Usain Bolt pushes retirement plans to 2017

Rio De Janeiro: Sprint superstar Usain Bolt revealed on Friday that he will put back his planned retirement until 2017 at the request of his sponsors. The six-time Olympic gold medallist and 100m and 200m world record holder had intended to retire from the track after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he told a news conference on Friday that he will compete for a further extra year.

 

“I think I’m going to do another year. My sponsors asked me to do one more year, so I will compete until 2017,” said the 27-year-old Jamaican.

If he sticks to his plan then Bolt’s last competition is likely to be the 2017 world championships in London.

 

Bolt is in Rio, where he expects to run under 10 seconds in a 100-metre race set up on a beach. Bolt says Sunday’s race is “going to be a test” to see where he’s at with his preparations this season. He will be competing against three other sprinters in the “Mano a Mano Challenge” at Leme beach.