucial. “You have Shelly, who has got the new spikes, and she ran faster. So it’s just the talent. We’re just way more talented men over that time,” he said.The sprinting superstar encouraged current athletes to be more authentic in engaging with fans. “It’s the personality,” he explained. “I think a lot of people try to be fun but it comes off different. It’s just having a good time. If you try too hard, it’s not going to be the same.”His connection with fans remains legendary, as he recalled a memorable moment from the 2012 Olympics: “When I was in London, I knew the Queen, so I waved,” he said, explaining how his natural approach helped him connect with people worldwide.
