Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has admitted that retirement has left him feeling “human again,” revealing that he now gets out of breath walking up the stairs.

Speaking at the World Athletics Championships, the 39-year-old Jamaican – who still holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay said an Achilles rupture means he no longer runs.

“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,” Bolt said. “When I start working on it fully again, I’ll probably have to do some laps just to get my breathing right.”



Since retiring in 2017, Bolt said his daily routine is far more relaxed: “Normally, I wake up just in time to see the kids off to school, then it depends on what I have to do. If I have nothing to do, I just chill. I might work out if I’m in the mood. I watch some series until the kids come home, spend time with them until they start annoying me, then I leave,” he joked. “Afterwards, I just stay at home, watch movies, or do Lego.”

When asked why today’s male sprinters have not caught up with his generation despite technological advances like upgraded spikes, Bolt didn’t mince words:

“You want the real answer? We’re just more talented. That’s all I’m saying. You can see it with the women – they’re running faster and faster, but for the men, it’s just talent. We were way more talented back then.”

He highlighted compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s continued dominance as proof: “Shelly has got the new spikes, and she ran faster. So it’s just the talent. That’s the difference.”